A dream matchup in Bronx: Yamamoto to face Schlittler in G1 of twin bill
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NEW YORK -- The Dodgers and Yankees are playing two at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, with two dynamic arms set to face off in the first game.
With Los Angeles and New York playing a doubleheader after Saturday's game was postponed due to rain, the Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the Yankees' Cam Schlittler will match up in Game 1 on Sunday afternoon in the Bronx.
Both Yamamoto and Schlittler could be in the Cy Young Award mix by season's end, with the 25-year-old Schlittler emerging as one of the favorites in the American League coming out of the All-Star break.
"They’ve got a great lineup, great rotation, so they're definitely a top-three team in the league," Schlittler said of the Dodgers. "So it's going to be a good test for us, and I think we’ve got to try and step up to that hype and just kind of play our game.”
Yamamoto finished the first half 9-6 with a 2.85 ERA in 17 starts. The 27-year-old right-hander, who finished third in National League Cy Young Award voting last year and is the reigning World Series MVP, was mostly pleased with his performance so far, although he feels there is still room for growth.
“Overall, there's good outings,” Yamamoto said through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda. “And also physically, condition-wise, it's been good. And I hope that I can carry this into the second half.”
One of Yamamoto's best performances in his rookie season came at Yankee Stadium, when he twirled seven innings of two-hit ball on June 7, 2024.
Schlittler, who's in his second big league season, is 9-5 with an AL-best 2.05 ERA in 20 starts. This will be his first time facing the Dodgers.
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In just more than a year since making his MLB debut, Schlittler has already established himself as one of the must-watch pitchers in the Majors.
"I think I always have confidence in myself," Schlittler said. "I don't think I expected to be up as soon as I was, but when you get those opportunities, you’ve got to try and make the most of it, and I was able to do that.”