Schmidt flirts with no-no, throws 7 hitless frames in Yanks' romp

NEW YORK -- Clarke Schmidt knew what he was walking away from. As he pointed toward the sky and stepped off the mound at Yankee Stadium on Saturday afternoon, the right-hander left behind a no-hitter in progress -- just six outs from history.

Waging a silent war with each step, Schmidt's analytical side processed why his 103rd pitch would be his last; it matched a career high, and he'd been running on fumes to get through the seventh inning. Yet his competitive spirit burned through the fatigue, wholeheartedly believing he would find a way to finish the job.

Ultimately, caution won the battle. Schmidt settled for seven hitless innings and participation in a combined one-hitter, backed by four solo homers as the Yankees trounced the Orioles, 9-0.

“Being able to do it in front of the home crowd, the energy, you could really feel it when you’re out there late in the game,” Schmidt said. “Hearing the crowd after the seventh, I really appreciate that. I feel that energy. Words can’t describe that feeling when you’re leaving and you’re getting a standing ovation. Especially in this stadium, you feel like all eyes are on you.”

After issuing a pair of first-inning walks, Schmidt retired the next nine O’s until he drilled Ryan O’Hearn with a pitch in the top of the fourth. That would be Baltimore’s final baserunner against Schmidt, who set down the next 11.

The Yankees’ last no-hitter came wrapped within Domingo German’s 2023 perfect game, and Schmidt said there was no extended discussion with manager Aaron Boone when the hurler retired Colton Cowser for the final out of the top of the seventh inning on Saturday.

Boone said he was “sitting there wanting to watch a little history, too,” but added he’d seen Schmidt’s stamina flagging since at least the fifth inning on a muggy, 86-degree day. Schmidt admitted he was “emptying the tank” to get through seven.

“He was done,” Boone said. “As great as he was today, I think physically all day was a challenge for him. I kind of knew even after the fifth that it wasn’t going to be long. I think he’s looking forward to that six-day turn [before his next start].”

Schmidt has dealt with several injuries as a pro, and his long-term value is too significant -- the Yankees have 86 regular-season games remaining, and if they are to go deep into the postseason, they must keep Schmidt firing. Schmidt understands that, with some reluctance.

“I want to go as deep as I can, but when you’re at the 103 mark and you’ve got two innings to go, you’ve got to think bigger picture here,” Schmidt said. “It’s a tough conversation to have, and you get frustrated, but … is it worth throwing 130 pitches?”

In the Yankees bullpen, “not a single word” was spoken about Schmidt’s ongoing gem, according to JT Brubaker -- though everyone was well aware of the situation.

“It’s kind of one of the unwritten rules of baseball,” Brubaker said.

With Schmidt out, the phone rang for Brubaker, a right-hander whose most recent big league appearance came on October 4, 2022, with the Pirates. The no-hit bid lasted six more pitches; Gary Sánchez checked a swing to keep an at-bat alive on a two-strike pitch, then laced a clean single to center field.

Boos were heard; not for Brubaker, but for the circumstances -- Schmidt being denied a chance to finish his bid, and also the non-call by first-base umpire Jansen Visconti. For the most part, though, this one provided a breezy opportunity to exhale -- especially for shortstop Anthony Volpe, who homered in a three-hit showing.

The Yankees had registered no slump in Volpe’s shoulders, even as a hitless stretch reached two dozen at-bats. Sometimes the dam breaks not with a long homer, but with a well-placed dribbler.

Volpe reached first base after chopping a 46.2 mph infield single up the third-base line, then cleared the right-field wall in his next at-bat. Volpe added a sixth-inning single to tally his first three-hit performance since May 24 at Colorado.

“I’ve been trying to hit that ball for a couple games now,” Volpe said. “I’d be lying to say it didn’t feel amazing. I was really happy with my approach. As much as we joke about an infield single, I was happy to put the barrel on the ball my next at-bat.”

Trent Grisham, J.C. Escarra and Ben Rice hit early homers as the Yanks thumped right-hander Zach Eflin, who has struggled mightily against left-handed hitters this season. That held true Saturday; eight of the 10 hits Eflin permitted were to lefties, including all three homers.

Like Schmidt, Volpe’s performance also provides a window into the Bombers’ thinking and what teams value in the modern game. Once upon a time, a three-hit performance would cement a place in the lineup and a "hot" designation -- not so now, as Volpe learned he is in line for a scheduled day off during Sunday’s series finale.

“Hopefully I’ll be in there soon,” Volpe said.