The New York Yankees shut out the Minnesota Twins on Thursday and won, 5-0, sweeping the three-game set.
The victory took their record to a phenomenal 30-15, first in the AL East and second-best in MLB behind the 31-13 Philadelphia Phillies.
Evidently, the Yanks haven’t missed ace Gerrit Cole too much.
He is obviously needed back as soon as possible and might be the difference between a deep playoff run and a first-round exit, but for now, the team has managed to remain highly competitive in his absence.
A big part of that success can be attributed to Clarke Schmidt.
The right-hander put on a clinic on Thursday and blanked the Twins for eight innings.
8 SHUTOUT INNINGS FOR CLARKE pic.twitter.com/yc3PldDZ1x
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) May 16, 2024
Schmidt, criticized in the past for failing to successfully navigate opposing lineups three times, was incredible in dismantling the hapless Twins offense on the road.
He only conceded three hits: a double and two singles.
The righty didn’t issue any walks and struck out eight hitters.
Manager Aaron Boone could have sent him out for the ninth frame, but he was already at 103 pitches so he made the right call and used Victor Gonzalez for the last inning.
With the masterful performance, Schmidt’s ERA went down to a pristine 2.49.
That would be, by far, his best output as a starter in MLB.
There is still a long way to go, though: he has to show this is not a fluke and that he can keep this up for months, not just weeks.
With Schmidt pitching like this, however, the Yankees can take their time and make sure Cole is fully healthy and not rushed back.
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