NEW YORK –The New York Yankees notched their seventh straight win with a 6-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday afternoon, and rookie starter Cam Schlittler enjoyed the kind of outing that could serve as the perfect precursor to a potential October breakout.
Schlittler tossed seven innings of scoreless baseball, struck out nine batters, and only surrendered two hits and one walk as he picked up the win. The 24-year-old showcased a stellar fastball while mixing in effective sinkers, curveballs, and cutters. He generated 13 total whiffs, with nine of them coming by way of his fastball. The former seventh-round pick has embraced the pressure that accompanies late-season situations.
“I think it locks me in a little bit more,” Schlittler said after the game. “I enjoy everything that comes with that, whether it's good or bad, I want to make sure I handle that the right way, and I've got to take it to next week and move on from the good stuff I did today.”
In a season where New York’s rotation has dealt with injuries that have impacted the complexion of their staff, Schlittler has established himself as an arm who can consistently offer the Yankees’ offense a chance to compete. The hard-throwing righty ended the regular season with a 4-3 record and a 2.96 ERA across 73 innings. He is currently in line to start Game 3 of a potential American League Wild Card series.
“I thought he was great,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Stuff was really good again, right out of the shoot. Good job mixing the secondary with the big fastball. Lost the zone a little bit there in whatever inning where he hit a couple guys and had some uncharacteristic misses by him, but dialed it right back in, finished great with a sixth and seventh.”
The Yankees’ lineup stays scalding hot
The Walpole native was aided by a strong showing from the Yankees’ lineup. Aaron Judge strengthened his MVP case when he mashed his 53rd home run of the season off of Orioles starter Tomoyuki Sugano in the bottom of the first inning.
“I think it's a no doubt MVP, and I know I don't vote, and other people have a say,” Yankees third baseman McMahon said of Judge’s MVP-caliber year. “Seeing him up close for the last two months, it's no doubt in my mind.”
Giancarlo Staton and McMahon cranked their 24th and 20th home runs of the campaign to give New York a 3-0 edge in the bottom of the third. Stanton’s long ball marked the eighth time this season that both he and Judge have homered in the same contest.
Judge and Cody Bellinger later helped tack on three more runs in the fifth with a bases-loaded single and an RBI sac-fly off of Orioles reliever Grant Wolfram. The runs came directly after Boone was ejected by home plate umpire Ramon DeJesus for arguing balls and strikes during Judge’s at-bat.
Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. was forced to leave the game in that same inning after being hit by a pitch on his forearm, but the initial X-rays and later CT scan both came back negative.
Coby Mayo got the Orioles on the scoreboard with a home run off of Yankees reliever Paul Blackburn in the eighth, but that would be all Baltimore would be able to generate off of Blackburn, who brought the Bombers to the finish line.
The Yankees know they will be playing October baseball, and could still mathematically find a way to best the Toronto Blue Jays for the American League East crown as the season’s final day looms.
“162 games, and whatever happens today it's going to come down to that last day,” Boone said, “that's the beauty of our sport.”
