NEW YORK _ Luis Severino looked like his old ace self with four shutout innings and a fastball that touched 98 miles per hour in his 2019 debut in the Yankees' 8-0 victory over the Angels before 41,026 on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.
Severino, who had been out all season with a shoulder injury and then an unrelated lat injury, allowed two hits, walked two and struck out four. He threw 67 pitches, 47 for strikes.
Since Severino didn't go five innings, he wasn't eligible for the win. But as long as he came out healthy, Severino was a big winner on the night, and so were the Yankees for the playoff possibilities he may provide.
With the Yankees' postseason slated to begin in a little more than two weeks, Severino could make two or possibly three more appearances in the regular season. Come October, it's unclear how manager Aaron Boone will deploy Severino _ a 19-game winner in 2018 _ or how built up the righthander will be.
The Yankees lowered their magic number for clinching the AL East to two pending Tampa Bay's late game in Los Angeles against the Dodgers,
Severino's first batter of the season was his toughest test of the night. After throwing a 93-mph fastball for a strike on his first pitch, Severino battled Brian Goodwin to a 3-and-2 count. On the 12th pitch, Goodwin walked.
David Fletcher followed with a bloop single to left. Kole Calhoun grounded one back to Severino, who threw to Didi Gregorius, who was standing to the first base side of second. Gregorius tagged out Fletcher for the first out.
Albert Pujols then hit a one-hopper to Gregorius that the shortstop turned into an inning-ending, 6-4-3 double play.
Severino had found his sea legs against the depleted Angels (68-83), who were without the injured Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani.
In the second, Severino retired Andrelton Simmons on a comebacker and struck out Jared Walsh and Luis Rengifo. Walsh swung through a 97-mph fastball on 3-and-2. Rengifo waved at an 86-mph slider on 0-and-2 to end the inning.
The Yankees took a 2-0 lead in the second on an RBI single by Gio Urshela and a run-scoring double by Cameron Maybin.
Severino walked Michael Hermosillo to open the third. He fell behind No. 9 batter Anthony Bemboom 3-and-1 before firing a pair of fastballs past the Angels catcher at 96 and 97 for the strikeout.
Severino then got Goodwin to foul out to left and retired Fletcher on a soft grounder to second.
Calhoun led off the fourth with a single. Pujols hit a fly ball to center, Simmons struck out on an 86-mph slider and Walsh grounded out to second to end Severino's outing.
With Severino headed to the showers, the Yankees put up six runs in the bottom of the fourth, all with two outs.
With two on, DJ LeMahieu made it 3-0 with an RBI single to left. Aaron Judge walked to load the bases before Gregorius laced a two-run double into the rightfield corner.
Angels manager Brad Ausmus had kept lefthander Jose Suarez in to face Gregorius. He also left him in to face Gleyber Torres, and the Yankees second baseman rocketed the next pitch into the Angels' bullpen for a three-run home run and an 8-0 lead. It was Torres' 38th home run.
Jonathan Loaisiga took over for Severino to start the fifth and tossed two scoreless innings. Stephen Tarpley (1 1/3 innings), Cory Gearrin (two-thirds of an inning) and Chance Adams (one inning) completed the six-hit shutout.
