PHILADELPHIA – Cam Schlittler savored everything about his All-Star Game experience. The Yankees pitcher enjoyed a front-row seat for the Home Run Derby, waved to crowds from the Red Carpet Parade and – at one point – even wandered into the field-level seating bowl to satisfy a midday craving for Dippin’ Dots.
Just about the only thing Schlittler didn’t do was show off his pitching form, and that was by choice. He saved that for Friday evening, striking out 12 over 7 1/3 scoreless innings as the Yankees opened a three-game weekend series with a 1-0 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
“I think I deserved that opportunity to start [the All-Star Game],” Schlittler said on Friday. “Yeah, it would have been cool. It’s a little frustrating, but at the end of the day, that’s not something I can control. Knowing I was coming back here in two weeks, I knew I was going to get my opportunity.”
Paul Goldschmidt hit a fourth-inning homer off Jesús Luzardo for the game’s only run, helping Schlittler join Sonny Gray (12) and Gavin Williams (10) as the American League’s only pitchers with double-digit victory totals.
As impressive as Schlittler has been over a year-plus in The Show, Goldschmidt can’t help but think about what performances like this could mean for the future.
“If he continues this, he might win the Cy Young, and that’s great,” Goldschmidt said. “But I’m really excited to see how he progresses, because when you’re at the highest level, you’re thinking about guys who are doing it for 10-plus years. I think Cam definitely has the mindset and physical tools to do it.
“There’s been a lot of these games where unfortunately our offense hasn’t performed, especially this past month. When one swing of the bat can change the game, to just attack like that, I would say that’s probably what has impressed me the most.”
Permitting just three hits and one hit batter without a walk, Schlittler bounced back from an outing against the Dodgers in which he allowed three runs over 4 1/3 innings, with Los Angeles making him work, fouling off 27 of the 98 pitches he threw.
The American League’s ERA leader at 2.07, Schlittler had a breezier time with the Phils. Trea Turner gave Schlittler what manager Aaron Boone described as a “tough battle” in the first at-bat of the game, a six-pitch battle that resulted in a strikeout, and then – as Boone said - Schlittler “really cruised much of the way from there.”
Retiring the first 10 batters before Kyle Schwarber’s deep double, Schlittler spotted his three fastballs and mixed in his curve, sitting 98.5 mph with his four-seamer and clocked as high as 99.7 mph.
“He bullies you a little bit with the fastball on both sides,” Phillies manager Don Mattingly said. “I don’t think this guy’s getting hit hard very often.”
J.T. Realmuto singled in the fifth and eighth innings for the other hits off Schlittler, who registered a double-digit strikeout total for the third time in his career (second in the regular season).
Schlittler’s career high is 13, set on June 19 against the Reds. He also fanned 12 in last year’s Game 3 of the AL Wild Card Series against the Red Sox. Schlittler said the assignment wasn’t as easy as he made it look.
“They’ve got a great lineup,” Schlittler said. “They’re going to make you battle, and you’ve got to make the right pitches.”
Schlittler also had to sweat through the end, exiting with two on and one out in the eighth. Edmundo Sosa greeted Brent Headrick with a pinch-hit single to right field, but Headrick escaped thanks to strong throws by Jasson Domínguez and Cody Bellinger.
“I think Cam threw a hell of a game, and my job was to come in and keep it at zero,” Headrick said. “Being able to get that win was big.”
Schlittler had been viewed as a front-runner to start the July 14 All-Star Game for the American League, but Blue Jays manager John Schneider instead announced he was planning to select his ace, Dylan Cease.
“I had a great conversation with Schneider and those guys, and I respect their coaches,” Schlittler said. “I feel like I got along with them really well, and the players as well. Schneider and them did a really good job of putting me in a position that hopefully I didn’t have to throw [in relief].
“I was happy with the result we got in Philly, and the experience was great. But I was more excited to come here with these guys and try to put up a good start.”