New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone says he knew as early as the fifth inning of Clarke Schmidt's Saturday no-hitter that he would be pulling the pitcher before the end of the game.

Clarke Schmidt threw seven hitless innings on a warm day but his pitch count was 103, leaving little doubt it would be a combined no-hitter attempt for the Yankees.

The real take-away from the Yankees’ 9-0 flogging of the Orioles was Schmidt’s growing footprint. He’s thus far carved a spot in the middle of the rotation as a five-and-fly specialist. Schmidt has done little to impress or worry the team’s braintrust.