Clarke Schmidt's seven no-hit innings headline takeaways from Yankees' 9-0 win over Orioles

The Yankees rebounded from Friday's series-opening loss to the Baltimore Orioles with Saturday's dominant 9-0 win in which right-hander Clarke Schmidt's seven no-hit innings set the tone for a breakthrough that New York needed.

Takeaways

1. How much better can Schmidt get? After 7.2 scoreless IP in this past Monday's 1-0 11-inning loss to the Los Angeles Angels, Schmidt delivered a no-hit encore. Schmidt (4-3, 2.84 ERA), who threw a career-high 103 pitches (70 strikes), fanned five and walked two before manager Aaron Boone pulled him for right-hander JT Brubaker. The reliever's first batter in the eighth inning, former Yankee Gary Sánchez, broke up the combined no-hit bid by singling a 95 mph sinker up the middle and into center field on a 3-2 count. Regardless, Schmidt continues to trend up as he delivered his career-best outing.
2. Four home runs, starting with Trent Grisham turning on Zach Eflin's 2-2 curveball at 78 mph and over the short porch for his 15th long ball of the season, were more than enough to support Schmidt. J.C. Escarra and Ben Rice added a solo shot apiece in the second and third innings to push the Yankees' 3-0 lead ahead before Anthony Volpe's fifth-inning leadoff blast buried the Orioles (33-43), 7-0.
3. Volpe's ninth home run of the season was an exclamation point and came in an afternoon where he broke free from his 0-for-24 slump. Volpe's 3-for-4 day brings his slash line to .236/.308/.424 with 41 RBI through 75 games and figures to serve a much-needed confidence boost as he looks to build in the summer months of his third season.
4. The Yankees (44-32) are 1.5 games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays (43-34), who won Saturday's 8-3 game against the Detroit Tigers (48-30), for first place in the American League East Division. New York has a chance to take the three-game set from the Orioles and win its first series since June 10-12's sweep of the Kansas City Royals.

Who's the MVP?

Schmidt, who got all the run support that he needed with Grisham's first-inning home run before his dominant start.

Highlights

What's next

The rubber game between the Yankees and Orioles is set for Sunday at 11:35 a.m.

Right-handers Will Warren (4-4, 4.83 ERA) and Dean Kremer (6-7, 4.80 ERA) are in line to start.

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