Daily Report – 6/5/25

Here is today’s report:

Yankees

The sights, sounds, and smells of summer have finally arrived in New York City. The weather is getting warmer, school is almost out, and you can smell sliders being grilled at Yankee Stadium. Throughout last night’s game, Luis L. Ortiz’s slider stole the show from the Yankees. Fans weren’t buying 99 Burgers on a night like this. Ortiz located his 92 pitches beautifully, forcing batters to swing at 44 of them as the Yankees fell to the Cleveland Guardians 4-0.

Clarke Schmidt started the game for the Yankees, and in the top of the first inning, he surrendered three runs, including a two-run home run to Angel Martínez. The home run plated Steven Kwan, whom Schmidt walked after getting ahead in the count 1-2. “When you’re getting banged around like that in the first, it’s pretty glaring,” said Clarke Schmidt. “It’s kind of like walking a tightrope, it’s like, ‘Are you making bad pitches or is it their approach?’ For me, it was kind of obvious that it was approach.”

Andy Pettitte used to say that if he could get through a game’s first inning cleanly, then he’d be able to complete a quality start confidently. While Schmidt had a poor first inning, he tallied eight strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings, shutting Cleveland out across his final 4 2/3 frames. “I think after [the first inning], we made some really good adjustments,” said Schmidt. “I feel like we bounced back well, threw a lot of strikes, getting a lot of swing-and-miss, so I was happy with that getting into the sixth [inning].”

It’s been a while since the American League’s top-scoring offense showcased a dud, especially at home in front of 36,759 fans. It was just their second shutout of the season, and even after Schmidt rebounded with 5 2/3 scoreless innings, the Yankees couldn’t handle Luis L. Ortiz. The righty entered the game with a 2-6 record and a 4.40 ERA. It felt like there was no doubt the Yankees would win this game, but as they say in Yankee land, “That’s baseball, Suzyn.” But, as WFAN’s Keith McPherson says, that isn’t Suzyn’s brand of baseball, because the legendary color commentator would never settle for a dud like this.

The post-loss Aaron Boone commentary typically states something to the extent of, “I thought we strung together good at-bats, but we couldn’t cash in.” This time, the mantra was hidden under, “I thought we got pitched pretty tough.” Because sometimes, you must tip your cap to a superb starting pitcher. In early June, that’s permissible. “It happens in 162,” said Aaron Boone. The Yankees understand a five-hit shutout isn’t their usual brand of baseball, which is why they were silent in the clubhouse after the game, and why Boone was so quick to tip his cap to Ortiz.

Ben Rice, who recorded two hits in last night’s game, discussed how it felt to face Luis L. Ortiz, saying, “[It] seemed like he was able to just kind of manipulate the way [his slider] was moving a little bit on guys and was changing speeds pretty well. And I think that made his fastball even more effective.”

It’s just that it feels so typical for the Yankees’ bats to go quiet after a starting pitcher gives up runs in the top of the first inning. It was typical of that 82-80 team in 2023, and it often occurred for an awful stretch in 2024 after the Yankees lost a home series to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Therefore, it is reasonable to feel concerned that a stretch of quiet at-bats could occur again for the Yankees at this point in the season, especially after losing a series to the Dodgers that included an 18-2 embarrassment. At the same time, it’s far too early to make any rash predictions.

“[We] get another opportunity to go win a series tomorrow,” said Aaron Boone. The Yankees have their ace Max Fried pitching in tonight’s rubber match.

Tonight at 7:05 PM, the Yankees will send LHP Max Fried (7-1, 1.92 ERA) to the mound against RHP Slade Cecconi (1-1, 5.28 ERA) as they try to win the rubber game against Cleveland (YES).

Here is tonight’s starting lineup for the New York Yankees:

1. CF Trent Grisham (R)

2. 1B Ben Rice (L)

3. DH Aaron Judge (C) (R)

4. RF Cody Bellinger (L)

5. 3B Jazz Chisholm Jr. (L)

6. SS Anthony Volpe (R)

7. LF Jasson Domínguez (S)

8. C Austin Wells (L)

9. 2B Oswald Peraza (R)

P: LHP Max Fried (7-1, 1.92 ERA)

Schedule

7:05 PM: NYY vs. CLE; YES