The New York Mets are on the back foot in the NLCS after a brutal Game 3 loss at home against the Dodgers. With two more games remaining at Citi Field, the team will have to find more ways to compete with their backs once again up against the wall.

The Los Angeles Dodgers received a lot of credit for their offensive performance in an 8-0 Game 3 victory, but the truth of it is New York took itself out of the game early. Los Angeles scored its first two runs on just one hit, as Mets starter Luis Severino lost control of the strike zone while the team suffered multiple fielding miscues in the cold.

New York had its chances to respond against Walker Buehler but squandered several opportunities to even the score. With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the second, Francisco Alvarez and Francisco Lindor both struck out to end the inning. The young catcher arguably had the better opportunity with just one out, but Lindor’s shortcoming had a greater impact. The presumptive N.L. MVP runner-up has been a rock for the team for months, and seeing him fall short in a big spot seemed to take the air out of fans and players alike.

After a two-run home run by Kike Hernandez in the top of the sixth inning, the Mets performed a tactical retreat, leaving in Tylor Megill to eat innings on the mound and finish off the game. The Dodgers capitalized and scored another four runs, including a titanic three-run shot by Shohei Ohtani, but the additional scoring was largely meaningless and the Mets did little to prevent it.

Entering Game 4, the problems for New York are clear. On the mound, they’re walking far too many batters, which is also leading to sloppy defense. Dodgers batters are not chasing pitches like the Phillies did in the NLDS. At the plate, they’re beginning to have trouble with runners in scoring position in a postseason defined by timely hitting. 

If the Mets lose to the Dodgers, it would conform to the general consensus entering the series. Many people who picked the Dodgers to win the series also picked them to win in overwhelming fashion. Box scores of Games 1 and 3 suggest that the Mets have been blown out twice, but they created and wasted chances in both games and gave in early to spare the bullpen. In Game 2, Mark Vientos capitalized with the bases loaded and the team won in commanding fashion. 

New York still has two games remaining at home, but to have a realistic chance of winning the series, the team likely has to win Game 4 on Thursday. Going down 3-1 with two of three games remaining in Los Angeles would effectively end it. At some point, the team will have to win two in a row to get back into winning position. The sooner it starts, the better.

Jose Quintana will face off against Yoshinobu Yamamoto in a pitchers’ duel that could decide the season. Quintana has been phenomenal for the better part of three months, though he does his best work while getting batters to chase pitches outside the zone. Yamamoto has been effective for the Dodgers since returning from injury in September but hasn’t gone longer than five innings. He also got rocked for five runs by the Padres in Game 1 of the NLDS, though he settled down to help put down San Diego for good in Game 5.

While the Dodgers’ story this season has revolved around billion-dollar expectations and dreams of another championship, the Mets’ story has been one of wildly unexpected and exciting success. This is the first time the Mets have trailed in a series this postseason, but the team is still on very familiar ground, fighting from behind. New York clawed its way back into contention for months during the regular season, and every player on the team has seemingly had a massive moment in recent weeks. If the story ends here, the season will still be an overwhelming success. But if this team has anything, it’s grit, and there’s still some road ahead.

The New York Mets completed a three-game sweep against the Pittsburgh Pirates Wednesday, winning 9-1 in yet another impressive offensive showing. After starting the season 0-5, New York is now two games above .500 and vying for second in the NL East.

Following an underwhelming off-season in which the team missed out on big names like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani, the Mets began the 2024 MLB season with five straight losses. Between poor hitting and average pitching, made worse by the absence of injured ace Kodai Senga, it seemed like the team was planning to limp its way to 2025.

In 13 games since, however, New York has gone 10-3, winning four straight series against the Reds, Braves, Royals and Pirates. The team’s offense has picked up considerably and pitchers have held opposing teams to three runs or less in seven games since April 5.

In the Mets’ latest victory over the Pirates, completing the sweep, all of the team’s improvements were on full display. All but one of New York’s batters recorded a hit, and outfielders Starling Marte and Harrison Bader both hit home runs to put Pittsburgh away. Both players were major question marks entering the season, as Marte was coming off a nagging injury last year and Bader was a speculative off-season acquisition.

