Cam Schlittler has made a habit of making life miserable for the Red Sox, and Tuesday night in the Bronx was no exception. In Game 1 of the Wild Card series, the Yankees ace backed up the talk and carved through Boston again, giving New York exactly the kind of opening punch it wanted.
Schlittler worked 6.1 innings and didn’t allow a run, striking out 10 while giving up only two hits and one walk. He needed 117 pitches to do it, but the damage never came. Boston managed just three baserunners before Schlittler’s night ended in the seventh, after Wilyer Abreu singled for the Red Sox’s second hit.
That outing didn’t quite top his Game 3 gem from last year’s Wild Card series, when he threw eight shutout innings, but it was still another command performance against New York’s biggest rival. For a matchup built around pitching on both sides, Schlittler set the tone early and never let go.
The pitch count told part of the story, too. Those 117 pitches were a career high, passing the 107 he threw last year in the playoffs against Boston. It was also the most pitches by a Yankees pitcher in the postseason since CC Sabathia in 2012.
Schlittler’s final start of the season against the Red Sox wrapped up the way so many of his outings against them have: with Boston stuck under pressure and Schlittler in control. Across five starts, he never allowed more than one earned run.
When Aaron Boone took him out, Yankee Stadium let him know what it thought of the performance. Fans broke into MVP chants for the right-hander who has become known for talking trash to Boston fans online and then following it up on the mound.
In Other News...
Giants Just Sent A Clear Message About John Michael Schmitz
The Giants added another experienced interior option this week, signing Kendrick Green to the practice squad after bringing him in for a visit. Green gives the team some flexibility because he has played both center and guard, and he arrives after being released from injured reserve by the Browns.
The timing is hard to miss, with John Michael Schmitz struggling through the first three games and the Giants clearly looking for help inside. Even if Green is starting on the practice squad, the move signals that the team is not standing pat at a spot that has become worth monitoring closely. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Face A Week 4 Problem That Could Derail Their Momentum
The Giants head into Week 4 with a chance to keep an encouraging start rolling, but the trip to face Arizona comes with the kind of injury and form questions that can quickly change the feel of a season. New York is 2-1, yet it has not escaped the early wear and tear, with Andrew Thomas among the key players dealing with injuries as the team tries to steady itself against a Cardinals group that has its own issues but has stayed relatively healthy overall.
Quarterback Jameis Winston adds another layer of concern for New York, given his recent struggles and the pressure that puts on the offense to avoid playing from behind. Arizona will be without starting cornerback Will Johnson, which opens a door for the Giants, but this still looks like the sort of game that can expose whether New Yorks early momentum is real or just a fast start that is vulnerable to the wrong matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Backfield Suddenly Has One Big Sunday Question
Tyrone Tracy Jr. was back on the practice field Thursday, albeit in a limited capacity, after sitting out Wednesday with a knee injury on the Giants Week 4 injury report. It was a small but meaningful step for a backfield that is suddenly worth watching closely as New York prepares for Arizona.
The return suggests Tracy is moving in the right direction, but it does not settle whether hell be ready to play Sunday. With Cam Skattebo also part of the equation, the Giants are sorting through their options at running back at a time when every practice rep matters, and the final answer may not come until later in the week. [Read more 🡒]