Schlit happens.
The Yankees opened a crucial stretch in The Bronx on Friday, trying to make a late run at the Blue Jays for the American League East title, and it began with a thud.
Cam Schlittler, the rookie who had provided a much-needed boost to the Yankees’ rotation after being called up in early July, delivered the worst start of his major league career in a 7-1 loss to Toronto.
The right-hander gave up four runs in just 1 ⅔ innings, done in by a three-run, 40-pitch first inning, as the Yankees fell four games behind the first-place Blue Jays in the AL East.
It was also the seventh time in their last eight meetings the Yankees have lost to Toronto, as they were dominated by Kevin Gausman, who allowed just one run over eight innings.
Schlittler struck out the first two batters he faced and was a strike away from retiring the side in order in the first before Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled to left — his first of four hits on the night — and scored when Bo Bichette doubled into the left field corner to give the Blue Jays a quick lead.
A single by Daulton Varsho and a walk to Alejandro Kirk loaded the bases and forced the Yankees to get Ryan Yarbrough up in what turned into a 40-pitch inning for Schlittler.
Nathan Lukes’ two-run single to right made it 3-0, as Aaron Judge tossed his first throw back into second gingerly.
The rookie has allowed nine first-inning runs in his 10 starts.
He entered the game having allowed just two runs over his previous four starts.
The second inning was rough for Schlittler, as well.
He loaded the bases with one out for Bichette having already thrown 62 pitches on the night.
Bichette’s sacrifice fly on a liner to center ended Schlittler’s night with the Yankees down by four runs.
Yarbrough entered and got Varsho swinging to limit the damage.
Yarbrough bailed out the Yankees and their bullpen, allowing just one run- a Guerrero homer- in 5 ⅓ innings in the lefty’s first outing since June 18, having been sidelined with a strained oblique.
Giancarlo Stanton gave the Yankees their first run in the bottom of the inning with a one-out homer into the visiting bullpen in left-center. It was Stanton’s third straight hit that landed in the seats.
The 418-foot, 112-mph laser made it 4-1.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. then struck out looking on a 3-2 pitch that appeared to be off the plate for the second out.
Stanton was the Yankees’ lone baserunner against Gausman until Ryan McMahon walked to lead off the sixth.
And Yarbrough kept the Yankees in the game, but the lineup never got going.
They got singles from Judge and Stanton in the seventh, but with one out, Chisholm struck out and Paul Goldschmidt flied to right to strand the Yankees’ first runner in scoring position on the night.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
