The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Severino sharp as Yankees top Rays
NEW YORK — In his latest peak performance, Luis Severino took matters into his own hands — and glove.
Severino jumped to steal away a popup from catcher Gary Sanchez while pitching eight sharp innings, leading the New York Yankees over the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 Saturday.
“He didn’t say, ‘I got it’ and I was there,” Severino quipped. “So you know I went for the ball . ... He said, ‘You took it from my glove.’ ”
Giancarlo Stanton and Sanchez hit back-to-back home runs as New York won for the 13th time in 16 games. It was the Rays’ 18th loss in 22 games at Yankee Stadium.
Severino (10-2) simply overwhelmed a weak-hitting Rays lineup that has produced just one run over its last 21 innings. The 24year-old righty gave up three hits, struck out nine and walked two, tying Cleveland’s Corey Kluber for the AL win lead.
Severino showed off other talents, too.
In the fifth, Carlos Gomez led off with a popup high above the plate. As Sanchez looked into the sun trying to find the ball, Severino sprung off the mound. They were next to each other, slightly in foul ground, when Severino leaped to catch the ball, right above Sanchez’s mitt.
Took it right away from his best friend on the team, in fact.
“I tried to block it a little bit more with the glove. I found the ball, I was in a good spot and I had it right there,” Sanchez said. “And I was surprised when I heard the steps. I think it was an instinct of his. He tried to assure his out.”
Sanchez gave Severino a look, perhaps wondering why the pitcher came into the picture, before they went back to work.
Said Aaron Judge: “He’s an athlete out there. I think he is trying to win a Gold Glove.”
The play on Gomez came during a stretch of 11 straight batters Severino retired before Joey Wendle singled with two outs in the seventh. Severino then threw a 99 mph fastball past Gomez to strike him out.
Severino was perfect in the eighth, and Chasen Shreve relieved to begin the ninth.
Matt Duffy hit a leadoff homer against Shreve and homered for just the fourth time this year, cutting the lead 4-1, and Jake Bauers followed with a triple that bounced out of center fielder Aaron Hicks’ glove.
Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman then set down the next three batters for his 20th save in 21 chances.
The Rays have lost 12 of their last 16 games and have one more game in the Bronx on Sunday before continuing their seven-game road trip Monday at defending champion Houston.