Clarke Schmidt didn’t lose his grip on the game—just his edge. The Yankees right-hander turned in a gritty six-inning outing Saturday afternoon against the Mets, allowing just two runs despite issuing five walks. It was, on paper, a quality start. But Schmidt didn’t sugarcoat the part where things could’ve slipped away.
“Just got a little too passive,” Clarke Schmidt said after the game. “Kind of felt like we were trying to anticipate the adjustments rather than just continuing to stay with the strengths.”
That moment of passivity came in the fourth inning. After a leadoff walk to Francisco Lindor, Schmidt gave up back-to-back singles and a sacrifice fly that pushed the Mets ahead 2–1. His command wavered, and so did his tempo.
Still, he didn’t let it snowball.
Boone: “Clarke Schmidt lost the zone a little bit”
Over 98 pitches, Clarke Schmidt scattered three hits and those five walks, recovering to retire six of the final eight batters he faced. The box score says he did his job. Schmidt says it wasn’t his best version.
“It’s one of those innings where you want to just stick with what’s worked, and I didn’t,” he admitted. “That’s on me.”
Manager Aaron Boone appreciated the honesty—and the effort.
“He lost the zone a little bit,” Boone said. “Overall it wasn’t perfect, but it was pretty darn effective.”
The five walks marked a season high for Clarke Schmidt, who entered the afternoon averaging just 2.1 walks per nine innings. His stuff was good enough to escape further damage, but that fourth inning served as a reminder: when he stops attacking, hitters start capitalizing.
It wasn’t dominance. But it wasn’t collapse either.
This was a start defined by adjustments—some made too late, some made just in time.
For a Yankees rotation still solidifying behind its top arms, outings like this carry weight. Clarke Schmidt showed grit, but also showed where the next level lies.
He knows it. Boone knows it. And if Clarke Schmidt stays aggressive the next time out, he just might get there.
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