The New York Yankees seek to avenge Monday’s heartbreaking, rain-soaked 4-3 loss to the Padres when righty Clarke Schmidt returns to the mound on Tuesday.
On the Padres, side, however, is former Yankees top prospect and Schmidt’s former teammate, Michael King. Fans will recall King headlining the trade package New York sent to San Diego for Juan Soto in December 2023. This will be his first time facing his former team amidst a great start to his season.
Schmidt, on the other hand, still seems to be finding himself after starting the season on the IL with a bum shoulder. He did, however, pitch five innings of one-run ball in his last start on April 27.
Now, he’s tasked with breaking a three-game losing streak.
Time: 7:05 p.m. ET
TV: YES
Run Line: Yankees +1.5, O/U 8.5
Pitching Matchup: Michael King (4-1, 2.09 ERA) vs. Clarke Schmidt (0-1, 5.52 ERA). King has been as advertised since arriving in San Diego, establishing himself as the Padres’ top starter. He hasn’t posted an ERA above 3 since 2021, is only 30, and setting himself up for a big payday when he hits free agency in two years.
And on the other side is Clarke Schmidt, King’s friend and former Yankees teammate. These two grew up together in the Yankees farm system, with King being acquired from the Marlins shortly after Schmidt was drafted in 2017. And yet, when it comes to pitching, the two couldn’t be more different.
King’s success is tied to his mastering a simple four-pitch mix: Sinker, four-seamer, changeup, and sweeper. The slider features as needed. Schmidt, by comparison, leans heavily on his cutter and sweeper, and has largely abandoned his sinker for a knuckle curve this year.
X-Factor: Paul Goldschmidt. The Yankees would really love for Goldschmidt to start making more hard contact, particularly against San Diego. The future Hall of Fame first baseman knows the Padres well after spending 14 years in the National League, including eight with San Diego’s NL West rival Arizona. Goldschmidt has hit .306 with 25 home runs with a .950 OPS against the Padres. He even added two hits against them in Monday’s loss.
Against a young fastball pitcher like King, Goldschmidt should just be sitting on pitches up in the zone. Anything he can drive. New York needs more consistent power from non-Aaron Judge players. Against the Padres, that job falls to Goldy.
Prediction: This isn’t as easy as it seems because, great as King has been across the board, he is still mortal. For one, he’s failed to complete six innings in all but one of his starts. That was a shutout of the lowly Rockies last month. Additionally, King hasn’t yet faced a lineup as deep as New York’s.
That said, if you’re on New York sports betting apps, consider two things. First, it’s another cool, misty and rainy day in New York. In turn, that means the game could be anything from close like Monday’s tilt to a slugfest in one or both directions. That’d be enough to put me off the game, but picking the over and some player props could be smart.
In this case, it’s more likely the Yankees take their time with King and try to knock him out early. They know him well and got to watch him develop into the arm he is today. Schmidt, if he lets himself throw his sinker, should be able to keep up with them. It’ll be a close game with a decent amount of scoring, with the Yankees shaking off blowing Monday’s game. Yankees 6, Padres 4
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