The New York Yankees last night hoped to gain momentum by winning their last two games of the season, going into the playoffs. Instead, the Yankees were shut out by the Miami Marlins 5-0. Yankee pitcher Clarke Schmidt made his major league debut as a starter. He didn’t pitch badly, keeping the Yankees in the game, but he did give up three runs in just four innings, walking two and racking up four strikeouts. That was enough for him to take the loss, as the Yankee offense was again quiet.
Last night’s game was just another instance of Yankee pitching not being stellar and the inability of the lineup to shore him up. It has been a trend for most of the year that has caused the Yankees long losing streaks and, at times, successful periods. If the Yankees are going to succeed in the postseason, the offense will have to step it up, as they will be facing some of the best pitchers in the game.
At the top of the first inning, the New York Yankee’s Clarke Schmidt took to the mound and encouraged the Yankees by putting down the Marlins, one, two, three, using only seven pitches. The Marlin’s pitcher Jose Urena pitched a clean bottom of the frame. Schmidt’s dominance in the first inning was missing at the top of the second inning when he gave up three runs, which would be all the Marlins would need. With two on, he allowed Jazz Chisholm a standup double driving in two. Cory Dickerson singled up the middle, scoring Chisholm from second, and it was 3-0.
Continuing in the bottom of the second inning, Starlin Marte took to the plate, and Schmidt plunked him in the helmet, knocking him out of the game. Schmidt reloaded the bases, but Jesus Aguilar grounded out, saving Schmidt of a blowout in the inning and keeping the Yankees in reach of a comeback. Unfortunately, the comeback was not to be had, as the Yankees failed to string any hits together, allowing them to cross home plate.
At the top of the third inning, DJ LeMahieu, who had walked in the first, sent a comebacker lined back at Marlins starter Jose Urena knocking him to the ground in writhing pain. The ball ended up hitting his pitching hand, and it became the second Marlin to be knocked out of the game by being hit by a Yankee.
The remainder of the game was relatively unremarkable for the Yankees. At the top of the fifth, Brian Anderson hit a homer off the Yankee reliever Jonathan Holder. Nick Nelson came out in the seventh, and in the eighth, he gave up a home to Jazz Chisholm to center, and it was 5-0 Marlins, which would be the final score in the game. Schmidt took the loss, and Daniel Castano, who pitched brilliantly for the Marlins, in relief of Urena, got the win.
All in all, this is not the way the New York Yankees wanted to end their season. But there are a few good takeaways from the game. The biggest is that the Yankees played a clean errorless game without any injuries. Also, Brett Gardner, in his last game of the season, went 3 for 4, which is a good sign going into the playoffs. DJ LeMahieu nailed down his batting title, being the first player to win it in both leagues in the modern era. Luke Voit, who has been this year’s workhorse for the Yankees, came away with the home run leader title.