CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Last year, it was Dellin Betances playing the part of the highly touted rookie pitcher, coming into a high-leverage situation -- or about as high it gets in spring training -- and striking out Jose Bautista with the bases loaded. That opened some eyes, and helped to open the door to the Bronx for Betances, who after a spectacular rookie season is in line to become the Yankees' closer this year.

Today, it was Luis Severino's turn: runners on first and second, no one out, and Ryan Howard at the plate. And while Severino didn't win this duel -- Howard would up singling softly to right to drive in a run -- he certainly took it to its limit, holding steady with Howard for seven pitches before giving in on the eighth pitch of the at-bat.

"That was a good experience for me," said Severino, a 21-year-old righty who is considered the top prospect in the Yankees' system. "Because he's Howard."

Severino's day lasted just two more batters -- a fly out by Carlos Ruiz and a soft single by Domonic Brown, the fourth of the inning, all by left-handed hitters -- and his final line was anything but eye-popping: 1 1/3 IP, four hits, two earned runs and two strikeouts.

But it was Severino's first inning of work that gives the Yankees and their fans hope that maybe Severino can be this year's Betances. Facing his first three major league hitters, Severino caught Cesar Hernandez looking at a changeup, blew a 94 mph fastball past Cameron Rupp, and sawed Ben Revere's bat in half for an inning-ending ground out. Severino looked poised and relaxed, and there was obvious life in his pitches. The result of his second inning of work was more hard luck than hard hits, all four hits coming on soft ground singles, two up the middle and two blooped to right.

There are differences between Betances last year and Severino this year. Betances' big moment last spring didn't come in his first appearance, but three weeks further into camp, when he already had 10 spring training innings under his belt. Plus, he had pitched in Triple-A ball and was on the cusp of his 26th birthday. Severino turned 21 on Feb. 20 and has never pitched higher than the Double-A level, having finished up last season with the Trenton Thunder.

Still, the kid with the live arm and the easy smile said he wasn't nervous at any point today, and he said he doesn't feel any added pressure from the expectations that come with being a highly ranked prospect for a team that has had limited success with homegrown talent the past few years.

Before the game, Joe Girardi characterized Severino as "pretty calm," and "a strike-thrower with very good stuff." After his 32-pitch stint today, Girardi had two words for Severino: "Good job."

Added Girardi: “There’s no fear there. The young man has a lot of belief in what he’s doing, and he has command, and he went right at guys today. I wasn’t sure how he’d react being the first time, and you worry about guys trying to do too much, but he seemed calm and threw the ball pretty well.”

When Severino was asked if he allowed himself to dream about pitching in the Bronx this season, he said, "This year? Yeah, yeah, maybe. Yeah. I hope so."

In his first outing, Severino gave Yankees fans reason to hope, too.

Here comes da Judge: The Yankees were on the verge of a 5-2 loss to the Phillies in the spring opener when Aaron Judge, their 6-foot-7 first-round pick in the 2013 draft, belted a home run off Mario Hollands that just cleared the left-center-field fence with two runners aboard to tie the game at 5.

Judge's home run was followed by a double off the base of the center-field fence by rookie Greg Bird, who showed power last year for Trenton and in the Arizona Fall League, but Rob Refsnyder struck out to end the ninth inning with the go-ahead run aboard. The game ended in a tie after Chasen Shreve stranded two Philadelphia runners in the bottom of the ninth. The Yankees' offense pounded out 13 hits, although none by their likely 1-2 hitters this season, Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner, who went 0-for-6.

Adam warrants attention: Once again, Adam Warren is "in contention" for the No. 5 starter's job, and once again, he pitched well in his first spring outing, allowing just one hit, to Howard, in two innings of work.

Stop the clock: Even with the new pace-of-game rules in effect, including a countdown clock in center field, today's game took 3:09, thanks in large part to Judge's home run.