Meanwhile, the Mets’ pitching staff kept the Pirates in check all day. Starter Luis Severino allowed a single unearned run in six innings of work. Star closer Edwin Diaz was not required, nor were many of New York’s premier relievers, as Jorge Lopez, Jake Diekman and Grant Hartwig shut down the Pirates late to preserve the blowout win.

The Mets are still not a perfect team by any means. They still appear lightweights in a stacked National League in many respects. Star shortstop Francisco Lindor has improved slightly in recent weeks, but he is still hitting just .151 in 85 plate appearances.

However, the Mets have mostly completely rebounded from their early-season slump, proving that they can compete with some of MLB’s best teams. Starting Friday, the Mets will play a series on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers, which may put the resurgent NL East team to the test.

Starting pitcher Luis Severino signed a one-year, $13 million deal with the New York Mets Wednesday. Coming off a dreadful season with the New York Yankees, Severino will not have to travel far as he attempts to reignite his MLB career on a short-term contract.

Severino, now 29 years old, has struggled with multiple injuries in recent years and has not played a full season since 2018. Though he was somewhat effective in 2022, participating in a combined no-hitter and earning a 3.18 ERA, he also missed part of the season and only played in 19 games.

After a promising 2022 season, the starter’s 2023 campaign was disastrous, as his ERA ballooned to 6.65 with a 4-8 record. He strained his oblique in September and missed the rest of the season.

The Mets have reportedly been interested in Severino for several months and the short-term deal may be able to help the team overcome issues with its rotation in the coming season. New York boasted one of the most star-studded pitching staffs in baseball going into 2023 but traded away Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer at the trade deadline. The team was on its way to missing the postseason and wanted to acquire prospects for their aging stars. Rookie of the Year runner-up Kodai Senga will now lead the staff through a rebuilding period, with Severino expected to slot in behind him.

With Severino leaving for free agency at the end of last season, Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters in September that his former ace could still be useful to teams if he could remain healthy.

“He really was one of the dominant starters and even through the injuries that he’s experienced over the last few years when he has been healthy, he’s shown you that performance when he has been healthy and then this year he really struggled for the first time,” Boone told reporters.

The New York Yankees’ ownership is allowing General Manager Brian Cashman to offer former Houston Astros pitcher Gerrit Cole a massive, multi-year deal.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported the news and added that MLB executives told him the value of Cole’s contract could “reach well beyond $250 million-plus.”

GET DEALS ON YANKEES TICKETS HERE!

Cole has been a thorn in the Yankees’ side since clashing with New York in the playoffs the last two years. Yankees fans will have Game 3 of the ALCS burned into their memory as Cole took control of the evening with dominant pitching. The top pitcher in this year’s free agency period stole the show striking out seven, allowing only four hits and no runs scored through seven innings of work.

The Yankees main weakness for the last few years has been consistency in the pitching rotation. Now, more than ever, they need to sign a star-caliber starting pitcher like Cole. Aside from James Paxton and Masihiro Tanaka the other starting pitchers have failed to carry their weight. Luis Severino played just five games total including the postseason in 2019 after injuring his shoulder, then suffering from a latissimus dorsi injury.

Crazy enough, the Yankees actually drafted Cole in 2008, but he chose to pitch in college at UCLA. When he graduated and entered the draft in 2011, he was the first pick overall selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates. The question that remains is whether or not he wants to be a Yankee and play in New York. Players know about the stigma that “not everyone can handle the New York media.” But right now there is no record that he has anything against the organization.

The native from Southern California is also garnering interest from the Angels, Dodgers, and Padres. The Yankees, however, have the opportunity to improve their team before the rookie contracts of Aaron Judge, Gleybur Torres, and Gary Sanchez expire.

If the Yankee’s or the A’s were in the National League, either team would be the first seed. But in the AL, the 100-win Yankees and 97-win Athletics are just strange wild-card teams.

