Severino, Cole, and Britton struggle in Yankees’ loss to Mets

Luis Severino’s struggles are starting to be a bit of an issue… The man who just a month ago was in a race for the AL Cy Young now has an ERA sitting at 3.27 after his 4 inning outing giving up 4 earned runs, which wouldn’t be a terrible ERA until you consider the fact that just seven starts ago it was sub two. The Yankees offense attempted to keep the team in the game, scoring 5 runs in a game that Jacob deGrom started, but poor bullpen choices by manager Aaron Boone led to a very tough 8-5 loss to the team from Queens.

Credit: AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

Sevy once again started off the game poorly, giving up two runs in the first frame. The first run was a solo home run given up to Amed Rosario. Brandon Nimmo then doubled to right field and eventually ended up scoring on a Jeff McNeil single. Severino’s struggles continued in the second after he started off by striking out Austin Jackson and getting Jose Bautista to line out, he then loaded the bases by giving up a single to Devin Mesoraco, surrendering a single to Rosario, and walking Nimmo before striking out Michael Conforto to end the threat; leaving his pitch count at 56 after two.

The Yankees opened their scoring in the third, starting with a single by Austin Romine. Brett Gardner then worked himself a tough walk against Jacob deGrom which brought up the red hot Giancarlo Stanton. Stanton grounded into what would have been a double play if not for a terrific slide by Gardy which forced an errant throw by Jeff McNeil which went into the stands, scoring Romine from third and moving Stanton into scoring position. After a fly out by Didi Gregorius, Aaron Hicks singled Stanton in and tied the game at two.

The Mets broke the tie immediately in the top half of the forth, with a two-run home run by Jose Bautista following a leadoff single by Austin Jackson.

Credit: AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

The Yankees brought themselves one run closer in the fifth, with a Didi single off the end of his bat that scored Gardner who had doubled earlier in the inning. However, the former Yankee Todd Frazier got the run back for the Mets with a leadoff home run to start the sixth inning off of AJ Cole.

Cole continued to add to the Mets lead for them in the seventh inning, surrendering back-to-back home runs to Nimmo and Conforto, giving them a 7-3 lead before turning it over to their bullpen later in the inning after a “rough” start by deGrom’s standards, going six and two thirds innings with three runs (two earned), raising his MLB best ERA from 1.77 to 1.81.

Seth Lugo came in for the Mets in the eighth inning and served up a two out, two-run home run to Miguel Andujar following a walk by Aaron Hicks, however Zach Britton continued his struggle in pinstripes in the bottom of the inning. Following a Nimmo strikeout, he hit Conforto with a 1-2 sinker that got away from him. Wilmer Flores singled to move Conforto into scoring position, and then Jeff McNeil grounded into what should’ve been a double play to end the inning (even though a relief pitcher of Britton’s status shouldn’t have been in the position anyway against the lowly Mets), but an error by Gleyber Torres allowed Conforto to score. Britton then loaded the bases by giving up a single to Todd Frazier and an infield single to Austin Jackson, however got out of the jam giving up just the one run by getting Bautista to ground out.

That was it for the Yankees, as Gsellman came in for the Mets and shut the door on any late game theatrics and finished out an 8-5 Mets win in what is a really tough game for the Bombers to lose having scored three runs on the best starter in baseball this year.

What’s Next?

The Yankees remain in the Bronx as they look to bounce back as they take on the Rays in a battle of JA Happ and the Rays bullpen. First pitch is at 7:05 pm on the YES Network.

Article by Nick Simonelli

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