Clarke Schmidt delivered six scoreless innings, and three Yankees relievers preserved a narrow lead as New York shut out the Los Angeles Angels 1-0 on Wednesday night to complete a three-game sweep.
Schmidt (2-2) scattered four hits, struck out four, and issued one walk in a sharp 99-pitch outing. The Yankees, now on a five-game winning streak, have taken nine of their last 10 games to solidify their grip on the AL East lead.
Ian Hamilton took over in the seventh and got five outs, Tim Hill recorded the final out of the eighth, and Mark Leiter Jr. closed it out with two strikeouts in the ninth for his second save.
The Angels, who averaged 7.6 runs per game during their recent eight-game winning streak, have cooled off drastically, managing just five total runs during a five-game skid.
Yusei Kikuchi (1-5) kept the game close, allowing only one run on four hits across five innings. However, he walked five and threw 93 pitches, only 51 of them strikes.
The Yankees scored the game’s only run in the first inning. Paul Goldschmidt led off with a double, and after a strikeout and two walks, Anthony Volpe hit a sacrifice fly to center to bring in Goldschmidt. Kikuchi escaped further damage by retiring DJ LeMahieu with the bases loaded.
Key Moment
With two on and no outs in the second inning, the Angels threatened to answer back. But Schmidt struck out Travis d’Arnaud and Chris Taylor before getting Luis Rengifo to ground out, preserving the early Yankees lead.
Key Stat
Yankees starting pitchers continue to dominate, boasting a league-best 2.54 ERA over their last 39 games. They’ve held opponents to one run or fewer in 22 of those starts.
Up Next
Yankees: Ace Max Fried (7-0, 1.29 ERA) opens a high-profile series Friday at Dodger Stadium in a World Series rematch.
Angels: José Soriano (3-5, 3.73 ERA) starts Friday in the opener of a road series against the Guardians in Cleveland.
