Another forgettable outing for Yankees starter Luis Severino

Luis Severino’s first two starts of the season after coming off the injured list in late May might as well have taken place in 2022.

At the moment, they’re about as relevant as if they had.

Severino, who somewhat surprisingly showed no signs of rust in those first two starts, made it three straight bad outings Tuesday night in a forgettable 4 2/3-inning performance in the Yankees' 7-6 win over the Mets.

The righthander, who started the season on the IL with a right lat strain, allowed six runs (five earned), seven hits and three walks. He struck out four.  

Afterward, it was as if Aaron Boone and Severino saw two different performances.

Boone felt he saw progress from Severino, who allowed three home runs in each of his previous two starts, especially after the rough first and second innings in which he allowed a combined four runs.

“Hopefully something that can springboard him moving forward,” Boone said. “I thought he went through that last time through the order … with kind of that electric Sevy stuff we’re used to seeing.”

The pitcher looked at the outing differently, to say the least.

“I need to get better. I need to be a better pitcher,” Severino said. “I feel like every time they’re giving me the ball, I’m not helping the team right now. I just need to figure out what’s going on and hopefully I can do that soon.”  

The Mets made him throw 29 pitches in a two-run first inning and 23 more in a two-run second (they scored an unearned run in the third to make it 5-1).

A five-run rally in the fourth inning against Max Scherzer gave the Yankees a 6-5 lead, taking Severino off the hook.

But only somewhat.

The positives?

Severino, whose fastball peaked consistently in the high 90s his first two outings but not in his previous two, did see a slight uptick Tuesday – peaking at 97 – and the pitch did improve as the night went on.

Still, not good enough, though he was pleased overall with his command of his fastball, which was missing his last two times on the mound.

“At least the fastball command was there today,” Severino said. “I need to do a better job putting guys away.”

Severino took the mound with a 1-0 lead, courtesy of Giancarlo Stanton’s first-inning blast off Scherzer, the DH’s sixth homer of the year (and fourth career homer in 25 at-bats against Scherzer).

Severino’s first pitch was a 95-mph fastball, which Brandon Nimmo took for a ball. Pitch No. 2 was also a 95-mph fastball, and the Mets' leadoff man blasted it to right-center for a homer to tie it 1-1.

Francisco Alvarez walked then Severino received a momentary reprieve when Jeff McNeil flied softly to center. After Francisco Lindor walked, rightfielder Jake Bauers saved two runs with a nice running grab of a Starling Marte bullet that seemed destined to go over the outfielder’s head. But after Brett Baty fouled off a 97-mph fastball, the third baseman hit a ground smash back up the middle for an RBI single to make it 2-1.

Severino balked twice in the second, the big hit in the inning McNeil’s two-out, two-run single on a 0-and-1, 97-mph fastball he sliced down the third base line.

Spotted the 6-5 lead in the top of the fourth, Severino produced his first, and only, clean inning of the night in the bottom half.

Boone, with Ron Marinaccio ready, allowed Severino to face Luis Guillorme with Baty at second and the second baseman rifled an RBI single to left, tying it 6-6 and ending Severino’s night.  

“I can’t put a finger right now on what’s going on,” Severino said. “I just need to do a deep dive on my outings and I have to figure it out.”

Bader set for rehab

Boone said centerfield Harrison Bader, on the IL since May 30 with a right hamstring strain, will start a rehab assignment Wednesday with Double-A Somerset. It will be a short one as the Yankees’ plan is to activate Bader in time for this weekend’s series in Boston, which starts Friday night.