Yankees win 32nd straight season by blanking Cubs for 2nd straight day

CHICAGO — Clarke Schmidt and Nestor Cortes combined for a four-hit game and the New York Yankees clinched their 32nd consecutive winning season by blanking the Chicago Cubs 2-0 on Saturday.

Schmidt pitched 4 2/3 innings of four-hit ball in his first major league game since May 26. Cortes (9-10) closed the game in his first relief appearance since 2021.

Baltimore’s 7-1 loss to Tampa Bay gave New York a second-place finish in the American League East, with the Yankees (82-60) trailing the Orioles by half a game.

Cortes admitted he was upset when he learned he would be pitching in relief.

“I will never back down from a challenge,” Cortes said. “I will never let my teammates down. I will always do my best, whether I am happy or not. That is what I did today. I came on the field and proved that I can be in any situation. From now on, if that is my role, I will accept it.”

Schmidt had been sidelined with a strained right lateral muscle. He threw 75 pitches, including 44 catches.

“I felt like I still had a lot of strength and wasn’t tired at all,” Schmidt said.

New York posted its second straight shutout to secure its first series victory since taking two of three against Colorado from Aug. 23-25. The 32-game winning streak is the second-longest such stretch in major league history, trailing the Yankees’ 39-game winning streak from 1926-64.

Chicago (72-70) has lost four of its last five home games as it tries to rally in the race for the third National League wild card. It beat Pittsburgh 12-0 on Wednesday but has managed a total of three more runs in its last five games, getting shut out three times.

“We think we have a good enough club to make the playoffs and be in contention, but we’re going to have to play a little better and keep pushing here,” left fielder Ian Happ said.

Cubs right-hander Javier Assad (7-5) allowed one earned run and three hits in 5 2/3 innings.

New York scored its first run when Austin Wells grounded out Gleyber Torres in the first inning. The Yankees made it 2-0 in the sixth inning when Aaron Judge stole third base as part of a double steal and rushed to base on a throwing error by catcher Christian Bethancourt.

Judge, who leads the major leagues with 51 homers, hit 0 for 3 with a walk. He has not homered in 11 games during his longest streak of the season.

The Cubs had their best chance to score in the fifth inning. Pete Crow-Armstrong singled with one out but was caught stealing. Patrick Wisdom then hit a triple to right but was blocked when Cortes struck out Bethancourt.

“He handled it really well, got himself in a high-leverage situation with a runner on third base and got the job done,” Wells said of Cortes. “From there, he cruised.”

Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo heard more cheers in his second game back at Wrigley Field since being traded from Chicago to New York in July 2021. He tipped his cap before his first at-bat and reached second base on Crow-Armstrong’s fumbled catch in center.

TRAINERS’ ROOM

Yankees: Schmidt and right-handed pitcher Ian Hamilton (right side strain) were placed back on the 60-day disabled list before the game. Right-handed pitchers Phil Bickford and Nick Burdi were designated for assignment.

Cubs: Left-handed pitcher Justin Steele (left elbow tendinitis) was scheduled to catch Saturday. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday. … Right-handed pitcher Hayden Wesneski (right forearm strain) pitched one inning at Triple-A Iowa.

FOLLOWING

Starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (6-3, 3.65 ERA) is expected to start for New York on Sunday, his 34th birthday. Starting pitcher Jameson Taillon (9-8, 3.66 ERA) will take the mound for Chicago in the final game of the weekend. Taillon went 22-11 with a 4.08 ERA with the Yankees in 2021 and 2022.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb