Clark Schmidt had a job to do to play Sunday, but the harsh conditions at Yankee Stadium made it difficult.
The Yankees' final game of the regular season was delayed 91 minutes due to rain, but Schmidt pitched and pitched over four innings to beat the Pirates 6-4.
“We were very surprised that we were willing to pursue it so thoroughly,” Schmidt said. “The playoffs are coming up, and the risk of injury is high. The players running at first base also fell. But I'm glad we got through it well, everyone else got through it well, and we won. I was able to fit it in.”
Schmidt said the two were warming up in the rain when Pirates starting pitcher Bailey Falter approached him in the outfield and asked him what he was doing.
Once the game began, grounds staff had to reapply dry dirt to the mound, infield, and home plate area approximately every half-inning.
Schmidt, who is competing with Lewis Gil for the start in the ALDS, said he held back on his highest gear Sunday to avoid injury in the rain.
“Sometimes you couldn't find any rubber at all because of the soil that covered the mound,” Schmidt said. “The cleats didn't grip, and touching the rosin actually made it worse because the rosin was so wet that it was hard to grip the ball.
“Obviously it was a tough situation, but despite that, I couldn't put myself in a good position because I didn't put in a great performance.”
