Yankees strand Aaron Judge on third in ninth, lose to Orioles
Yankees' Aaron Judge looks on after striking out during the first inning against Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Dean Kremer in an opening day baseball game, Friday, April 7, 2023, in Baltimore. Credit: AP/Terrance Williams
BALTIMORE — Clarke Schmidt did not have it early, and not enough Yankees relievers had it late.
That, combined with a rough afternoon from the top of the lineup, sent the Yankees to a 7-6 loss in the Orioles’ home opener on Friday at Camden Yards.
The Yankees had the tying run at third base in the eighth and ninth innings but were unable to get the key hit.
Schmidt, who wasn’t sharp in his first start of the season on April 1 against the Giants, struggled again, allowing four runs, five hits and three walks in 3 1⁄3 innings (he allowed three runs, five hits and a walk in 3 1⁄3 innings against San Francisco).
“Continue to work on the little things,” Aaron Boone said, specifically mentioning Schmidt’s command, which has been an issue throughout his development in the minors and during his time in the majors. “Really focus on location, not always just chasing the best shape or the nastiest pitch, but the best location . . . That’s what separates average [command] from good, good from great, is that level. Can you graduate to that level of command? His stuff is fine. He has all the weapons. That’s what it’s going to take.”
Schmidt entered spring training in a battle for the fifth starter spot with Domingo German, but injuries to Carlos Rodon and Luis Severino put both pitchers in the rotation.
With the Yankees (4-3) lacking starting pitching depth, Schmidt isn’t in any danger of losing his spot. At least not yet.
Schmidt walked a batter and allowed two runs in the second, then issued another walk and allowed two more runs in the third as the Yankees fell behind 4-0.
“I felt good early on and then that second inning, kind of tried nibbling and make the perfect pitch,” Schmidt said. “It’s a mindset thing. Feel like you just have to continue to attack guys throughout the whole outing and not take some innings off where you’re just nibbling at the zone a little bit and trying to make the perfect pitch.”
But the offense took him off the hook.
Franchy Cordero, released by the Orioles on March 28 and picked up by the Yankees a day later, hit a three-run homer in the fourth off Dean Kremer to make it 4-3. Oswaldo Cabrera’s second of three hits, a two-run double in the sixth, gave the Yankees a short-lived 5-4 lead.
Ron Marinaccio replaced Ian Hamilton with one on and one out in the sixth. After former Yankees prospect Jorge Mateo stole second and advanced to third on a groundout, Adley Rutschman singled to left to tie it at 5.
Marinaccio walked Ryan Mountcastle to start the seventh and struck out Gunnar Henderson before being replaced by Jimmy Cordero. Ramon Urias ripped a double to left-center to make it 6-5. Urias moved to third on Adam Frazier’s groundout and scored on Cordero’s second wild pitch of the inning to put Baltimore ahead 7-5.
After a double by Giancarlo Stanton and a single by Gleyber Torres put runners at the corners with none out in the eighth, Cabrera’s RBI single made it 7-6.
With runners on first and second, Jose Trevino pulled back two bunt attempts before grounding into a 5-3 double play on a 2-and-0 pitch. Cabrera stole third, but Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who pinch hit for Franchy Cordero in the sixth, struck out to end the inning.
“I have to get that ball in the air,” Trevino said.
In the ninth, Felix Bautista struck out Anthony Volpe and DJ LeMahieu before walking Aaron Judge on four pitches. With Anthony Rizzo at the plate, Judge stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. Rizzo, however, flied out, leaving the Yankees’ top three hitters 2-for-13 with five strikeouts.
“They’re a tough team to beat and contenders now,” Boone said of the Orioles (4-3), who went from 52 wins in 2021 to 83 wins last season. “You know you have to play well to beat them. I thought we competed really well today and they kept answering back.”
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
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