Severino eager to close out Astros
As the New York Yankees celebrated their latest postseason victory, Luis Severino thought of the long odds they hurdled just to arrive at this moment.
“Beginning of the season, nobody was expecting us to be anything,” Severino said. “And right now, we have a chance to be in the World Series.”
Heading into Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, Severino said he’s real excited to draw Friday’s start against the Houston Astros, with the Yankees one victory away from their 41st league pennant.
Always a catcher at heart, Yankees manager Joe Girardi wants to make sure his 23-year-old starter channels that excitement at Minute Maid Park.
“The big thing is getting through the first inning and not getting too hyped up,” said Girardi, recalling how Severino lasted one-third of an inning against the Minnesota Twins in the wild-card game, nearly pulling the curtain on their postseason before it began.
“You have to be smart, and you can’t try to overpower through situations,” Girardi said. “Because this team will turn around a fastball.”
Just a handful of starts into the 2017 season, Severino had already turned around the misfortune of 2016. And by midsummer, Severino’s selection to the AL All-Star team validated his status as the club’s ace.
“The struggles he went through last year has helped him ... to move forward,” Girardi said of Severino, who went 14-6 with a 2.98 ERA in 2017, his first full season in a big-league rotation.
But entering spring training, talk outside the organization centered on whether Severino was better suited to relieve, a role he excelled at late in 2016 after going 0-6 with a 7.46 ERA in seven early-season starts.
“I’m proud of the work I did in the offseason,” said Severino, which included gaining confidence in his change-up under the tutelage of Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez. And his in-season work with Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild “helped me be what I am.
“I’m proud of myself and the team that we have.”
Plus, Severino insists he’s over that wild-card episode.
“That hurt me. I don’t want to let my teammates down like I did that day,” Severino said of yielding two home runs and leaving with a 3-0 deficit against the Twins. “I learned from that start.”
He proved it in Game 4 of the AL Division Series, with the Yankees facing elimination, deliver- has ing seven innings in a 7-3 win against the Cleveland Indians.
Now comes a rematch of ALCS Game 2 against Justin Verlander, who went the distance in a 2-1 Astros win while Severino watched the last five innings from the bench.
Severino had yielded one run through four innings of Game 2.
But when Girardi and his staff noticed the right-hander stretching his shoulder between pitches, well, it was a fast exit out of precaution, despite Severino’s protests.
“I’m not going to do nothing (this time),” Severino said with a laugh Thursday, when asked if he might stretch his shoulder again. “I’m just going to throw the ball.”
Even Girardi admits “I’d probably react a little bit different” if a similar situation occurred in Game 6.
“He’s fine,” Girardi said after describing Severino’s betweenstarts bullpen session as really good Wednesday.
“I have to say that I feel great right now,” Severino said, pleased with the action on his slider, change-up and fastball command in Wednesday’s bullpen. “I feel strong.”