Yankees And A’s To Face Off In Wild Card Game

Besides their records, it’s also the first time an “opener” will be used in a postseason game as the A’s will start with a relief pitcher on the mound. Liam Hendricks will pitch the first inning and then the rest of the bullpen will go from there.

Luis Severino, 19-8 this season with a 3.39 ERA, will start for New York despite a second half slump. First-year manager Aaron Boone penciled him in after consulting with general manager Brian Cashman, pitching coach Larry Rothschild, and the scouting and analytics department on Sunday.

At the All-Star break, Severino had a 14-2 record and a 2.12 ERA. but a disastrous 11-start stretch with a 6.73 ERA defined the months leading up to October. In last year’s wild-card game, Severino recorded only one out against Minnesota before being pulled. And in his last start against Oakland, also his shortest of the season, he only lasted two and 2/3 innings.

Expect the game to be defined by bullpens. The A’s used an opener nine times in September with Hendriks taking eight of these “starts”, the majority of his appearances lasting only one inning. In each, a guy who’s typically a starting pitcher came in for the second inning but A’s manager Bob Melvin may work his way through the bullpen tonight. Fernando Rodney and Jeurys Familia are expected to come in before closer Blake Treinen ends the night.

However, the Yankees have a near-historic set of relievers. Some combination of Zach Britton, Chad Green, Dellin Betances, David Robertson, and Aroldis Chapman will determine the box score. But at a field like Yankee Stadium, one wrong pitch can wind up in the bleachers.

The two teams are strong at the plate too. The Yankees and the A’s had the number two and four run-scoring offenses in the MLB this year. The A’s were also third in homers but still behind New York’s record 267. Despite the numbers, in a do-or-die game, a team could move on with a Gleyber Torres blooper or Jonathon Lucroy drawing a bases-loaded walk despite having a .291 OBP. Just last night, the Cubs lost because of one at-bat.

Wednesday’s game at Yankee Stadium will start at 8:08 p.m. EST and air on TBS.

The New York Yankees will visit the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night, and here is what you need to know.

Twins vs. Yankees Preview

This will be the finale of a three-game series. The Yankees (90-55, .621) won the opener 7-2 on Monday, but the Twins (66-78, .458) took Tuesday’s game 10-5.

SLIDESHOW: 30 Best Sports Instagrams! 

Luis Severino (17-7, 3.52 ERA) will start for New York against fellow right-hander Jake Odorizzi (5-10, 4.57 ERA). Severino boasts 202 strikeouts this year, while Odorizzi has struck out 148 batters.

The Yankees are nine games behind the Boston Red Sox (99-46, .683), who continue to hold the best record in MLB. Minnesota is second in the AL Central, 15.5 games behind the first-place Cleveland Indians (82-63).

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

Wednesday’s game at Target Field will start at 8:10 p.m. EST and will air on YES.

The New York Yankees will host the Detroit Tigers on Friday night, and here is everything you need to know.

Tigers vs. Yankees Preview

This is the second game of a four-game series. Detroit (54-80, .403) won Thursday’s opener 8-7. The Yankees (84-50, .527) are 8.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox (93-42). The Tigers are third in the AL Central, 8.5 games behind second-place Minnesota and 22.5 contests behind division-leader Cleveland.

SLIDESHOW: 30 Best Sports Instagrams! 

Luis Severino (17-6, 3.27 ERA) will start for the Yankees against fellow right-hander Jordan Zimmerman (6-6, 4.38 ERA). Severino boasts 189 strikeouts this season, while Zimmerman has struck out 88 batters.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

Friday’s game at Yankee Stadium will start at 7:05 pm EST, and will air on YES and Fox Sports Detroit.

The New York Mets will visit the New York Yankees on Monday night, and here is what you need to know.

Mets vs. Yankees Game Preview

The Yankees (74-43, .632) are coming off a four-game home series against the Texas Rangers, and won three of those games. The Mets (49-66, .426) have won two of their last three games, a road series against the Miami Marlins.

SLIDESHOW: 30 Best Sports Instagrams! 

