If Luis Severino wasn't the first pitcher to start an elimination game saddled with an 81.0 postseason ERA, we'd venture to guess it must be a very small fraternity. That's not a number usually associated with a Yankees' ace, and definitely a statistic that Severino was anxious to be rid of as soon as possible.
The opportunity arrived with Monday's ALDS Game 4, as the Yankees faced their second do-or-die situation in as many nights, and Severino was the only arm left in the rotation. Severino also had to take comfort in that it was virtually impossible for him to do any worse than his previous assignment, when he recorded just one out, then was gone before the Yankees rolled to an 8-4 victory over the Twins.
"I learned that it doesn't help, you know, a lot of adrenaline, trying to do too much," Severino said on the eve of Game 4. "So I'll just try to calm myself down and try to breathe and think before every pitch."
Standing in the middle of Yankee Stadium, with nearly 50,000 fans screaming, is hardly the spot for peaceful meditation. But Severino, still just 23, is mature beyond his years, and supremely talented as well. He just wasn't himself during that miserable wild-card night against the Twins, as the emotional surge messed with the ability to command his pitches.
Fortunately for the Yankees, they got the real Severino when they needed him the most, not unlike the Masahiro Tanaka who showed up for the previous night's Game 3. As the Yankees feasted on a flurry of the Indians' early mistakes, with two costly errors leading to five unearned runs, Severino kept Cleveland on lockdown for the first three innings, retiring 11 of 12 while building enough momentum to go seven strong in the 7-3 victory that forces a Game 5 today back at Progressive Field.
Severino had few glitches in the middle innings, serving up a two-run home run to Carlos Santana in the fourth and a solo shot to Roberto Perez in the fifth that trimmed the Yankees' lead to a worrisome 5-3. From there, however, Severino stifled the Indians, setting down eight of the final nine to squash any lingering comeback fantasy.
All told, Severino struck out 9 and walked 1, surrendering 4 hits. The devastating slider was back, with its wicked late bend coming hard at 91 mph, and the fastball hummed along at the usual 97-99. That was the arsenal responsible for his 14-6 record during the regular season and 2.98 ERA, the lowest for a qualified Yankee since David Cone (2.82) and Andy Pettitte (2.88) in 1997. It also was the reason why Joe Girardi had zero concerns about returning him to the mound for the critical Game 4.
"I think sometimes we can forget how young Seve is with how he's pitched all season long," Girardi said Monday afternoon. "I think that possibly he got too amped up the last time. And probably going through that experience and watching these last few has probably really helped him, and I expect him to bounce back."
Girardi nailed that prediction, and Severino even went far enough to give the bullpen an extra breather, pushing to 113 pitches, the last handful causing the Stadium crowd to chant his name as he wrapped up the seventh inning. "Se-ver-i-no! Se-ver-i-no!" they yelled in what was the most boisterous chorus of an electric night in the Bronx.
As for that playoff ERA, it's down to 7.36, and he may not be finished yet this October.
Sports on 10/11/2017