Yankees' Cam Schlittler hoping for chance to even ALDS vs. Blue Jays
Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler in the dugout during practice prior to the ALDS against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday at Rogers Centre in Toronto. Credit: Newsday/William Perlman
It was less than a week ago that the Yankees handed rookie Cam Schlittler the ball with their season on the line.
The 24-year-old delivered and then some, striking out 12 over eight scoreless innings in a 4-0 victory over the Red Sox in the deciding Game 3 of the American League Wild Card Series at the Stadium.
Schlittler arrived in the Bronx Tuesday afternoon hoping he would have one more chance this postseason to extend the Yankees' year.
That was because his team, trailing two-games-to-none to the Blue Jays in the ALDS, needed a victory Tuesday night to give him that opportunity in Game 4.
“We've been in these situations before. We've dealt with the adversity,” Schlittler said before Game 3. “Again, last week we were able to perform when we needed to, and I expect the team to go out there and do that tonight and get a shot tomorrow and then take it back to Toronto.”
The Yankees lost Game 1 of the wild-card round before bouncing back with a close victory in Game 2, setting the stage for Schlittler’s Thursday night gem in which he became the first pitcher in big-league history to go eight scoreless innings and strike out at least 12 without a walk.
“We needed to be perfect tonight, because he was perfect,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said after the loss. “The stuff is outstanding. He was under control. That was electric.”
Expecting that kind of performance from Schlittler in two straight postseason games is, of course, unrealistic.
But no one with the Yankees was surprised by the performance either.
From the time Schlittler walked into the clubhouse at Steinbrenner Field in February for his first taste of big-league camp, teammates and coaches were struck by the pitcher’s unflappable demeanor - which very much translated to the mound - and the I-belong-here vibe he carried himself with, confidence without a hint of cockiness.
“Even in spring training, just getting to catch him a few times, definitely knew the stuff was real and he had the ability to pitch,” catcher Austin Wells said before Tuesday’s game. “I felt like it was a matter of time before he did come up here and help us this year or beginning of next year. Obviously, I'm glad he came up when he did and rattled off some really great starts for us and is still doing it. Just the way that he composes himself on the mound, he turns [into] a different characterand I notice it. You see him walking off the mound, kind of no emotion, I think it's pretty cool. He's definitely a guy you want on the mound for sure.”
The Yankees called up Schlittler in early July to take the place of Clarke Schmidt, lost for the season to Tommy John surgery.
Schlittler picked up a win in his first career start – against the tough Mariners on July 9 when he allowed three runs, four hits and two walks over 5 1/3 innings in which he struck out seven in a 9-6 victory – and ended up going 4-3 with a 2.96 ERA in 14 starts.
“How calm and under control he is,” Giancarlo Stanton said of what stood out about Schlittler. “It never seems like a moment is too big or too fast for him.”
Two of Schlittler’s starts came against the Blue Jays, and it was a mixed bag. He got a no-decision in a 5-4 victory on July 22 at Rogers Centre, allowing two runs, seven hits and three walks over five innings in which he struck out three.
Schlittler faced the eventual AL East champions again on Sept. 5 and it was his worst start of the season. He lasted only 1 2/3 innings, allowing four runs, five hits and two walks. He struck out two in the 7-1 loss.
“It was impressive how many foul balls there were, but I think I'm a different pitcher now than I was when I faced them a month ago, and now even from two weeks ago,” Schlittler said. “They had a good game plan that day and they were able to foul a lot of balls off and work my [pitch] count. Going into [Wednesday], just making sure that I can make those adjustments and get the weak contact that I'm looking for.”
The Blue Jays were the league’s toughest team to strike out this season, something that gave Yankees’ pitchers problems all season, including Luis Gil in Game 1 of this series and then Max Fried in Game 2.
Schlittler said he isn’t overly concerned about the two regular-season outings.
“That's in the past and not something I can worry about now,” he said. “It's a new day, new series, and I know what I need to do if I want to have a successful outing.”
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
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