Yankees rough up Luis Severino in lopsided win over Athletics

These were not the Yankees Luis Severino remembered.

An offense so home run-dependent for so many years of Severino’s time in pinstripes looked far different while facing Severino for the first time. The Yankees more blistered than bombed Severino, who watched hard-hit ground balls find holes and lined shots to the outfield find grass, which enabled the Yankees to frequently flex speed they did not used to have.

And then as if to demonstrate the bats can still score the old way, too, Ben Rice added a grand slam to help turn the series finale into a laugher. The Yankees demolished the A’s 12-2 in front of another sellout crowd of 12,224 at Sutter Health Park on a happy Mother’s Day Sunday.

Aaron Boone’s bunch (23-17) has won four of five largely behind an attack that will miss the sometimes sweltering heat and fickle wind of a minor league ballpark, the club scoring 29 runs in the three-game set. They only dropped a strange game Saturday that turned sideways when the wind began swirling.

Athletics pitcher Luis Severino, right, hands the ball over to manager Mark Kotsay, left, as he exits during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Sunday, May 11, 2025.

“We’ve had our share of tough losses here to start the year, and I feel like at every turn we’ve really bounced back well,” Boone said after the offense bounced back a bit differently.

Against Severino — a popular, homegrown Yankee who emerged as an ace before injuries began to strike and last year rebounded with the Mets — the offense relied on solid contact and athleticism rather than tape-measure homers.

During a five-run second inning, the only extra-base hit was a well-placed, gapped double from Paul Goldschmidt. Otherwise, it was walks (to Jasson Domínguez and Oswaldo Cabrera), singles (from Anthony Volpe, Austin Wells and Aaron Judge) and RBI ground outs (from Jorbit Vivas) that pestered Severino.

Yankees designated hitter Ben Rice (22) celebrates after hitting a grand slam against the Athletics in the fifth inning at Sutter Health Park

It was the speed that stood out an inning later, when Domínguez reached on a single and blazed his way around the bases on a double from Cabrera, Domínguez running through a stop sign from third base coach Luis Rojas and sneaking his left hand on the plate before the tag to score a sixth run.

The pressure remained in the fifth, when the Yankees ran a rare hit-and-run to perfection: Domínguez took off for second, prompting A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson to leave the hole to cover the base as Volpe ground a single into the area Wilson had just abandoned.

The Yankees lead MLB in homers but take pride in scoring in a variety of ways.

“We absolutely feel that way,” Boone said. “Obviously we’ve hit a lot of home runs so far this year, and that’s, we feel like, always going to be a big part of our offensive identity.

“But without question, I feel like we have really good athletes, too, that can play that game a little bit.”

Once Severino was pulled in the fifth, the Yankees showed off some of their old-school might against former Yankees prospect Mitch Spence. With the bases loaded and two outs, Rice demolished a grand slam — the first of his career — down the right field line, a swing that made the final innings elementary.

The Yankees offense finished with 15 hits, every starter except Vivas (who contributed in other ways) recording at least one knock. Goldschmidt used three doubles to bounce his average back up to .349. Judge, who also took a hit away from the A’s with a diving catch in right, sprayed hits everywhere on a 4-for-5 day that raised his average to .409. His only extra-base hit: a hustle double.

Yankees pitcher Ryan Yarbrough (33) delivers a pitch against the Athletics in the first inning at Sutter Health Park.

Jasson Domínguez #24 of the New York Yankees scores on an RBI double from Oswaldo Cabrera #95 against the Athletics in the top of the third inning at Sutter Health Park on May 11, 2025 in Sacramento, California.

Judge, who redirects any query about his superhuman abilities on the field to praise his teammates, was asked about the general talents of a player who can combine a high average with great power.

“Probably means they got a lot of good hitters around them,” said Judge, the major league leader in plenty, including average and homers.

Ryan Yarbrough was not asked for much and overdelivered. The lefty, filling in after Carlos Carrasco was bumped from the major league team, went a season-high five innings in which he let up two runs on six hits and two walks.

Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees hits a double against the Athletics in the top of the fourth inning at Sutter Health Park on May 11, 2025.

Yerry De Los Santos covered three scoreless innings before Tyler Matzek recorded the final three outs for the Yankees, who will have a rested bullpen in Seattle and an offense that will miss Sacramento.

“Up and down the lineup, we got guys who can produce and do damage,” Rice said. “It’s fun to see.”