YARD BIRDS WIN IT
Oriole HRs off Clippard, Severino sink Yankees
BALTIMORE — Matt Holliday and Gary Sanchez staked the Yankees to a four-run lead on Friday night with a pair of two-run homers that traveled a combined 838 feet. And the way Luis Severino was pitching, it looked as though it would hold up.
But the 23-year-old righty made a mistake to Manny Machado, and the Orioles superstar made Severino pay, slamming a three-run homer that brought Baltimore within one with two outs in the fifth.
“It changed the complexion of the game,” Joe Girardi said.
Two innings later, Chase Headley made a bad throw, Tyler Clippard made a bad pitch, and that was it.
Headley’s second error of the game allowed Jonathan Schoop to reach leading off the seventh, and Clippard surrendered a one-out, two-run homer to Seth Smith two batters later, as the Yankees fell to the Orioles, 6-5, at frigid Camden Yards.
Since 2014, the Yankees (1-3) are 7-21 in Baltimore.
“It gave them momentum and it cost us,” Headley said of his poor throw, which Greg Bird was unable to scoop out of the dirt.
The Yankees’ bullpen had opened the season by throwing 15 straight scoreless innings before Smith’s blast over the right field wall.
“It was a four-seam fastball that was supposed to be up and in,” Clippard said. “I got it up, it just leaked over the middle of the plate and he got his barrel on it.”
Severino pitched well for much of the night, but still hasn’t won as a starter since Sept. 27, 2015. He gave up four earned runs on six hits in five innings, walked one and struck out six. Last season, he went 0-8 with an 8.50 ERA in 11 starts, and was sent to the minors as a result.
Against the Orioles, Severino mostly displayed good fastball command and showed a solid slider and changeup. Unfortunately, he walked Adam Jones with two outs in the fifth and Machado followed with a bang. No wonder the Yankees want him. Severino had struck out Machado in his previous two at-bats, but couldn’t beat him a third time. It was Machado’s third career homer against Severino in 11 at-bats.
“That was a fastball inside. It was a good pitch. I tip my cap to Machado,” Severino said.
Headley had gone 7-for-11 at the plate in his team’s first three games before going 0-for-4 with two miscues in the field.
Bird struck out three times, went 0-for-4 overall and is 1-for-16 at the plate this season. Chris Carter pinch-hit for Bird with two outs in the ninth and ended the game by grounding out against Orioles closer Zach Britton.
“That’s just how it goes, ups and downs,” said Bird, who hit eight homers during the spring. “I just have to work through it and get better, plain and simple. I think I’m just a little late. I feel like I’m swinging at what I want to swing at, I’m just not hitting what I’m swinging at.”
Holliday hit an RBI double in the first before adding his first homer as a Yankee in the third. Sanchez snapped a 1-for-15 skid with his first homer of the year in the fifth. Brett Gardner added three hits, three runs scored and two stolen bases.
“It feels good. Now I just have to keep it going,” Sanchez said.
Severino had an up-anddown spring before emerging late to claim the No. 4 spot in the Yankees’ much maligned starting rotation.
“He needs to grab this thing and run with it,” Girardi said.
Severino’s five innings tied CC Sabathia for the longest outing by a Yankees’ starter this season.
The Yankees avoided a scare in the fourth inning when Severino’s cleat got stuck as he was winding up to deliver a pitch to Hyun Soo Kim.
The ball sailed wide and Severino tumbled to the ground. Girardi and a member of the training staff came out to visit Severino, but after a warmup toss, he said he was fine and remained in the game. It was nothing more than a clip for the blooper reel.
Last season, Severino’s fastball averaged 96.1 mph, according to Pitch F/X data, but opponents hit .299 against it. He also struggled mightily the second and third times through the order.
During the offseason, Severino worked with Pedro Martinez and in the spring, Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild worked with Severino on patience with his delivery.
“Last year, I wasn’t trying to be a pitcher. I was trying to throw hard,” Severino said.
Despite his inconsistency, the Yankees still believe Severino can be a starter in the majors. He’s had past success as a power reliever.
“I don’t feel any extra pressure to perform,” Severino said. “I feel really good, and I feel I can be the same guy I was in 2015 or better this year.”