NEW YORK -- As a passing shower interrupted Cam Schlittler’s warmup on Sunday at Yankee Stadium, prompting groans as the tarpaulin was pulled across the diamond, the right-hander viewed it as something close to helpful.
He’d been running about two minutes behind in his pregame preparation.
Once the skies cleared, Schlittler was caught up and ready, flashing the mechanical adjustments he made this past week in the Yankees’ 6-1 victory over the Red Sox.
“I think the velo was there,” Schlittler said. “The movement was a little bit better. I was still a little sloppy with strike percentage [63%], but definitely better than last week. That’s all I can really take from that, and hopefully it improves next week as well.”
Schlittler carried a shutout bid into his 92nd and final pitch, bouncing back with a 5 2/3-inning no-decision after the Yankees noticed his stuff seemed to dip a touch in his previous two outings. The mechanical changes, Schlittler said, were minor.
“Just staying tall with the leg lift,” he said. “I was doing some med-ball drills to try and find the direction down the mound. I wasn’t great today, but I’m definitely headed in the right direction.”
That’s a harsh self-critique for the 25-year-old, whose 1.87 ERA continues to lead the American League. It ranks third in the Majors behind the Phillies’ Cristopher Sánchez (1.46) and the Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski (1.50) among qualified pitchers.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Schlittler’s 2.38 career ERA is the third lowest by any Major League pitcher through their first 28 starts since 1913, trailing only Paul Skenes (2.14) and José Fernandez (2.19).
Matching up against Boston for the third time in his career -- and the first time at Yankee Stadium since his stellar performance in last year’s Game 3 of the American League Wild Card Series -- Schlittler limited Boston to four hits and a walk, striking out five.
Schlittler’s fastball was clocked as high as 99.5 mph, averaging 97.5 mph -- just 0.2 mph off his season average of 97.7. His cutter (94.3 mph), sinker (98 mph) and curveball (86.1 mph) all ticked up over his season averages.
“He was maybe a little crisper,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I thought he was spraying a little bit within at-bats ... He threw a lot of pitches, and probably more balls than he’s normally throwing. But I thought his stuff was good, and everything was a factor for him.”
One out from getting through the sixth, Willson Contreras barreled a cutter over Cody Bellinger’s head in left field. Bellinger played it off the wall and tossed to shortstop Anthony Volpe in shallow left field, whose relay throw home took catcher Ali Sánchez up the line.
“I know he’s probably a little frustrated he couldn’t finish off that sixth inning,” Boone said. “Contreras threw a really good at-bat on him.”
It was the 10th time in 14 starts this season Schlittler has permitted one earned run or fewer, including eight of his last 10 since April 17.
Those performances are a major factor in why the Yankees believe they’ll be able to weather Aaron Judge’s absence -- as one veteran talent evaluator put it this weekend: “The Yankees are going to be fine, because they can pitch.”
Schlittler subscribes to that notion.
“I’m just trying to go out there and approach all these starts to put us in position to win,” Schlittler said. “It’s tough to lose an MVP, but he’ll be back soon, and I expect the other guys will be able to come through.”