Cam Schlittler did not need reporters to make the case against him. He beat them to it.
The Yankees’ 25-year-old right-hander lasted just 4 1/3 innings in Sunday’s 8-2 first-game loss to the Dodgers at Yankee Stadium. His pitch count spiked to 98. Manager Aaron Boone pulled him for Tim Hill with the game still in reach. Schlittler saw the box score and put it on his own back.
“That’s on me. We know we’ve got a doubleheader. Taxed the bullpen there. Can’t get through five,” Schlittler told SNY Yankees after the game. “We’ve got nine more. Elmer’s going to have to pick us up and hopefully, give us some good length there and put us in position to win that game.”
That is the kind of accountability you want from a young starter. It’s also the kind of accountability that only shows up when you’re pitching well enough to expect more of yourself.
The Numbers Are Not the Problem
Look at the underlying stuff and Schlittler was actually sharp. Twenty whiffs. Eight strikeouts. Zero walks. That’s a starter dominating the swing decisions in front of him.
The damage came from six hits and three earned runs. Not a beatdown. Not a meltdown. Just enough traffic to run his pitch count and force an early exit against the reigning champs.
The Dodgers do that to good pitchers. They wear you out with long at-bats and force mistakes. Sunday’s box score is a Dodgers box score more than it is a Schlittler collapse.
What Went Wrong for the Yankees
The bullpen carried the extra weight. Jake Bird gave up five runs in the eighth inning to blow the game open. New York was in it entering the frame, down just two runs, and then the wheels came off in one at-bat sequence.
The Yankees did salvage something. They took the finale 2-1 to avoid the sweep. That matters in July. The AL East is still a knife fight, and every series counts.
What’s Next
Schlittler is scheduled to start Friday against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Philadelphia’s lineup is deep. Getting through five is the minimum to make the outing worth it.
The Yankees do not need Schlittler to be Gerrit Cole. They need him to eat innings and give the bullpen a night off between Rodon and Cole starts. If he can do that in Philly, the frustrating Dodgers loss becomes a footnote.
Schlittler took the loss like a veteran even though his numbers suggested he pitched better than the box score. That mentality matters. So does length. He has to give the Yankees more than 4 1/3 next time. He knows it, and now he’s on the record saying it.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
