“If I’m Tipping, It’s My Bad.” Severino Ripped in 1st. LA 8 NY 4

Luis Severino was ripped for 6 runs in the 1st inning — a solo homer, a single, a 2-run homer, and then 5 more singles.

What was expected to be a pitchers’ duel between he and Clayton Kershaw became a lop-sided affair. After the 1st, Severino just tried to get outs to save the bullpen, and got through 4 innings, allowing 7 runs in all.

To the chagrin of many Yankee fans, the NY offense was supplied largely by Josh Donaldson, just returning from injury. Donaldson, who has been pissed on by many Yankee fans on twitter the last year and a half — and who many wanted traded while he was out injured — hit a rain-maker homer in the 1st and a 2-run rain-maker homer in the 9th for 3 runs.

Giancarlo Stanton — also just returning from injury — provided the other NY run with a homer in the 4th.

Severino blamed his location for his rough start. “I was missing a lot of locations,” said Severino afterwards. “And they’re a good team; you have to minimize your mistakes.”

When asked if he was tipping pitches, Severino said “For me the big thing was location. Even if I’m tipping I need to get better — this is the big leagues. I will look and see. If I was tipping, that’s my bad, and it’s fixable.”

This was in stark contrast to Chris Bassitt, who recently accused the Yankees and Aaron Judge of cheating because he felt Toronto pitchers were tipping pitches.

NY falls to 34-25, 6.5 back of Tampa and 3 behind Baltimore. LA improves to 35-23, tied with Arizona for the best record in the NL.

1. Severino Ripped in 1st; Lasts thru 4 Innings

Mookie Betts led off the bottom of the 1st with a homer to left field off a 95-MPH fastball that hit too much of the plate. Betts would end up with 2 HR’s and 4 hits.

Severino got a groundout, but an infield single put a runner on for Max Muncy who hit a 2-2 changeup 380 feet to the opposite field and into the left-center seats for a 3-0 LA lead.

Then it was single, single, single, sac fly, single and it was LA 6 NY 0.

Severino missed with location, and it was also noted that his velocity was down. Afterwards he said he hadn’t noticed his velocity was down he was just trying to get outs — but would look at that too.

“Just some leaking into the heart of the plate and they didn’t miss,” said manager Aaron Boone when asked if he was concerned about Severino’s lowered velocity. “I think just some fastballs that leaked over. He pitches in and out of mid 90’s, upper 90’s sometimes, and in his last couple (of starts) he’s had that good heater; maybe just a tick off tonite. I don’t think there’s any (concern).”

When asked if he thought Severino might have been tipping, Boone said no, “Obviously we’ll look into everything. But they jumped on some pitches in the heart of the plate that they didn’t miss.”

2. Donaldson 446-foot Rain Maker HR Makes it 6-1

Josh Donaldson has been crapped on relentlessly by many on Yankee Twitter the last year for striking out a lot and hitting to a low batting average — with many Yank fans expressing wishes he would not return from injury and be dealt instead.

Those fans were chagrined when Donaldson got the Yanks back a run in the 2nd — his first at bat back from injury — with a 446-foot Rain Maker to left center.

“Felt like I had some pretty ball AB’s today, but at the end of the day we lost the game and that’s what’s most important,” said Donaldson afterwards.

3. Giancarlo HR Makes it 7-2

J.D. Martinez (remember him) homered off Severino in the 3rd to make it 7-1.

In the top of the 4th Giancarlo Stanton — he also back from injury (the hamstring that has kept him out the last month) — ripped a 417-foot homer to center for a 7-2 game.

4. Kershaw Good

Clayton Kershaw ended up pitching 7 innings, allowing 4 hits and 2 runs.

5. Kahnle Returns Too

Some more good news for Yankee fans: Tommy Kahnle was back too — and he pitched a shutout 5th.

6. Weber & Abreu Wrap Up

Ryan Weber pitched 2 innings — allowing a Mookie Betts solo homer in the 6th to make it 8-2 LA.

Albert Abreu — who continues to pitch well in his last several outings — pitched a shutout 8th.

7. Another Donaldson Rain-Maker HR in 9th

Josh Donaldson wrapped up the evening in the 9th with another rainmaker — this one a 2-run, 418-foot bomb to left center for an 8-4 game.

But LA reliever Phil Bickford struck out Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Anthony Volpe for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401471875

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