From Bryan Hoch:
Three early runs on the scoreboard, Clarke Schmidt came down the steps into the home dugout, seeking a safe place to regroup. There would be plenty of data and video available to look over, but the Yankees right-hander only needed what he saw with his eyes: the Guardians had jumped him.
Cleveland seemed to be all over everything, including Schmidt’s seventh pitch of the evening, which Angel Martínez blasted into the right-field bleachers. Other offerings had been smoked with authority, too, and Schmidt knew he must make adjustments quickly to avoid an early hook.
“When you’re getting banged around like that in the first, it’s pretty glaring,” Schmidt said after the Yankees’ 4-0 loss on Wednesday. “It’s like walking a tightrope: are you making bad pitches or is it their approach? I felt like I was making good pitches. For me, it was obvious it was approach.”
On the one hand, the Yankees offense just didn’t show up in the game, so the game was lost as soon as it was 2-0, but even with that in mind, on the other hand, why would you wait until AFTER you allowed a home run and two doubles before you changed your approach? Doesn’t it remind you of headcase Rodon, who would get torched in the first, change his approach, and then pitch 6 shutout innings in a game that was already lost?
This was a very frustrating loss. Losing after giving up 3 runs in the first is not unusual, but to get shut out by a middling pitcher like Ortiz is rough. Lots of just bad luck with BABIP, but that’s why you have to hit home runs, so BABIP doesn’t factor in as much, as otherwise, you’ll have nights like this where the balls are all right to guys.
Fernando Cruz gave up a home run, but I was okay with that, as he strikes me as a guy who would definitely need to adjust to pitching again, so having that adjustment happen in a game that was already lost was smart.
Featured image is the home run that ended the game two batters in.
“why would you wait until AFTER you allowed a home run and two doubles before you changed your approach?”
I don’t know, that seems pretty quick to me. It’s just that the damage was done and they offense was roofied.
As in: one hit certainly doesn’t tell you you have to adjust, right? Two hits maybe raises the question. So really, he’s one hit off of the minimum for considering an adjustment, at most?
I don’t know if this is good or bad. Maybe a half season will be good for Stroman who had a 3.51era in the first half last year and a 5.98 in the second half.
Hoch: The Yankees are building up Marcus Stroman as a starting pitcher, Aaron Boone said. Stroman threw live BP again today and felt good. He could begin a rehab assignment soon.
Good or bad? Giancarlo Stanton will remain in Tampa for the rest of the week. He could return to New York next week to begin a rehab assignment, Aaron Boone said.