MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Clarke Schmidt cruised to a career-long eight shutout innings after Anthony Volpe led off the game with a home run that sparked a three-run first inning, and the New York Yankees finished a three-game sweep with a 5-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday.

Schmidt (5-1) scattered a double and two singles without a walk while striking out eight batters and winning his third consecutive start. He lobbied manager Aaron Boone for the ninth, but with a career-high 103 pitches he figured he didn’t have much of a case.

“I was happy he left me out there for as long as he did,” said Schmidt, who has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his nine starts this season.

The 2017 first-round draft pick lowered his ERA from 2.95 to 2.49 while throwing a career-high 103 pitches. His previous long was 6 2/3 innings, matched in his most recent outing at Tampa Bay on Friday.