Cam Schlittler will take the ball for the Yankees on Monday night with the Rays holding a 1-0 edge in the American League Division Series, and the right-hander arrives at Tropicana Field carrying a road record that has made him the leading AL Cy Young Award candidate.
Schlittler starts Game 2 shortly after 8 p.m. ET, with New York looking to answer Tampa Bay’s 1-0 Game 1 victory. The Rays rode Drew Rasmussen’s dominant work and a packed, loud dome that felt far less divided than the building often does when the Yankees come to town.
Quick facts
- Game 2 of the ALDS is Monday at 8 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field.
- Schlittler went 8-2 with a 1.16 ERA in 17 road starts during the regular season.
- His road marks included a 0.74 WHIP, 129 strikeouts and a .153 opponents’ batting average.
- Tampa Bay drew 40,542 for Game 1, its largest Tropicana Field crowd since Game 5 of the 2010 ALDS.
- Freddy Peralta is set to start Game 2 for the Rays.
The Yankees right-hander said he enjoys the edge that comes with working in another club’s park, particularly the chance to quiet a home crowd. But before Saturday’s opener, Schlittler expected plenty of New York supporters to make the trip and believed the setting could feel close to a Yankees home game.
Game 1 told a different story. With the upper deck opened, the sellout crowd of 40,542 supplied a full October soundtrack as Rasmussen and the Rays shut out New York. It was the biggest attendance at the Trop since the club’s 2010 Division Series run.
Shortstop Taylor Walls, with Tampa Bay since 2021, said it can be difficult during Yankees series to tell which fan base has the numerical edge. Saturday, he said, belonged to the Rays faithful.
Rasmussen felt it from the mound. He called the turnout incredible, said the extra adrenaline was noticeable, and described the filled ballpark as loud as any venue can be.
Manager Kevin Cash went further, calling it the loudest crowd he has experienced in any ballpark during his time in the game. He praised Rays CEO Ken Babby and the organization for helping create the pregame buzz, then said he is eager to see that same atmosphere return Monday.
Schlittler’s road resume
A charged building may not be a problem for Schlittler. If anything, it fits the profile of a pitcher who has been at his sharpest away from Yankee Stadium, though he said he cannot explain why his home-road split developed as it did.
In addition to his 1.16 road ERA, Schlittler led the Majors on the road in WHIP, strikeouts, opponents’ on-base percentage (.206) and opponents’ OPS (.456). Cash said the Yankees starter’s complete body of work stands out, pointing to his strike throwing and pitch execution as traits of an elite pitcher.
The Rays have seen both sides of the matchup this season. On July 6 at Tropicana Field, Schlittler threw eight innings, allowed one run, struck out eight and did not issue a walk.
But Tampa Bay also pushed him in the other two meetings. In his first start against the Rays, on April 12 at the Trop, he allowed three runs and seven hits across five innings in a 5-4 Yankees loss. On Sept. 24 at Yankee Stadium, the Rays drove up his pitch count through three innings in what was largely a final tuneup before his strong American League Wild Card Series appearance against Boston.
The Rays are not expecting anything less than Schlittler’s best in the series’ second game, and they believe Peralta can match that challenge. After Saturday’s show of support, they also expect their crowd to give them another genuine home-field push.
Walls said the full third deck changed the feel of the dome, calling the energy electric and likening the scene to being at a NASCAR track. Schlittler may welcome the noise, but Tampa Bay made clear in Game 1 that this October crowd is prepared to make him earn the silence.
