Yankees' Luis Severino excellent for second straight start in victory over Tigers

DETROIT — They’re not quite at the playing-out-the-string portion of the season, but that day when the Yankees are officially eliminated from playoff contention will be arriving soon enough.

Still, they have reached the evaluate-for-next-season stage of things, and that isn’t just about the young players recently brought up or the additional ones to come with the Sept. 1 call-ups.

Luis Severino, though not in the young-player category, very much is being closely evaluated for 2024 — both by the Yankees and any potential suitors.

The righthander, due to hit free agency after the season, has had a miserable 2023, and the Yankees will have to make a call this winter on how badly they want him to remain a part of the only organization he’s ever known.

Lately, Severino is at least giving them something to think about.

On Monday night, he made it two strong starts in a row, throwing seven scoreless innings in a 4-1 victory over the Tigers in front of 16,772 at Comerica Park.

“That’s what he’s capable of right there,” Aaron Boone said. “Thought he had a good fastball tonight, started incorporating the cutter and I thought he had a good shape to his breaking ball. In control for the most part.”

Severino, 3-8 with a 7.26 ERA entering the night but coming off one of his few positive outings this season, allowed five hits and no walks with eight strikeouts Monday. He allowed one hit in 6 2⁄3 scoreless innings last Wednesday against the Nationals.

Severino, an All-Star in 2017 and ’18, wasn’t quite ready to declare himself back to that level when he was at his best as a Yankee, but he added, “I think it’s really close.”

The Yankees (63-68), who struck out 16 times, had seven hits, two by Gleyber Torres. He doubled home a run in the fifth and homered in the seventh, his 21st of the season. Torres’ blast, which made it 3-0, came on the heels of Aaron Judge’s 29th homer, a two-out solo shot. Judge was coming off a rough series against the Rays, going 0-for-12 with eight strikeouts.

Oswaldo Cabrera’s two-out RBI single in the eighth made it 4-0, and the rookie was especially thrilled to have that happen while sharing the same field as Miguel Cabrera. Oswaldo Cabrera, who like Miguel (no relation) is a native of Venezuela, grew up idolizing the former Triple Crown winner, set to retire after this season, his 21st in the big leagues.

“He’s one of my heroes,” Oswaldo Cabrera said, still beaming. “Being in the game against Miguel Cabrera means so much to me. I was almost crying.”

Severino, meanwhile, was sharp throughout. He struck out two in a 12-pitch first and retired the first two batters of the second before Miguel Cabrera lined one at 98.9 mph that caught him flush near the palm of his glove hand. It went as an infield single, Cabrera’s 3,152nd career hit, tying him with Paul Waner for 18th in MLB history.

Boone and Yankees trainers came out to check on Severino, who struck out the just-promoted Parker Meadows looking at a 97-mph fastball. Cabrera, as he jogged back to the dugout after the inning, barked something at Severino as he walked back to his own dugout. Severino grinned and responded.

“He said, ‘You’ve got nasty stuff,’ ” Severino said with a smile as he relayed the exchange. “I said, ‘You almost killed me with that line drive.’ It’s just really fun to compete against him.”

By Erik Boland

erik.boland@newsday.comeboland11

Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.