Yankees takeaways from Sunday’s 9-3 loss to Orioles, including Luis Severino’s rough first inning

The Yankees couldn’t get past a seven-run first inning by the Baltimore Orioles, losing 9-3 on Sunday Night Baseball.

Here are the takeaways…

– It wasn’t a pretty first inning for Luis Severino.

The righty began his night by giving up two consecutive singles before Anthony Santander’s double brought home the game’s first run. Ryan O’Hearn followed with a double that made it 3-0 before Severino walked Austin Hays to put runners on first and second and still nobody out. Smelling blood, Adam Frazier swung at the first pitch Severino threw to him and launched it over the right field wall for a three-run jack and just like that, the Orioles led 6-0.

Severino got his first out of the night by striking out the No. 7 hitter Ramon Urias, but Jordan Westburg singled, stole second base and scored on Adley Rutschman’s second hit of the inning. Severino finished the inning by striking out Gunnar Henderson, his third strikeout of the inning, but the damage had long been done.

Amazingly, the seven runs allowed in the inning was the third time this season that New York has given up at least seven runs in a single inning to the O’s.

– Down 7-0 in the second inning, the Yanks loaded the bases with two outs and Kyle Higashioka at the plate. Swinging at a 3-1 cutter, Higgy grounded out weakly to third base and ended the two-out rally with nothing to show for.

– Jake Bauers changed that with a solo shot to lead off the third inning to make it 7-1 and Gleyber Torres followed with a double high off the right field wall that was initially called a home run. With a runner at second and nobody out and the heart of the order coming up, Baltimore’s starter Dean Kremer got all three hitters to strike out swinging to end the frame.

Bauers had his second run-scoring hit of the night in the fourth inning with a double, but he and Higashioka were stranded at second and third when Torres popped out to end the threat.

– Despite the seven earned runs in the first inning, Severino was still out there in the fourth inning but couldn’t get out of it after a walk, double, ground out, wild pitch and single plated two more runs. Severino went 3.1 innings and allowed nine earned runs on 10 hits and two walks while striking out five. His season ERA now sits at 7.49 through 12 starts.

– The Yanks got one of those runs back in the next half-inning with a sacrifice fly by Harrison Bader, but that was all they’d get for the rest of the game. New York had nine hits on the night, but went 2-for-11 with RISP and left 10 men on base.

– The loss falls squarely on Severino’s shoulders, though, who turned in a second poor performance against the Orioles this season after going just 2.2 innings against them at Yankee Stadium on July 6 where allowed seven earned runs on 10 hits.

– Ron Marinaccio and Albert Abreu pitched a combined 4.2 scoreless innings to save the rest of the bullpen from a long night. Aaron Judge did not play after going 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBI in Saturday’s 8-3 win.

What’s next

The Yankees return home to play the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-game series beginning on Monday night at 7:05 p.m.

New York has yet to announce a starter, while Tampa Bay will go with RHP Tyler Glasnow (4-3, 3.36 ERA).