NEW YORK _ Luis Severino was almost up to the task of matching Cory Kluber on Monday night.
But almost doesn't typically get it done against the Indians ace, especially when he's facing the Yankees.
Solidifying his place among top Yankee pitching tormenters of the past decade, an impressive group featuring the likes of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Dallas Keuchel, Kluber helped send the Yankees to a 6-2 loss to the Indians in front of 36,253 at the Stadium.
Kluber, already with a complete-game three-hitter against the Yankees Aug. 3 in Cleveland that improved him to 4-1 with a 1.71 ERA in six career starts against the Yankees, allowed two runs and three hits Monday. The right-hander, who walked one and struck out seven, bolstered his AL Cy Young candidacy, improving to 13-4 with a 2.63 ERA.
Kluber was backed by an offense that produced five hits, all of them home runs, three of which were hit off of Severino, two by Jose Ramirez.
The 23-year-old Severino, who came in 11-5 with a 3.10 ERA, including 6-1, 2.16 since the All-Star break, allowed four runs (three earned) and four hits. He struck out nine and walked three.
Severino departed shortly after allowing a Carlos Santana homer, a shot into the second deck in right in the seventh that made it 3-2.
The AL Central-leading Indians (74-56) tacked on thereafter as Adam Warren allowed an inherited runner to score in the seventh and a home run to Austin Jackson in the eighth that made it 5-2. Chasen Shreve allowed a run in the ninth to make it 6-2.
Ramirez ripped a dead-straight full-count fastball, which came in 98 mph, to right-center for his 19th homer of the season and a 1-0 Cleveland lead in the first.
The Yankees tied it in the third when Chase Headley, 0-for-11 in his career vs. Kluber, homered to right.
Gary Sanchez, who allowed to more wild pitches to get past him, helped Severino out of a jam in the fourth.
Ramirez walked with one out and, with Edwin Encarnacion at the plate, stole second. Severino then threw one in the dirt and Ramirez tried to advanced, gunned down at third by Sanchez for the second out. Encarnacion would walk, as would Jay Bruce, but Severino struck out Santana to end the threat.
The Yankees, who benefited from five first-inning errors by the Mariners on Sunday, got their first runner in scoring position in the bottom half because of an Indians' miscue in the bottom half.
After Kluber struck out Aaron Hicks looking, Sanchez bounced one to third. Urshela charged in and fielded the ball cleanly before firing it over Santana's head at first for a two-base error. Didi Gregorius flied to right and Castro lined softly to second to for the third out.
After Severino needed 11 pitches to retire the Indians in order in the top of the fifth, the Yankees got another runner in scoring position in the bottom half and came through.
Jacoby Ellsbury started things by slicing a two-out double to left-center, the Yankees' second hit of the night to that point. Up came Todd Frazier, 2-for-24 in his career vs. Kluber, who lined a 2-and-2 curveball to left to make it 2-1.
Severino struck out Lindor and Austin Jackson on sliders to start the sixth but threw another straight fastball, this one also coming in at 98 mph, that Ramirez planted into the second deck, his 20th of the season tying it at 2.
