NEW YORK (AP/97.1 The Ticket) - Luis Severino combined with two relievers on a one-hitter to continue New York's run of outstanding starting pitching performances as the Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers 3-0.
Aaron Judge hit his MLB-best 21st homer on the game's first pitch and the Yankees won their fifth straight and for the ninth time in 11 games since their only three-game losing streak this year May 22-23.
Anthony Rizzo also went deep and Josh Donaldson lifted a sacrifice fly for the Yankees, who have outscored opponents 33-3 in their winning streak.
Saturday's game was the second straight shut out for the Detroit Tigers.
It isn't a secret: the Tigers have cemented their status as the lowest scoring team in baseball.
"We're trying not to ride the rollercoaster here, but we got shoved pretty hard here the last couple of games," manager AJ Hinch said via The Detroit News after the game on Saturday, "We need to bounce back. Our guys are battling. We're just getting beat."
The Tigers were able to knock off two hits on Gerrit Cole and reliever Manny Banuelos on Friday.
A line drive single by Miguel Cabrera — the 3,033rd hit in his career — opened the second inning; it was the only hit the Tigers managed against Severino on Saturday. No hits were made off relief pitchers Michael King and Clay Holmes.
“It was a really good pitch and Cabrera is Miguel Cabrera,” Severino said. “It was hit pretty hard.”
Cabrera singled when his sharp liner glanced off the top of shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s glove and into left field for the slugger’s fifth career hit off Severino. It was the only ball the Tigers hit over 100 mph.
“It was tough,” Kiner-Falefa said. “If I didn’t move out of that, it would have hit me in the face probably. It was a tough play. I moved to my left a little bit and it took off like a slider right in my face.
“At that point, I was kind of just trying to save my face. I really wanted to come up with it but it took a crazy turn," he said.
Severino struck out 10 in seven innings. His only walk came to Derek Hill in the third, and he was thrown out trying to steal second during an at-bat to Jonathan Schoop — who ended Cole’s perfect game.
Detroit was blanked for the seventh time this year, two shy of its total from last season. The Tigers were also held to one hit for the second time this season. On May 8, Jake Odorizzi combined with two relievers on a one-hitter in Houston against the Tigers, whose only hit in that game was a double by Schoop in the second inning.
"We didn't do much, obviously," Hinch said via The Detroit News. "One walk, one hit. Severino was very dominant. He got us to chase when he needed us to. He got us off the barrel. We didn't hit a ton of balls hard. Those guys are rolling out really good pitchers every day and we saw two of their best.
"It's been tough sledding for us."
Perhaps the shining light in the last two games is rookie right-hander Beau Brieske, who helped keep the Tigers neck-and-neck with the Yankees for six innings.
He gave up just two runs and three hits from the Yankees and kept the score down; a far cry from Friday night's blowout final of 13-0.
Brieske made quick work of the Yankees line up, but gave up hits to Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo.
"With Judge, I'm attacking and I'm trying to get in the strike zone, trying to throw a first-pitch strike and he was just on time with the heater," Brieske said. "It's Aaron Judge. He's going to get you sometimes."
The Tigers finish out the series at Yankee Stadium at 11:45 a.m. on Sunday.