BALTIMORE — Luis Severino‘s much-awaited turnaround didn’t quite materialize as expected. Instead, he proved to be a disaster for the Yankees breaking their momentum to break out of the slump. After his catastrophic outing against the Orioles on Sunday, Yankees fans are against keeping him on the team rotation.
However, Yankees manager Aaron Boone didn’t provide a direct answer when asked about it. Neither he stood by his starter as he did in the past.
“We gotta continue to look under the hood and see why that high level of execution isn’t there,” he said. “Right now, we’re just going to continue to focus and work on that.”
Luis Severino allowed six runs without recording an out, leaving the Yankees no chance as they suffered a 9-3 loss to the Orioles. This defeat led to them dropping the series on Sunday night at Camden Yards.
With Nestor Cortes on a rehab assignment and the Yankees currently not considering a six-man rotation, Severino’s future as a starter for the team could be in jeopardy.
Luis Severino’s brutal ousting in Baltimore
The Yankees were hoping for another win in Sunday’s rubber game against the Orioles, who are AL East. But their dream ended in the very first inning when Luis Severino gave up a staggering seven runs.
The Orioles took a commanding 6-0 lead after just six batters faced by Luis Severino. The young stars Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson began with singles, setting the stage for Anthony Santander’s RBI double on a middle-of-the-plate slider.
Luis Severino’s struggles forced a visit from pitching coach Matt Blake after facing only three batters and throwing just nine pitches. Unfortunately, the advice given did not yield any positive results. Following the mound visit, Ryan O’Hearn added to the Yankees’ misery with a two-run double, and Severino subsequently walked Austin Hays on five pitches.
Adam Frazier capitalized on a down-the-middle fastball, crushing a three-run homer that traveled an impressive 395 feet to right field, essentially burying the Yankees. The Orioles’ fans were jubilant, expressing their joy with loud “Yankees suck” chants.
Luis Severino finally managed to record an out by striking out Ramon Urias, but his struggles continued, leaving the Yankees in a precarious position. Jordan Westburg hit a sharp comebacker that deflected off Severino’s glove, resulting in an infield single.
Westburg made an impressive steal to reach second base and later scored the seventh and final run of the inning when Rutschman delivered his second single during that frame. The challenging inning took its toll on Luis Severino, who had to walk back to the dugout after throwing a whopping 38 pitches, adding to the recent struggles he has faced this season. After 3 ½ innings, the Yankees decided to turn to their bullpen to take over the pitching duties.
Luis Severino, once a standout performer for the Yankees, will become a free agent after this season, but he might be hitting the market during the worst stretch of his career. Entering the game with a disappointing 6.46 ERA in 11 starts, his numbers have continued to decline.
Although he had a rough start with seven runs allowed in two outings earlier this month, there was hope for a bounce back after solid efforts against the Angels and Royals.
Severino expressed his current feelings by saying, “Right now, I feel like I am the worst pitcher in the game, no doubt about it.” He acknowledged giving up a career-high nine earned runs in 3 ¹/₃ innings and now holds a 7.49 ERA through 12 starts.
Severino admits “Nothing is working”
July has been an exceptionally rough month for Luis Severino, who is approaching free agency. Over five starts, he recorded a staggering 11.22 ERA, conceding 43 hits (including seven home runs) in just 21 ²/₃ innings.
Despite his previous two starts before Sunday, where he surrendered only four runs in a total of 11 ²/₃ innings against the Angels and Royals, Luis Severino’s struggles returned with a vengeance.
Luis Severino acknowledged his struggles and expressed disappointment with his recent performance. Despite believing in his ability to deliver strong outings, he admitted that everything he tried seemed ineffective. He emphasized that he would not give up and would keep working to identify the root of the problem. However, he expressed concern about not contributing to the team’s success at the moment.
Luis Severino’s recent performances have been concerning, as he has allowed seven runs or more in three out of his last five starts, including two seven-run innings against the Orioles. With Nestor Cortes potentially returning from the injured list in the second week of August, Severino’s spot in the rotation could be in jeopardy.
“Right now, I feel like I am the worst pitcher in the game, no doubt about it,” said Luis Severino. “I know I can go out there and give us good outings, but right now, nothing that I do is working, I feel like I’m not even contributing to this team.”
Yankees shocked to see Luis Severino’s brutal rout
After their promising performance in the 8-3 win on Saturday night, the Yankees (55-50) returned to their struggling form, which has contributed to their position in last place in the AL East. As a result, their inconsistency continued, and their outlook leading up to Tuesday’s trade deadline remained uncertain. Despite Aaron Judge’s promising return from the injured list, he was rested for Sunday’s finale to gradually increase his workload.
The Yankees failed to close the gap in the AL wild-card standings, remaining 3 ½ games behind the final playoff position. Next on the schedule are two formidable series against the Rays and Astros, presenting a crucial and decisive stretch for the Yankees.
Manager Aaron Boone emphasized the importance of bouncing back and regaining momentum on Monday, acknowledging the urgency of their position in the season. In Judge’s absence, the Yankees struggled, going 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranding 10 men on base.
The Yankees set a new season-high with 18 strikeouts, and Anthony Rizzo contributed the most with five strikeouts.
Boone explained that the reason they couldn’t score more runs was due to the high number of strikeouts, which reached 18, a significant figure. Even Aaron Judge’s presence couldn’t have resolved the issues that plagued the Yankees in this game, mainly due to Luis Severino’s disastrous performance, which led to a seven-run first inning.
The Yankees found some relief in the fact that Ron Marinaccio and Albert Abreu took over and finished the last 4 ²/₃ innings after Severino’s rough outing. This allowed the team’s key relievers to be preserved for Monday’s series opener against the Rays at home in The Bronx.
Rizzo expressed optimism about their division’s competitive nature, stating that teams can quickly shift positions due to hot streaks and cold spells. He emphasized the need to stay focused on the present and acknowledged that there are less than two months remaining in the season, so the team must perform well and seize the opportunity.
When questioned about the possibility of keeping Severino in the rotation, Boone didn’t offer a straightforward response. Boone acknowledged that Luis Severino had performed well in his last two starts and emphasized the need to examine the reasons behind his current struggles. The team will continue to concentrate on addressing the issue.
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