Sevy, Sanchez can’t handle each other
Sanchez, Sevy combo proves toxic in Yanks’ loss to A’s
OAKLAND — I guess we know who should not be starting a potential American League wild-card game against the A’s, or maybe we found out who should not be catching it.
Yankees ace Luis Severino, who has struggled in the second half of the season, was chased early Wednesday night — with a lot of help from his catcher Gary Sanchez.
At the very least, Wednesday night’s debacle made it clear they definitely shouldn’t be starting a one-loss elimination game together .
The A’s took the series with the 8-2 win over the Yankees at Oakland Coliseum.
While they are still chasing the Astros in the American League West, they trail by just 3.5 games, the A’s also cut back into the Yanks’ lead in the race for the AL’s top wild card spot. The Bombers now hold just a 3.5 game lead over the A’s for the top spot and more im- portantly the home field advantage that goes with it.
Severino got the nod last season when the Yankees’ hosted the Twins for the AL wild card game — and got just one out in the first inning before he was yanked. Wednesday night was his shortest start of the season and the shortest regular-season start since May 14, 2017 against the Astros.
He allowed six runs, five earned, on six hits. He walked one and struck out three.
It wasn’t exactly a strong case for Severino to take the ball if the Yankees have to face this dangerous lineup on Oct. 3 in the postseason game.
To be fair, however, Severino had some a lot of help imploding.
Sanchez had two passed balls. Severino was charged with two wild pitches, one that allowed a run to score, in an ugly first inning.
This wasn’t the first time that Sanchez and Severino have struggled working together.
In a July 24th game in Tampa, Sanchez’s passed ball allowed a run to score and Severino was steamed. Back in the dugout, Severino confronted his catcher. The discussion, caught on cameras broadcasting the game, got heated. The next day, Sanchez was put back on the disabled list after just three games with the same groin injury he suffered on June 24.
Wednesday night, there was an animated conversation on the mound as Sanchez went out to try and settle the right-hander down, but noted on the broadcast no one went and spoke to Sanchez during the top of the second.
It’s not the first time Sanchez’s defense has been questioned. With the two passed balls Wednesday night, the 25-year old has 13 passed balls on the season, tied for the most in the major leagues with Martin Maldonado. The Astros’ catcher has 13 in 102 games this season, Sanchez has the same in 59 games.
With the two wild pitches, Yankees pitchers have thrown 37 wild pitches with Sanchez behind the plate.
His ability to block balls was also an issue last season, causing then Yankees manager Joe Girardi to say that Sanchez’s defense had to improve. Sanchez finished last season with 16 passed balls and Yankees’ pitchers were charged with 53 wild pitches when he was behind the plate.
But all of Severino’s struggles cannot be blamed on Sanchez.
After an All-Star first half, where Severino went 16-2 with a 1.98 ERA in his first 18 starts, he hit a wall in July. Over his last 11 starts, Severino has allowed 42 earned runs in 55.1 innings pitched for a 6.83 ERA. He dropped to 4-5 in that span with the loss Wednesday night.
Obviously, Sanchez was on the disabled list when Severino’s season went south, so it can’t be blamed easily on the battery. And in the top of the seventh inning, Sanchez showed why he will likely be in any postseason lineup. Despite his struggles this year, he delivered his 15th homer of the season, a two-run shot off Mike Fiers to get the Yankees on the board.
These questions — who will start a wild card game — are things that the Yankees need to start thinking about. With the Red Sox pulling away with the AL East, they increased their lead to 9.5 Wednesday, the Yankees’ postseason hopes are almost certainly going through the wild card and they need to start lining themselves up.
Wednesday night, at least the Yankees figured out who should not be the battery if they have to face the A’s again on Oct. 3.
Luis Severino throws two wild pitches while Gary Sanchez is charged with two passed balls in first inning of Yanks’ 8-2 loss to Oakland.