Yankees rock Blue Jays, Luis Severino looks better | Rapid reaction

Yankees ace Luis Severino appeared to regain form in an 11-6 win over the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadiium on Saturday.

NEW YORK — Twenty years ago, the Yankees bulldozed their way to a then-record 114 wins and a World Series victory.

Fitting that on the afternoon they honored the 1998 club, the present Yankees built an advantage big enough to overcome some late sloppiness.

An 11-6 win over the Blue Jays before 44,778 followed a long pregame ceremony replete with stars of the 90s-era Yankees, including Joe Torre and Mariano Rivera, and a video message from Derek Jeter, now the Marlins’ owner.

Fans hadn’t seen many of them around the Bronx in years.

They also hadn’t seen Luis Severino show up in about a month and a half.

That finally happened, too.

Severino gave the Yankees five innings of two-run ball. The right-hander threw 100 pitches, striking out eight and walking a pair with a slider sharper than he’s had in quite some time.

The ace had been 1-4 with a 7.50 ERA in his previous seven outings, spurring speculation that the Yankees could look elsewhere when they plan who would start the American League Wild Card Game for which they appear destined.

The win improved the Yankees to 77-46. They started the afternoon 10 1/2 games back of the Red Sox in the American League East and three games up on the A’s for the top Wild Card spot.

They’ll look for the series sweep Sunday afternoon before Monday’s off day and the start of a series Tuesday in Miami.

Scary stuff

The win came with a scare — and a potentially dangerous delayed response on the Yankees’ behalf.

Catcher Austin Romine was pulled in the sixth inning after a foul ball to the face mask sent him reeling into the plate umpire, who caught him and held him up as he regained awareness.

The Yankees’ trainer visited Romine, who stayed in the game to finish the batter and get Severino through one more out. The Yankees announced that backup Kyle Higashioka would take Romine’s next at-bat in the inning’s bottom half, but the lineup didn’t get that far.

The league’s concussion protocol says that a player should be removed and examined more if the trainer sees signs of a concussion. It’s possible the signs weren’t clear while Romine was on the field or that symptoms got worse when he returned to the dugout following the inning. It’s also possible the Yankees pulled Romine just to be safe.

Making it closer

Severino exited with a runner on first base and Tommy Kahnle showed why the Yankees haven’t counted on him at all this season, giving up a pair of runs — with an assist from their inexperienced right fielder.

In the last at-bat of the Blue Jays’ five-run outburst, ex-Yankee Billy McKinney — traded to Toronto at the deadline — stroked a bases-loaded single to right field with two outs off Jonathan Holder that landed right in front of Walker. He tried to play the short hop, but it bounced past him and just kept going.

All three runners scored. Second baseman Gleyber Torres’ cut off throw nailed McKinney at third base, where he over-slid the bag and Miguel Andujar held the tag on him until he was off the base.

Didn’t take long for the Yankees to jump ahead.

Though Jeter didn’t show up, his successor, Didi Gregorius, make his presence felt. Gregorius ripped a two-run home run to right-center field to give the Yankees the lead.

It was Gregorius’ 22nd blast of the season.

Giancarlo Stanton (32) and Miguel Andujar (20) each would contribute solo shots, too. Both were no-doubters and both were pulled.

Stanton’s was his seventh home run in 12 games. Andujar’s blast meant the Yankees became the only team in baseball with five players that have 20-or-more home runs.

Next

Yankees lefty J.A. Happ (13-6, 3.86 ERA) vs. Blue Jays lefty Ryan Borucki (2-2, 3.29 ERA) at 1:05 p.m. Sunday at Yankee Stadium. 

Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.