The Yankees went into Philly (June 25-27) and did what they needed to do. They won another road series, shaking off being swept in Tampa Bay. Winning the opener 4-2, Jonathan Loaisiga (2-0) got the W as he retired the first 12 batters he faced on his way to 5.2 brilliant shutout innings in which he dominated the Phillies, allowing 1 hit while striking out 8. Game 2 of the series was all about Luis Severino. He completely overpowered the Philly lineup with a blazing fastball that averaged 98.6 mph. More amazing than the avg. velocity is his ability to maintain his velocity as his pitch count rises. In the 6th and 7th inning Sevy threw 6 fastballs at 99+ mph. On the season Luis leads the league having thrown 36 pitches at 99+ velocity in the 6th inning or later. Chris Sale is a distant 2nd with 10. The final line vs. the Phillies was 7 inn. 6H, 0ER, 0BB/9K. I know it is almost impossible to believe that I have a concern after watching that performance, but I do. A BIG concern. Severino did not mix in his change-up, and in his previous start vs. Seattle, he abandoned his change-up in the 2nd inning after a Kyle Seager HR on an 89 mph up in the zone. Anyone who follows me on twitter or reads this website knows how long I have been focused on the importance of mixing in his c/u. And it’s not just the quantity of c/u’s but the quality. Sevy’s good change is thrown in the mid 80’s mph, down in the zone with sink and fade to it. When Severino has thrown the pitch recently is at 89-90 mph, up in the zone, and straight. This is not good. I’m concerned, and what concerns me most is that no one else seems concerned. Not Boone, not Larry R. , not the YES network analysts, and not Sevy himself. Quite simply, Severino needs to throw the c/u, and throw it with conviction. The Red Sox are his next opponent. Early in the season, Sevy went into Fenway with 2 pitches FB/SL and had his worst outing of the year allowing 5R in 5 innings.
Game 3 was a 3-0 loss. Luis Cessa struggled from the 1st inning and took the loss, while Zach Eflin capped off a spectacular June in which he went 5-0 with a 1.76 ERA, by throwing 7 shutout innings, allowing 4 hits.
