Luis Severino: I Didn't Rush Warm-Up Routine Before Yankees' Loss to Red Sox

New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Severino said he did not rush his warm-up routine before New York's 16-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox in Game 3 of the American League Division Series on Monday at Yankee Stadium.

According to ESPN.com's Coley Harvey, Severino contradicted comments made by TBS broadcaster and former MLB pitcher Ron Darling.

The game started at 7:40 p.m. ET, but Severino didn't step onto the bullpen mound until 7:32 p.m. ET, prompting Darling to say on air it was "very late" for a pitcher to begin warm-up tosses.

In response, Severino later said, "I mean, if my pitching coach said that [it was late] to you, you can believe it. But [Darling] is not always in my bullpen, so how does he know what's going on? I came out 20 minutes before the game like I usually do. I don't know why he was saying that. I don't know who that guy is, either."

While Severino said he normally begins his warm-up by playing catch in the outfield 20 minutes before the start of the game, he wasn't seen playing catch on camera until less than 15 minutes before the first pitch.

Neither Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild nor manager Aaron Boone felt Severino rushed his warm-up.

Boone noted, "He had what he intended to go down there and get done."

Former Yankees catcher and current analyst John Flaherty disagreed on the YES Network postgame show, however, saying, "There is no way you can go on a big league bullpen mound eight minutes before the scheduled first pitch and expect to be ready."

Severino lasted just three innings Monday, allowing seven hits, two walks and six earned runs while striking out two.

The outing stood in stark contrast to his AL Wild Card Game performance against the Oakland Athletics in which he went four strong innings, allowing two hits, four walks and no runs while striking out seven.

The 24-year-old righty was a leading American League Cy Young Award candidate through the first three months of the season, as he started 12-2 with a 2.10 ERA.

He also won his first two starts of July, but from July 12 onward, Severino went 5-6 with a 5.69 ERA, finishing the season 19-8 with a 3.39 ERA.

Severino's poor Game 3 outing pushed the Yanks to the brink of elimination, but veteran lefty CC Sabathia will look to keep the Yankees' ALCS hopes alive when he faces Rick Porcello and the Red Sox on Tuesday in Game 4 at Yankee Stadium.