Rookies unable to extend Yanks' epic streak

September 5th, 2020

The Yankees got a glimpse at the future Friday night, and although the immediate result wasn’t what they had hoped for, watching and pitching back to back in a Major League game was something they expect to remember years from now.

The Orioles used a four-run fifth inning against the two young pitchers to erase a one-run deficit, handing the Yankees a 6-3 loss to end Baltimore’s 19-game losing streak against the Bronx Bombers.

But despite the doubleheader split following the Yankees’ 6-5, extra-innings win in the first game, the arrival of Schmidt (the team’s No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline) alongside García (No. 3) had manager Aaron Boone lauding the potential impact the two young right-handers could have on the club.

“We're obviously excited about both of those guys and their talent, the kind of pitchers that we believe that they can turn into,” Boone said. “Now they’re here playing an important role for us.”

Friday was the second big league start for García, who allowed one unearned run over six innings in his debut last Sunday against the Mets.

For Schmidt, who was called up between games, it was his Major League debut.

“It’s a lot of fun being by his side, especially within the prospect world, being touted or whatever,” Schmidt said. “It's fun to be alongside a guy like that; hopefully this is the beginning of our New York Yankee journey and two long-lasting careers.”

The 21-year-old García tossed a perfect first inning, but Pedro Severino’s leadoff single in the second set up Ryan Mountcastle’s two-run blast, tagging García with the first earned runs of his career.

“We're trying to go away with that pitch and I missed; I think it was a little bit inside and up,” García said through an interpreter. “At this level, you miss, you’ve got to accept the consequences.”

The Yankees scored a run in the third and two more in the fourth to take a one-run lead, but García wasn’t as sharp as he had been in his first outing, when he fanned six without issuing a walk. He put multiple runners on base in the second, third and fourth, limiting the damage to Mountcastle’s homer.

“Obviously Mountcastle got him with the big homer, but I thought he settled in,” Boone said. “He made a lot of big pitches when he needed to. … He's very competitive and he's got some moxie out there to kind of figure it out.”

A one-out walk and two-out single in the fifth gave the Orioles another rally against García, but Boone didn’t let him work his way through the jam after 95 pitches -- five more than he had been slated to throw.

With a depleted bullpen that needed five relievers to get through the earlier game, Boone’s choices were Albert Abreu, Miguel Yajure and Schmidt, who had been added to the roster between games for his ability to give the Yankees length.

“We were kind of down everyone,” Boone said. “The plan going in was going to be Deivi to Clarke, and see if we can get through it.”

“I wanted to get out there,” said Schmidt, who had made just two relief appearances during his two seasons in the Minors. “I really, really did. I really wanted that situation.”

Schmidt gave up two singles and a double -- none of which were hit particularly hard -- as the Orioles put up a four-spot, taking a 6-3 lead they would never relinquish.

“I actually thought Clarke did a good job in what’s a unique spot for him,” Boone said. “Not an ideal situation to bring him in, but by need. I’m glad he got out there to get one under his belt.”

Schmidt said he had “no sort of nerves at all,” though he admitted to being “amped up” as he came in for his debut. The three hits against him clocked in at 75, 93 and 81 mph off the bat, but they did the damage necessary for the Orioles to seize control of the game.

“I tried to do too much on pitches, overcooking them, and tried to just make guys just strike out and look foolish every time,” Schmidt said. “Sometimes you’ve got to stay within yourself and keep it in the zone a little more. ... It's a tough spot, especially for a starter, but I’ve got to do a better job of getting out of that.”

García’s final line saw him charged with four runs on five hits, walking two while striking out six over 4 2/3 innings.

“What really ended up hurting him was one pitch,” catcher said. “He kind of fought through some traffic; I don't think last time we really had any three-ball counts and he had a couple walks this time. He's human.”

As for the end of the Yankees’ streaks against the Orioles -- New York had also won 18 straight games at Camden Yards dating back to July 2018 -- Boone noted the “fluky” nature of such a streak.

“We've pulled some games out over the last year-plus that didn't necessarily feel like we were going to win,” Boone said. “We’ve gotten some big hits late, some big homers. It was one of those that was obviously bound to end. More a little bit fluky to have that kind of run.”