Severino, power bats lead Yanks past Rays
NEW YORK » Luis Severino pitched eight sharp innings and also jumped to steal away a popup from catcher Gary Sanchez, leading the New York Yankees over the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 Saturday.
Giancarlo Stanton and Sanchez hit backto-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 24-year-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.
Sanchez gave Severino a look, perhaps wondering why the pitcher came into the picture, before they went back to work.
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.
New York didn’t fare too well against Ryne Stanek, who allowed a hit and struck out one over 1 1/3 scoreless inning on Tampa Bay’s designated “bullpen day.”
Ryan Yarbrough (5-3) gave up a run in the second on rookie Gleyber Torres’ twoout double. Didi Gregorius hit an RBI single in the third.
Stanton connected in the fifth for his 16th home run. Four pitches later, Sanchez hit his 13th homer over the center field fence — that snapped a homerless streak of 66 atbats dating to May 19.