Jacob deGrom (6-7, 1.77 ERA) will likely start for the Mets on Monday against fellow righty Luis Severino (15-5, 3.11 ERA). DeGrom, a top contender for this year’s NL Cy Young Award, pitched six scoreless innings and struck out 10 in his las start against the Cincinnati Reds. Meanwhile, Severino earned his first win since July 7 on Wednesday, when the Yankees beat the White Sox 7-3 in Chicago. He struck out eight batters.

Monday’s game will be a makeup of a July 22 matchup that was postponed due to rain. It will start at 7:05pm EST and will air on ESPN.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

The Yankees are still 9.5 games behind the AL East-leading Boston Red Sox (85-35), while the Mets are fourth in the NL East, 9.5 games behind the third-place Nationals and 15 games behind the first-place Atlanta Braves.

The with the MLB All-Star game in the rearview mirror, the pro baseball season has officially hit its halfway point. While there are still a little over two months for players to prove why they deserve awards come October, it’s always fun to examine who would take home the hardware if the season were to end today. That being the case, let’s talk about our midseason award winners and how the race could look by the time the postseason comes around.

american league mvp: josé ramírez, third baseman, cleveland indians

2018 stats: .304 BA, 30 HR, 72 RBI, 70 R, 20 SB, .404 OBP, .637 SLG, 7.0 WAR

For the first couple of months of the 2018 season, it seemed as though LA Angels center fielder Mike Trout would run away with his third MVP award, but José Ramírez has been unbelievable for just about all of 2018 so far. They’re still neck-and-neck at this point, but I’m going to give the slight edge to Ramírez, who leads all of baseball in home runs and is second only to Boston’s JD Martinez RBIs among American League players. Ramírez’s Indians are also first in the AL Central, while the Angels are stewing at an even 50-50, although that’s only good for fourth place in a fantastic AL West, another reason as to why I’m giving him the midseason AL MVP.It’ll be a tight race for the remainder of the year and Trout could easily come out on top, but Ramírez has my vote so far.

Runner-up: Mike Trout, Center Fielder, Los Angeles Angels

Third Place: Mookie Betts, Right Fielder, Boston Red Sox

national league mvp: nolan arenado, third baseman, colorado rockies

2018 stats: .310 BA, 25 HR, 72 RBI, 66 R, 2 SB, .394 OBP, .592 SLG, 4.0 WAR

After finishing as a Silver Slugger, Gold Glove winner, and in the top 8 in MVP votes every year since 2015, 2018 seems to finally be Nolan Arenado’s year to bring home the MVP. Not only is he on pace to maintain his status as one of the most statistically dominant, but his Rockies could very well have their best final record of Arenado’s tenure with the team by the end of the season. They sit in third place in a very strong NL West and only a game and a half out of the second Wild Card spot, so we could very well see them in the postseason. Sure, this is in part due to the National League being extremely weak this year, but you can’t deny Arenado’s prowess both at the plate and in the hot corner.

Runner-up: Max Scherzer, Starting Pitcher, Washington Nationals

Third Place: Jacob deGrom, Starting Pitcher, New York Mets

american league cy young: chris sale, starting pitcher, boston red sox

2018 stats: 11-4, 2.13 ERA, 0.894 WHIP, 197 SO, 135.0 IP, 6.0 WAR

Another year, another season of dominance from Chris Sale. Since 2012, Sale has never finished lower than sixth in AL Cy Young voting, and 2018 could very well be his best season yet. He’s on pace to have a career best in both ERA and WHIP, both of which are currently good for second place in all of baseball. The Red Sox also have the best record among all Major League teams, which only helps Sale’s shot at garnering his first ever Cy Young.

Runner-up: Justin Verlander, Starting Pitcher, Houston Astros

Third Place: Luis Severino, Starting Pitcher, New York Yankees

National league cy young: max scherzer, Starting Pitcher, Washington Nationals

2018 stats: 13-5, 2.43 ERA, 0.924 WHIP, 189 SO, 140.2 IP, 5.7 WAR

It has been a crazy tight NL Cy Young race between Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom over the first half of the 2018 season. Both pitchers have been absolutely lights out, so much so that they are both making solid cases for MVP honors as well as the NL Cy Young, but I have to give the slightest of edges to Scherzer as of right now for one main reason: the huge discrepancy between their two records. Scherzer’s 13-5 is far superior to deGrom’s 5-4, although this is obviously largely due to the Nationals being a way better team than the Mets. Nonetheless, Cy Young voters take records into account, and while I don’t think it should play as big a role as it does, it has to put Scherzer over deGrom despite the latter’s superior 1.68 ERA. Come season’s end, Scherzer may actually just run away with the NL Cy Young, given the high probability of deGrom being traded to an AL team, but that’s neither here nor there at the moment.

