NEW YORK – Cam Schlittler treats walks with the same disdain he reserves for online trolls. And when the first batter of Monday night’s game trotted toward first base after four pitches, it signaled an evening that might not be headed in the Yankees right-hander’s favor.
Schlittler labored through three innings, exiting from his shortest start of the season trailing by four runs as the Yankees lost, 13-7, to the Cardinals to open a three-game series at Yankee Stadium.
Coming off consecutive sharp road outings against the Phillies and White Sox, Schlittler didn’t look sharp, serving up Alec Burleson’s two-run homer in the first inning.
José Fermin added a run-scoring double in the second inning and Nathan Church lined a run-scoring single in the third off Schlittler, who needed 83 pitches (51 strikes) to record nine outs.
It was the second-shortest start of Schlittler’s career. He lasted just 1 2/3 innings against the Blue Jays on Sept. 5, 2025, in the Bronx.
Schlittler’s ERA rose to 2.26 from 2.04 in the outing. He still leads the American League in that category, ahead of the Blue Jays’ Dylan Cease (2.41).