Cam Schlittler carried the Yankees through six demanding innings Saturday night, then watched Arizona turn a late opening into a 5-3 walk-off win at Chase Field. The right-hander remained firmly in the American League Cy Young conversation despite a final line that included three runs, only one of them earned.
Schlittler’s strong work meets a late Arizona rally
- Schlittler opened the game in command, keeping the D-backs without a hit through the first four innings. Nolan Arenado finally broke through with a single in the fifth.
- A throwing error by Schlittler helped Arizona’s fifth-inning push. Jordan Lawlar followed with a two-run triple, but both runs were ruled unearned because of the mistake.
- The Yankees answered in the sixth when Heliot Ramos and Austin Wells went deep, putting New York ahead by a run.
- Schlittler then ran into an unusual patch of wildness, missing the zone on eight straight pitches. Geraldo Perdomo beat out a bunt single to fill the bases.
- Corbin Carroll brought Arizona level with a sacrifice fly. Schlittler responded by striking out the next two hitters, ending his night with the score tied.
- Michael Fulmer worked the ninth for New York, but Pavin Smith came off the bench and drove a walk-off homer to give Arizona the two-run victory.
A Cy Young-caliber line, even in defeat
Schlittler allowed three hits across six innings, walking three and striking out six. His season ERA stood at 1.94 after the outing, a mark that would put him in rare Yankees company if he can keep it below 2.00 through the finish.
| Pitcher | Innings | Hits | Runs | Earned Runs | Walks | Strikeouts | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cam Schlittler | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 1.94 |
Only Ron Guidry in 1978 and Spud Chandler in 1943 have completed a Yankees season with an ERA under 2.00 in the Live Ball Era, which began in 1920. Schlittler is chasing that kind of place in the club record book.
His consistency has been even more striking. Schlittler has now delivered 24 starts in which he has surrendered one earned run or fewer. Excluding openers, only Sandy Koufax and Bob Gibson have matched or exceeded that total in a season during the Live Ball Era: Koufax had 25 such outings in 1963 and 24 in 1966, while Gibson posted 24 in 1968.
The kid in the dugout, the pro on the mound
Between starts, Schlittler has become one of the lighter presences around the Yankees’ bench, known for tossing sunflower seeds and taking plenty of good-natured heat from older teammates. Aaron Boone said the rookie handles the teasing well and has become an enjoyable part of the room.
Once the game starts, though, Schlittler’s personality changes. Saturday was not spotless—his throwing error altered the fifth inning, and his command briefly deserted him in the sixth—but he still limited the damage and gave the Yankees a chance to win. The bullpen could not hold that chance in the ninth, leaving Schlittler with another strong outing on a night that ended with Arizona celebrating.