Runner-up: Jacob deGrom, Starting Pitcher, New York Mets

Third Place: Aaron Nola, Starting Pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies

American League Rookie of the year: shohei ohtani, starting pitcher/designated hitter, los angeles angels

2018 batting stats: .282 BA, 7 HR, 22 RBI, 24, R, 2 SB, .363 OBP, .513 SLG, 2.3 WAR

2018 pitching stats: 4-1, 3.10 ERA, 1.135 WHIP, 61 SO, 49.1 IP, 2.3 WAR

Separately, the two stat lines above aren’t necessarily numbers which indicate an Rookie of the Year winner, but they’re something pretty special when you put them together. During the past offseason, Ohtani was one of the most hyped up prospects I’ve ever seen, and while he certainly hasn’t been the “Japanese Babe Ruth” so far, he has been mostly capable of living up to those lofty expectations. He’s been excellent both on the mound as well as at the plate, with his midseason RotY chances only being hurt due to the fact that he missed most of June with an elbow injury. However, given the fact that Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres is the most probable runner-up at this point despite having made his Major League debut toward the end of April, it sort of balances out.

Runner-up: Gleyber Torres, Second Baseman, New York Yankees

Third Place: Miguel Andújar, Third Baseman, New York Yankees

National league rookie of the year: Juan Soto, left fielder, washington nationals

2018 stats: .311 BA, 10 HR, 31 RBI, 34 R, 2 SB, .422 OBP, .546 SLG, 1.2 WAR

The NL Rookie of the Year race is a tough one to judge, as both Juan Soto and Marlins third baseman Brian Anderson go back and forth in terms of who leads specific statistical categories, but they have vastly different WARs. Anderson has a WAR of 2.7, which is obviously far superior to Soto’s 1.2. However, I’m making the case for Soto despite this, considering that he debuted in the Majors on May 20, while Anderson started out the 2018 season on the Marlins roster. Over the past two months, Soto has been by far the best rookie in the National League and I believe he’ll finish 2018 with the NL RotY in tow. I mean, on June 29, he became the first teenager in MLB history to record a 4-hit game, in which he also hit  a pair of home runs. It’s a toss up due to Soto’s dominance and Anderson’s longevity, but I have to give the edge to Soto considering how incredible he has been.

Runner-up: Brian Anderson, Third Baseman, Miami Marlins

Third Place: Seranthony Dominguez, Relief Pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies

Luis Severino dominated in the New York Yankees‘ 5-3 home victory over the Houston Astros on Wednesday night.

Luis Severino Records 11 Strikeouts

The right-hander recorded 11 strikeouts in the victory to go 8-1 this season. He pumped up his fists in jubilation after fanning George Springer in the seventh inning with an 88-mph pitch as New York led 5-2.

The Yankees thus won the series against Houston 2-1 after dropping the first game. Severino tied a season-high with his 11 strikeouts. He is unbeaten in his past nine starts.

“He is a guy that obviously we feel great on the day he’s pitching and handing him the ball,” manager Aaron Boone told the New York Daily News before the game. “Part of that is because we feel like he has a chance to really get us deep into the game. When you’re going through a tough stretch of games, lot of games, whatever we’re in, 14 games in 13 days, these are the days you do look to your ace to try and carry the load and get you deep into the game because not only because he’s really good and gives you a chance to win that night’s game, but also when your ace can preserve the bullpen a little bit, those things kind of add up in the days ahead.”

The Astros’ Dallas Kuechel allowed four runs in five-plus innings of work on Wednesday.

