Luis Severino keeps up torrid pace to extend Yankees hot streak

NEW YORK – Luis Severino didn’t get off to the perfect start Saturday that Yankees pitchers had been accustomed to the previous two nights, but he turned in the next best thing with another efficient outing.

Take Saturday afternoon when Severino stared down the Tigers in his 10th start of the season. The righty showed his efficient side by going seven innings on 92 pitches, 61 for strikes, when the Yankees won for the 38th time in a 3-0 win over the Tigers on a sun-splashed day before 38,106 at Yankee Stadium.

Two days after Jameson Taillon had his perfect-game broken up in the eighth inning against the Angels Thursday night and a day after Gerrit Cole retired the first 20 Tigers on Friday, Severino surrendered one hit and struck out a season-high 10 while surrendering no runs and one walk for his fourth win of the season as New York won its fifth straight game.

“Watching every starter go seven, I had to do the same," Severino said then chuckled. "We have a group thing here. Higgy (Kyle Higashioka) and I make a great plan talking hitters. If I don’t get to six or seven, I’m afraid I'm going to get traded and it's not good enough. I need to go out there and give my best every time they give me the ball.

“I feel great. I’m bouncing back pretty good. My arm is stretching out every five days and I’m ready to help. We’re always having those extra days and off days.”

It also doesn’t hurt when the pitching and hitting are in sync.

Aaron Judge drilled his major league-leading 21st home run of the season on the first pitch in the first inning off Detroit starter Beau Brieske (six innings pitched, three hits, two earned runs, one walk, seven strikeouts) and Anthony Rizzo added his 13th in the sixth – both solo shots – and the combination of gas and mash has fueled the Yankees, who own the major’s best record at 38-15 through the first two months of the season.

“So he’s added a leadoff homer to his resume now. He didn’t waste any time," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "We talk about our starting rotation and how special that’s been to watch so far and the same can be said of Aaron Judge.”

Clay Holmes closed out the game in relief to earn the save, extending his scoreless streak to 26 innings, the longest stretch in Major League Baseball this season.

It is becoming apparent the Yankees are playing at a pace that few teams can match.

In the Yankees' last five starts, four pitchers have thrown seven innings apiece, with Taillon going as deep as the eighth inning. The streak marks just the fourth time in franchise history the Yankees have accomplished the feat.

The quintet of Jordan Montgomery, Nestor Cortes, Taillon, Cole and Severino have combined for 31 strikeouts, while allowing just 14 hits and two runs.

Yankees pitchers have tossed two straight shutouts and eight this season.

"It’s been special to watch them go at it. They’ve been so good now for a while. We talk about passing the baton in the lineup while they’re doing it from the starting staff," Boone said. "Every day we’re getting that kind of outing and trying not to take that for granted. What a good place all five of those guys are in."

The lone hit off Severino was in second inning when veteran Miguel Cabrera roped a hot shot that deflected off shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa and careened into left field.

After Cabrera's hit, Severino retired 16 of the next 17 and 12 straight before retiring the side in the seventh. He had two strikeouts in both the first and second innings and struck out the side in the sixth.

“It was a pretty good pitch. Cabrera is…Miggy Cabrera," Severino said. "It was hit pretty hard. After that we made the adjustment. I don’t take anything back. It was a good pitch.”

“It was smoked and at first I thought maybe it knuckled and then I think it slidered on him. It’s tough when it’s hit as hard as you can. It could have gone either way," Boone added. “He [Severino] was really pitch efficient. I think he ended with a good strikeout number. He was really economical with his pitches and I thought he did a good job really early establishing his fastball and he worked everything off of that.”

Josh Donaldson added an insurance run for the Yankees in the eighth inning when he hit a sacrifice fly to center field with bases loaded, scoring Aaron Hicks.

Detroit (21-32) suffered its second straight shutout loss and its seventh of the season. Tigers batters were held to just one hit, which marks the second game this season they've been held to just one hit and no runs.

New York will go for the series sweep on Sunday in a rare 11:35 a.m. start at the Stadium.

Stanton reactivated

Outfielder Giancarlo Stanton was reinstated from the 10-day Injured List prior to Saturday's game and batted cleanup as the designated hitter.

Stanton missed nine games since landing on the IL on May 25 with right ankle inflammation.

During his absence, the Yankees went 7-2 and had won four straight games.

“We’re excited to get him back. Excited that it was something minor that he essentially will continue to get good work in over the entire 10 days,” Boone said prior to Saturday’s game. “He’s been in a good spot here the last few days to get ready to go today.”

In his first at bat Saturday, Stanton (1-for-4) hit a double to deep center field. He struck out in the fourth and sixth innings and lined out in the eighth with runners on second and third.

Before landing on the IL, Stanton was batting .285 with 11 home runs, 43 hits and 35 RBIs in 40 games. Nine of his 11 homers this season have either tied the game (three) or given the Yankees the lead (six).

Stanton went 0-for-13 in his final 13 at bats before being placed on the IL.

Since 2011, Stanton has been placed on the IL every season, including the last four, with the exception of 2014, 2017 and 2018.

Boone expects Stanton to make his way back in the outfield in the coming days.

“My hope is that it will be very simple that he’s still going to play a lot in the field. He and I are both on the same page with that. Now when that happens, that will be the question. I don’t think he’ll play tomorrow and then we have the off day Monday. He’ll probably DH on that first day in Minnesota and then maybe introduce the outfield one of those back two games or it could be that first game,” Boone said.

“We’ll just have to talk through that. He and I are pretty good with getting on the same page with that and what makes the most sense. I plan on as we get going here to have him playing the outfield.”

Andujar wants out

In related moves, the Yankees optioned IF/OF Miguel Andujar to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and returned outfield Tim Locastro from his rehab assignment, reinstated him from the 10-day IL and also optioned him to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Andujar reportedly told Boone Friday night that he doesn’t want to be with the Yankees any longer and wants to be traded after Boone informed him he was being sent back to Scranton for the third time this season.

It’s not the first time he’s requested to be traded.

Though Boone declined to elaborate on the specifics of his conversation with Andujar Friday night, he did comment on his reactions.

“He took it like a pro. Miggy’s a great guy and handled it like a pro but understanding that’s a difficult option and understanding that he’s a big part of what we’ve done here. He certainly wants to be here, so I understand that’s a tough one,” Boone said.

“Last night was really difficult because he’s playing regularly for us. He’s been a part of us winning ball games. There’s been other times as I’ve talked about in the last few years when it’s been needed that he’s probably gone down there (Scranton) and worked through some things and getting built up and things like that. Right now I know he’s contributing and he knows that and we know that. It’s just a tough numbers game, obviously. So last night was difficult.”

Nick Gantaifis is a high school sports reporter for NorthJersey.com. For full access to live scores, breaking news and analysis from our Varsity Aces team, subscribe today. To get breaking news directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter and download our app. 

Email: gantaifis@northjersey.com 

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This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Luis Severino keeps up torrid pace to extend NY Yankees' hot streak