Clarke Schmidt and Nestor Cortes combined on a four-hitter as the visiting New York Yankees recorded their second straight shutout victory over the Chicago Cubs, winning 2-0 on Saturday.
Catcher Austin Wells drove in a run and caught two baserunners stealing for the Yankees (82-60), who clinched their 32nd consecutive winning season.
The Cubs (72-70) were shut out for the third time in four games and 15th time this season. Chicago was held to one hit in a 3-0 loss to the Yankees in the opener of the three-game series on Friday.
Schmidt pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings in his return from a right lat strain. In his first start since May 26, Schmidt allowed four hits with one walk and two strikeouts while throwing 75 pitches.
Cortes (9-10) followed and did not allow a hit over the final 4 1/3 innings to complete New York’s 13th shutout of the season.
The Yankees took a 1-0 lead in the first inning against Javier Assad (7-5). Gleyber Torres hit a leadoff single, Juan Soto walked, and both runners advanced on a wild pitch.
After Aaron Judge struck out, Torres scored from third on Wells’ groundout.
Torres has hit safely in 15 of his last 16 games and has reached base safely in 30 of his last 31 games.
The Yankees tacked on a run in the sixth inning. Judge drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s two-out infield single.
Drew Smyly replaced Assad and retired Anthony Rizzo on an infield popout, but not before the Yankees’ executed a double steal that ended with Judge scoring on Christian Bethancourt’s throwing error.
Judge went 0-for-3 with a walk in his 11th straight game without a home run, which is his longest streak of the season.
Assad allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits over 5 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out five.
Chicago’s best scoring threat came in the fifth inning after Patrick Wisdom tripled with two outs. Wisdom was stranded when Cortes replaced Schmidt and got Bethancourt to fly out in foul territory.
–Field Level Media