NEW YORK – Cam Schlittler has never hidden his affinity for "Star Wars." With Players’ Weekend inviting Major League Baseball to flash personality, the young Yankees right-hander couldn’t choose a team: his cleats honored both the Light Side and the Dark Side.
Then he went out and showed why the Force remains strong for one of the American League’s leading Cy Young Award candidates. Even without his sharpest stuff, Schlittler limited the Blue Jays to one run over six innings during New York's 3-1 win on Friday evening at Yankee Stadium.
Facing Toronto for the second time in as many starts, Schlittler had to battle a lineup that frequently made contact, spoiling pitches and frustrating the hurler at times. His workload climbed quickly, but Schlittler was touched only by Alejandro Kirk’s fifth-inning RBI single, scattering six hits in a 96-pitch effort (59 for strikes).
Supported by Spencer Jones’ arcing two-run homer that cleared the right-field foul pole in the second inning and a José Caballero sacrifice fly in the fourth, Schlittler walked three and struck out four. The four strikeouts were tied for his second lowest in any of his 27 starts this season; he had a June 2 start vs. Cleveland with just three strikeouts.