After losing a winnable Game 1, the Yankees entered Game 2 placing a tremendous amount of pressure on the shoulders of Luis Severino. Their lineup has looked moribund at times, and the right-hander knew he’d have to be near-perfect to feel comfortable about his chances of winning this game and clinching a split in Houston. The Yankees very nearly did secure that split, but were denied thanks to the parallel fates of a pair of fly balls.
Severino, to his credit, pitched a very strong game. He wasn’t throwing quite as hard as he was in Cleveland, but he still had great life on his fastball, sitting 96.