Cross-ups confound Sanchez, Severino vs. A's

OAKLAND -- The Yankees were trying to utilize a fresh set of signs while Luis Severino scowled through his nightmarish first inning Wednesday evening, but Gary Sánchez said that was no excuse for the two passed balls and two wild pitches that gifted four runs to the Athletics.
"I had a chance to stop all of them," Sanchez said through an interpreter after the Yankees' 8-2 loss at the Oakland Coliseum. "I just didn't do it. As tough as this game was, we have to put it aside and focus for the next series against Seattle."
The 28-pitch frame featured loud contact off Severino, who lasted 2 2/3 innings in his shortest start of the season, but Sanchez did him no favors with sloppy defense that manager Aaron Boone said will require a closer inspection of video footage.
"That's just something we'll have to look at, if he got a little out of whack mechanically," Boone said. "We'll look at the video and see if we can't correct that. Just a tough first inning all around, frustrating."

The Bombers backstop is now tied with the Brewers' Martín Maldonado for the Major League lead with 13 passed balls, and Sanchez ranks seventh with 39 wild pitches on his watch, despite catching just 59 games.
"We definitely had some trouble getting on the same page in the first inning," Sanchez said. "I would say there were some pitches there that I should have done a better job blocking or protecting them from going to the back."
Sanchez's first passed ball came on an inside fastball to Jed Lowrie, allowing Ramón Laureano to advance to third base. Lowrie scored the A's second run when a pitch whizzed between Sanchez's legs for a wild pitch.

Matt Olson advanced to third base on another passed ball when Sanchez couldn't corral a swinging strike to Stephen Piscotty, and Olson raced home when a wild pitch bounced away from Sanchez.
"After that, we were able to focus and make the adjustments and continue that game," Sanchez said.
Boone said he has been pleased with Sanchez's receiving and pitch framing since his return from a right groin strain, but Severino and Sanchez also clashed when they were crossed up in a July 23 loss at Tropicana Field.
Severino mentioned he had been working more frequently with backup catcher Austin Romine of late.
"I've been working with Romine for a long time. We use different signs sometimes," Severino said. "We've been doing different signs, me and Romine, for a long time, and then Gary doing another one. Maybe you don't think about a couple of those signs I did with Romine."
Severino was asked if he would prefer to pitch to Romine in the future.
"It's not about who is catching," Severino said. "We were having some problems and that was it. It's not an issue."
Sanchez completed the rest of the game without incident, slugging a two-run homer off Mike Fiers in the seventh inning.

"Definitely not an easy inning," Sanchez said. "At the same time, you've got to find a calmness. You've got to find a way to get through it. Once you do that, you know you can't let what happened rattle your mind. You still have a job to do and I was just trying to get the job done."