Severino Implodes as Yankees Face Brink of Elimination

RED SOX 16 - YANKEES 1
BOS leads ALDS 2-1

This is not what the Yankees were hoping for when they beat back the Red Sox 6-2 in Game 2 of this ALDS. With its ace Luis Severino on the hill and budding momentum on their side, the Yankees dropped the ball in a big way Monday night, getting blown out 16-1 as they now trail this best-of-five series 2-1. 

Perhaps angry over splitting the first two games of the series, or annoyed that many were discounting their 108-win season because they were facing the Yankees, the Red Sox went to the Bronx with a purpose. 

Instead of flexing their muscles with the long ball, the Red Sox pounded Severino with smart base running, discipline at bats and timely hitting. In sum, the Red Sox small-balled the Yankees to death. 

Of the 10 runs the Red Sox scored between the second and fourth innings, only two hits were for extra bases, a three-run double by Andrew Benintendi to blow the game open at 7-0, and a two-run triple by Brock Holt to make it 10-0. 

Benintendi who has been somewhat forgotten in this Sox lineup, thanks in major part to the extraordinary years for J.D. Martinez and Mookie Betts, was 2-of-3 with two runs scored and three RBI. Holt, who hit .277 as a part time player this year had a monster night. He went 4-of-6 with five RBI, including a two-run homer that he hit in the ninth inning to make it 16-1. 

The Yankees had no answers for the Red Sox. Severino lasted only three innings for the Yanks, allowing six runs on seven hits, most of those coming long after he left the game when reliever Lance Lynn came in. 

Lynn didn't fair much better. He was charged with three runs in a third of an inning. The rest of the Yankee bullpen was downright awful, as five relievers gave up runs to the Red Sox on Monday. 

On the other side, Nathan Eovaldi was brilliant. He held the Yankees to just a run on five hits over seven innings. Not a bad nights work, especially with that kind of offensive production behind him. He didn't even need to break a sweat. Heck, he probably could have read Moby Dick from cover to cover between innings. 

Now the Yankees, the 100-win Yankees have their backs to the wall on Tuesday night. They need CC Sabathia to deliver a gem in what could be his final performance in pinstripes. It's now or never.