It looks like the only positives that will be taken from the rest of what’s been a miserable Yankees season will be forward steps by some of their inexperienced players.
Perhaps Clarke Schmidt took one of those in Saturday’s 3-0 loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field, as he pitched a career-high 6 ²/₃ innings — and threw a career-high 99 pitches — as he looks to establish himself as a reliable starter.
“That’s my goal,’’ Schmidt said following the loss. “The knock on me recently is ‘How can I get guys out the third time through the order and go deeper into games?’ To answer that call tonight is a good feeling.”
Though Schmidt allowed three runs, only one was earned, due to a fielding error by Isiah Kiner-Falefa at third base on Isaac Paredes’ grounder to lead off the bottom of the second.
It led to a pair of unearned runs.
He was hurt by a Luke Raley double in the second and back-to-back doubles by Randy Arozarena and Josh Lowe with one out in the third, but he responded by retiring 12 of the final 15 batters he faced, including a strikeout of Rene Pinto to end his outing in the seventh on a nine-pitch at-bat.
Schmidt considered the Pinto at-bat, with a runner on second, to be another stiff test and his execution impressed Aaron Boone.
“Getting Pinto there 3-2 when he was spoiling pitches was good,’’ Boone said. “He navigated through the third time of the order well. He definitely gave us a chance and did his job.”
The Yankees offense, shut out for the eighth time this season and limited to a pair of singles by DJ LeMahieu, didn’t give Schmidt a chance.
Even without having gotten an out in the seventh prior to Saturday, Schmidt said he had no doubts he could figure it out.
“I have complete confidence in what I’m doing, whether it’s the first or the seventh or whatever inning it is,’’ Schmidt said. “I’m confident in the game plan and what I’m trying to do out there.”
And the right-hander believes Saturday’s experience will benefit him long term.
“The more I’m out there in those situations, the more I develop,’’ Schmidt said. “I feel like I’ve grown a lot already from the beginning of the year from being in those situations.”
He was also pleased to be able to achieve the milestones in a game in which stuff wasn’t as crisp as other points of the season.
“This wasn’t my best stuff of the year,’’ Schmidt said. “It’s good to learn how to do that when you’re not at your sharpest. I thought I made a lot of really good pitches throughout the game, but I don’t think my sharpness was at a premium. To have one of my better outings of the year without my best stuff feels really good.”