From Scott Butherus:
Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt outdueled Taj Bradley in New York’s 2-0 win against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Friday night.
“Slider, sweeper, whatever was really good. The cutter, he had a little bit of everything going tonight,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “It was a really, really sharp performance with a couple big pitches when he really needed to in a 1-0 game.”
That combination of Schmidt’s cutter and sweeper kept the Rays’ hitters on their back foot all night.
The Rays managed just three weak singles off Schmidt through the first four innings.
An opposite-field flare by Yandy Díaz to lead off the bottom half of the first, a soft liner through the infield by José Caballero in the third and another opposite-field bloop by Josh Lowe in the fourth was all the offense Tampa Bay could muster in that span. Díaz was forced out at second, Caballero was caught stealing at third and Lowe was erased on an inning-ending double play.
I do not approve of the use of the term “shove” becoming so popular in recent years.
Beyond that, holy shit, what a performance by Clarke Schmidt! Although, I’ll be honest, even as he was dominating, I was thinking, “This still doesn’t mean he’s not a headcase. He just needs to convince his brain that it’s a one-run game at all times, so he can’t take his foot off of the gas, which he does when he gets leads.” So I still think he’s a bit of a headcase, but boy, the talent is there in SPADES.
The offense was a bit disappointing, but hey, they got the job done. Luke Weaver as the 8th inning guy was quite the sight! I still prefer him in a multi-inning role, but boy, he’s been good lately. Clay Holmes struggled, but he has such great stuff that he could have the bases loaded and no outs and I would still think he would have at least a SHOT of getting out of it (Andrew Miller was the last Yankee that I had that sort of feeling about….maybe D-Rob to a certain extent).
Clarke Schmidt gets the featured image, walking off of the mound after ending the inning on a big strikeout.
That’s surely true, but then probably EVERYBODY is a head case. We have no idea what players do to psych themselves into dealing with pressure. Everybody has worries, impulse thoughts, etc. Again, I’d go with Schmidt as long as I can, I’d give him every chance. And maybe Gil, too. Stroman might be the odd man out for me, but the contract probably makes that impossible.
Don, what’s TJPSOB? Wait, JP is Jorge Posada… OB is on base, or on the bases? The Jorge Posada School… of baserunning, never mind, got it )
Andrew Millie’s could throw strikes, Holmes not always. He got lucky on a strike 3 that would’ve loaded the bases, the next guy singled.
Schmidt has a 2.95 era a 1.27 WHIP and a 135 ERA+. King OTOH is at 3.67,1.30 and a 1.06 ERA+ and this I don’t understand a 5.07 FIP. How can his FIP be so high? Clarke’s is 3.81.
Leading the Majors in walks and home runs allowed will do that.
Kahnle: https://x.com/gjoyce9/status/1789330694314869126?s=61&t=fhOaqwtc8q2TMSXUDRjPeg
At the start of the season if the O/U was 24.5 wins after 40 games would anyone have taken the over?
It really is impressive. I guess, as sd noted the other day, the question is whether this strong pitching is sustainable, and if it is, does Matt Blake just get assumed into Heaven at some point?
SS A. Volpe R
RF Juan Soto L
DH Aaron Judge R
LF Alex Verdugo L
3B Jon Berti R
1B A. Rizzo L
C Austin Wells L
2B O. Cabrera S
CF T. Grisham L
If sitting Gleyber and Stanton in the same game means batting Jon Berti fucking FIFTH, then how about you don’t sit Gleyber and Stanton in the same game.
Ridiculous!
Wow! Hoch: Jasson Dominguez to begin rehab assignment with @TampaTarpons on Tuesday. He will DH for the first two weeks, Aaron Boone said.
If he’s anything what he was last September, which is unlikely, they have some decisions. My guess he won’t see the Yankees until the rosters expand.
On another note former Yankee prospect Roansy Contreras, who looked like he might be a thing, DFAed.
That’s a shocking downfall for Contreras, as he really DID look like he had put the pieces together.
Luke you’re me setup guy
https://twitter.com/LanceBroz/status/1789367987100684350?t=s4mmB42if_J3SNE1kdky9Q&s=19