Clark Schmidt, who initially scratched from Saturday’s lineup, found himself up against the Padres on Tuesday. It was a bit of a surprise, really, especially after receiving a text from Michael King earlier. King, who had been climbing the ranks before joining the Yankees’ pitching squad, seemed to want a shot at Schmidt. “You just wanted to face me,” Schmidt noted, to which he replied, “I think I could have locked a little more now.”
They faced off over six innings. King, making his first appearance in the Bronx since transitioning from a reliever to San Diego, gave up two runs. Meanwhile, Schmidt, despite some pre-game pain that delayed his start, allowed two runs as well.
King nearly sealed the deal for a win, but everything fell apart for the Padres bullpen. The Yankees ultimately triumphed with a 12-3 score, leaving Schmidt with the last word on a calm night.
“There’s probably going to be some chirping after this,” he said with a grin. “I’m sure we’ll text each other later. Why not talk a little smack?”
As emotions swirled, particularly for King, who had his first start at Yankee Stadium marked by some challenges—a 3-0 count against Aaron Judge didn’t do him any favors—he found himself pushed hard. Despite getting a fastball right over the plate for Judge, he managed to get through three innings without further trouble.
“I don’t see myself getting it back,” King laughed about the situation.
Feeling off his game early on, King struggled until he found his rhythm after letting Ben Rice double in the first. After that, he went nine batters without allowing a hit. When Judge hit a homer barely clearing the fence, the game shifted. After that, a walk to Cody Bellinger and a hit from Jackson Dominguez led to a tying score, but King held on, preventing further damage and providing much-needed support for the Yankees.
Reflecting on the game, King mentioned, “I thought about walking to the other dugout,” noting his performance metrics were decent at 2.22, “but then realized I didn’t win.”
His last outing at Yankee Stadium showcased his potential transformation, evidenced by an impressive stint against the Blue Jays back in September 2023. It seems that after 20 months, he was ready to unveil the upgrades he’s made, much to the delight of his friends and former teammates.
“Hopefully, we’ll find ourselves back in the same place someday,” Schmidt mused. “It’s kind of like playing one of your siblings in the backyard.”