Gary Sanchez singled in the fifth with two outs and the bases loaded to drive in two runs and put the Bombers up 3-2 following Max Stassi’s two-run homer for Houston earlier in the frame.

Aaron Hicks also scored on Giancarlo Stanton‘s fly-ball and drove in Austin Romine with a double in the sixth.

The Yankees (35-17) next visit the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday (7:05pm EST) for the opener of a four-game series. Righty Sonny Gray (3-4, 5.98) is set to face off against Andrew Cashner (2-6, 5.07).

The Bombers are second in the AL East, two games behind the Boston Red Sox. The Astros (35-22) lead the AL West.

Brett Gardner smacked a solo home run in the sixth inning and Luis Severino threw seven shutout innings to lift the New York Yankees to a 4-1 victory over the Mariners in Seattle on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series.

YANKEE-MARINERS SCORES

Gardner capitalized on Mariners right-hander Felix Hernandez’s (5-4) lone serious error by blasting a 2-1 pitch into the right-field seats with one out in the sixth to put the Yankees up 1-0.

The hit marked the left fielder’s 16th homer of the season.

“You face a guy like Severino today, you can’t make any mistakes. I made one mistake against Gardner and he hit a homer,” Hernandez said. “I was trying to go sinker down and away, and it didn’t sink.”

The Venezuelan starter delivered a strong performance otherwise on Thursday. He finished with a season-high nine strikeouts in seven innings.

Meanwhile, Severino had one of his best nights of the season. The 23-year-old Dominican right-hander struck out six, allowed eight hits and one walk, and avoided jams in the first, second and fourth inning when the Mariners had runners on the corners with no outs and were unable to score.

“It shows you he understands what he needs to do,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said of Severino, who was named an American League All-Star earlier this year. “He has to get after it from the first hitter and that’s exactly what he’s doing because two runs could beat you when you’re facing guys like that.”

Severino also tossed the quickest pitch by an MLB starter in 2017 when he delivered a 1-2 fastball to Jean Segura with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the fourth. Segura managed to hit the 101.2 mph pitch, although four throws later, Severino induced a ground ball to short.

“Right now, I feel good. My arms feel good, my body’s feeling good,” Severino said to MLB.com’s Josh Horton. “It’s been five days. I worked the day before running and stuff. The stuff we do with the trainer and conditioning, that’s really helped me.”

Severino (6-4) earned his first win since June 10. He now boasts a 3.21 ERA, and has helped even the Yankees’ record to 4-4 on their 11-game road trip.

“Man, he’s been unbelievable,” Gardner said of the righty. “Not just tonight, but last weekend in Boston and really the whole first half. It’s been a lot of fun seeing him continue to grow and it’s all about fastball command for him. He’s been really, really good with that recently. It makes it really easy for us on the defensive side of the ball. There’s not a whole lot of action going on out there.”

Aaron Judge doubled New York’s lead (2-0) with a bases-loaded single to right field in the eighth for his 68th RBI of the year to score Chase Headley. 

Didi Gregorius and Todd Frazier then each added an unearned run in the ninth, with Frazier recording his first hit as a Yankee since the team acquired him via a trade with the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday.

The Yankees (49-45, 3rd in AL East) now sit four games behind the Boston Red Sox (54-43) for the lead in the division. Tampa Bay (51-45) is second.

The Mariners and Yankees face off again at Safeco Field at 10:10 pm EST on Friday.  CC Sabathia (8-3, 3.54 ERA), who is tied for the Yankees lead in wins, will start for the team. The veteran righty has posted a1.60 ERA in his last six starts. Seattle will counter with 23-year-old right-hander Andrew Moore (1-1, 5.25 ERA), who will make his fifth major league start.

SEATTLE, WA – JULY 20: Brett Gardner #11 of the New York Yankees hits a solo home run off of starting pitcher Felix Hernandez #34 of the Seattle Mariners during the sixth inning of a game at Safeco Field on July 20, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)

The New York Yankees saw their eight-game winning streak — the longest in Major League Baseball this season — end with a 4-1 home loss to the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.

