The New York Yankees fell flat on both sides of the ball Saturday afternoon, dropping a 7-0 shutout to the Athletics at Yankee Stadium.
New York has scored just three runs across the first two games of the series against an A’s staff that entered with one of baseball’s worst ERAs.
Clarke Schmidt carried a 26.1-inning scoreless streak into the game and looked sharp early, retiring the first nine batters. He extended his streak to 28.2 innings, just shy of Don Larsen’s 1958 record, before Brent Rooker finally broke through with a solo home run in the fourth. Schmidt unraveled in the sixth, walking the first two hitters before Nick Kurtz crushed a three-run shot into the right field seats. Schmidt finished six innings with four hits, four runs, and seven strikeouts.
The Yankees’ offense never threatened. JP Sears held them to one hit through five innings, and though they worked a few walks, they couldn’t deliver the big swing. Aaron Judge came up twice with runners aboard but flew out deep to center both times, once on a 406-foot drive that would have left most ballparks.
A sloppy eighth inning put the game out of reach. After two walks, a bunt dropped between Austin Wells and Allan Winans, and no one backed up a wild throw to third base as the A’s piled on three more runs.
New York finished with just three hits and went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position.
The Yankees (47-35) will try to win the series on Sunday at 1:35 p.m. Marcus Stroman returns from the injured list to face former Yankee Luis Severino.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.
