Yankees

Yankees Reach 80 Wins Behind Schlittler Gem and Extra-Inning Explosion

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Yankees Reach 80 Wins Behind Schlittler Gem and Extra-Inning Explosion

AI Overview

The Yankees defeated the Los Angeles Angels 6-3 in 10 innings Wednesday, improving to 80-60 after scoring five runs with two outs in the 10th. Cam Schlittler delivered eight innings of two-hit, one-run, no-walk, nine-strikeout baseball and set a Yankees record with his 19th start allowing one run or fewer. Austin Wells broke the 1-1 tie with a two-run single, while Cody Bellinger went 3-for-5 with an RBI.

The Yankees spent most of Wednesday night wasting one of the best pitching performances they have gotten all season.

Then the 10th inning happened.

New York exploded for 5 runs with 2 outs in the top of the 10th, turning a 1-1 pitchers’ duel into a 6-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium and improving to 80-60.

And while the offense eventually delivered, this game belonged to Cam Schlittler.

Cam Schlittler Was Outstanding

Schlittler gave the Yankees exactly what they needed: 8 innings, 2 hits, 1 run, 0 walks and 9 strikeouts on 99 pitches.

That’s not surviving a lineup. That’s controlling it.

The Angels barely touched him for most of the night. Schlittler retired 20 of the first 21 hitters he faced, with Vaughn Grissom’s soft single in the 2nd inning representing the only damage during that stretch.

The Yankees finally gave him a lead in the 4th.

Paul Goldschmidt opened the inning with a single and Cody Bellinger followed with another hit. After Heliot Ramos lined into a double play, Ben Rice kept the inning alive with an infield single.

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Amed Rosario then drove a double into deep right field, scoring Bellinger and giving New York a 1-0 lead.

Unfortunately, that was basically all the offense Schlittler received while he was in the game.

Grissom tied it in the bottom of the 7th when Schlittler left a 95-mph cutter over the plate and Grissom sent it over the center-field wall.

One mistake. That was it.

Schlittler finished 8 innings with a 2.04 ERA and also made some Yankees history. It was his franchise-record 19th start allowing 1 run or fewer, moving him ahead of Ron Guidry, Whitey Ford and Jack Chesbro, who each had 18 such starts.

That’s some serious company.

Yankees Finally Break Through

David Bednar took over in the 9th and was filthy.

Bednar struck out Adam Frazier and Zach Neto, allowed a single to Mike Trout, then struck out Wade Meckler to keep the game tied. He struck out 3 in the inning and eventually earned the win.

Then came the 10th.

Amed Rosario began the inning at second as the automatic runner. Spencer Jones struck out, but Jose Caballero singled to left, moving Rosario to third.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. followed with a walk to load the bases.

After Luis Garcia Jr. popped out, the Yankees were suddenly down to their final out with the bases loaded.

This is usually the point where Yankees fans start preparing themselves for another wasted opportunity.

Austin Wells had other ideas.

Wells ripped a 2-run single into right field, scoring Rosario and Caballero and finally breaking the 1-1 tie.

And instead of stopping there, the Yankees kept going.

Bellinger singled home Chisholm. Trent Grisham followed with an RBI single to left that scored Wells.

Rice then punched another RBI single into right, bringing home Bellinger.

Five straight 2-out runs.

Suddenly, a game that had been tied 1-1 became 6-1.

A Win Schlittler Deserved

Michael Fulmer made the bottom of the 10th a little uglier than necessary when Moisés Ballesteros hit a 2-run homer, but there would be no collapse. Fulmer retired the next 2 hitters and finished off the 6-3 win.

The final score makes this look more comfortable than it really was.

It wasn’t.

For 9 innings, this was a fight between Schlittler and Angels starter Reid Detmers, who held New York to 1 run over 7 innings while striking out 8.

But the Yankees finally found a way to finish the job.

Wells delivered the biggest hit. Bellinger finished 3-for-5 with an RBI. Goldschmidt had 2 hits before Wells replaced him. Rice collected 2 hits and an RBI.

But Schlittler was the reason they were still standing long enough to win it.

Eight innings. Two hits. No walks. Nine strikeouts.

When your starter gives you that, you better find a way to bring the game home.

The Yankees eventually did.

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