MLB: Yankees Lose to White Sox 4-1, Mets Lose to Phillies 6-2

Luis Severino struck out ten in a career-high eight innings for the Yankees, (9-5) but the right-hander’s dominant outing was not enough to secure a victory. Severino held the White Sox to one run in the first six innings, before a miscue from Pete Kozma led to Avisail Garcia’s three-run homer in the seventh.

Severino struck out 11 in seven innings five days prior to Tuesday to record his first victory as a starter since Sept. 27, 2015. His teammates, as well as Yankees manager Joe Girardi, praised the righty for his performance despite the loss.

“His stuff tonight was as good as we’ve seen it, and I thought he pitched as well tonight as we’ve seen,” Girardi said.

“I thought he was tremendous,” battery-mate Austin Romine added. “He was throwing all three of his pitches with confidence.”

Leury Garcia also homered for the White Sox (7-6), who fell to the Yankees 7-4 on Monday, and Miguel Gonzalez pitched a great 8 1/3 innings. The starting right-hander allowed one walk on four hits while striking out four in 88 pitches.

Gonzalez, who earned his first win in 19 road starts, kept the Yankees hitless until Starlin Castro reached on an infield single in the fifth.

“I never think about it,” said Gonzalez of his road struggles, which include a 0-7 mark with a 4.39 ERA in those 18 away starts, dating back to Aug. 4, 2015. “I just go out there and compete. That’s my goal. Every time I go out there, I try to do six-plus innings. Quality innings are important, quality starts as well.”

Severino caused a double-play ball on Melky Cabrera in the seventh inning, although Kozma booted the grounder for an error. Jose Abreu hit a bunt attempt for the first out, but Avisail Garcia responded with his three-run blast to left-center field to put Chicago ahead 4-0 in the top of the seventh.

“I was right there and I just missed it,” Kozma said. “Hasn’t happened to me in probably five years. I make that play, there’s two outs, nobody on and he doesn’t have to make that pitch.”

Jacoby Ellsbury scored the Yankees’ lone home run in the ninth. Gonzalez left after a four-pitch walk to Brett Gardner in the ninth. Former Yankee David Robertson then got Aaron Judge to ground into a force-out with the bases loaded, thus getting the final two outs to earn the save and seal the White Sox’ victory.

The two teams face off again on Wednesday night at 7:05 pm EST at Yankee Stadium for the three-game series finale. White Sox righty Dylan Covey will make his second Major League start and first one at Yankee Stadium. Covey earned a no-decision Friday in his debut against Minnesota.

Righty Masahiro Tanaka will start for the Yankees.

Meanwhile, New York’s other team, the Mets, lost 6-2 to the Philadelphia Phillies at home on Tuesday in the 10-inning opener of a three-game series.

The Mets (7-7) have now lost four straight.

Jose Reyes committed an error, a dropped popup, in the eighth to allow the Phillies to tie it 2-2 thanks to a ground-rule double from Andre Blanco. Cameron Rupp then put Philadelphia up for good on a sacrifice fly off Rafael Montero in the 10th to give the Phillies their first victory in four games this season.

Five Phillies relievers — including Luis Garcia, who earned the win — combined with Zach Eflin, Philadelphia’s rotation replacement for Clay Buchholz, to keep the Mets scoreless over the game’s last nine innings.

Michael Conforto helped ignite the Mets’ rally in the first inning by walking and scoring on a Jay Bruce RBI single. Shortly afterwards, New York gained a 2-1 lead when Yoenis Cespedes rushed home on a wild Eflin pitch with Neil Walker at bat in the bottom of the opening frame to keep that one-run advantage until the eighth.

The two teams will face off again for the second game of the three-game series at 7:10 pm EST on Wednesday at Citi Field. Robert Gsellman (0-1, 9.28 ERA) will start for the Mets in the hopes of shedding his early-season struggles.

Righty Vince Velasquez (0-2, 9.00 ERA) will make his third start of the season for the Phillies.

NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 13: Luis Severino #40 of the New York Yankees tries to pick off Kevin Kiermaier #39 of the Tampa Bay Rays at first base on April 13, 2017 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)