Cam Schlittler struck out a career-high 13 in six dominant innings as the New York Yankees blanked the Cincinnati Reds 5-0 on Friday night. Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a solo homer, Ben Rice went deep with a three-run shot off Rhett Lowder, and the Yankees turned th
NEW YORK — Cam Schlittler didn’t just settle in. He controlled the night from the first pitch, mowing through the Cincinnati Reds with a career-high 13 strikeouts in six overpowering innings, and the New York Yankees rolled to a 5-0 win on Friday night.
It was a statement performance in a season already forced to adapt. The Yankees improved to 10 wins in 15 games since losing Aaron Judge to a fractured right rib, and they backed Schlittler with timely power.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. led things off with a solo homer. then Ben Rice added a three-run shot in the second inning against Rhett Lowder. who finished 3-4 and couldn’t slow the Yankees’ momentum. Anthony Volpe tacked on a late RBI single as New York kept the pressure on and eventually closed the game out with a four-hitter.
Schlittler’s stat line read like a showcase: he struck out 13 for his first double-digit strikeout game in the regular season and improved to 8-3. Five of those strikeouts came on his four-seam fastball, which averaged 97.9 mph. He also had four strikeouts apiece on cutters and sinkers. The right-hander fired first-pitch strikes to 15 of 23 hitters and broke the mark of the 12 strikeouts he recorded over eight innings in the deciding Game 3 of last year’s AL Wild Card Series against rival Boston.
At 25 years. 134 days. Schlittler became the youngest Yankees pitcher with 13 strikeouts since Al Downing (22 years. 359 days) fanned 13 against the Chicago White Sox on June 21. 1964. He also became the youngest Yankees pitcher to strike out 13 without issuing a walk. All of it was built on command: 66 of his 96 pitches were for strikes. and he got his 10th strikeout when Eugenio Suárez swung at a 99.1 mph sinker to end the fourth.
Even when the game reached the middle innings, Schlittler didn’t let it loosen. In the fifth, he caught Matt McLain looking at a 100 mph fastball. In the sixth, he finished the work with a 98 mph fastball against JJ Bleday. He allowed four hits and exited to a standing ovation after stranding two runners in the sixth.
By the time the night ended, Schlittler had a 1.71 ERA, the lowest for a Yankees pitcher through 16 starts in a season since Whitey Ford posted a 1.47 in 1964.
From there, New York didn’t surrender the moment. Three relievers combined to complete the four-hitter, and the Reds finished striking out 17 times.
Cincinnati’s struggles have carried over during this stretch. The Reds were beaten for the 11th time in 16 games since losing Elly De La Cruz to a strained right hamstring. De La Cruz did get a milestone of his own after the injury: he hit a 441-foot homer in his first minor league rehab game for Triple-A Louisville.
For the game itself, Lowder took the loss, allowing four runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings.
On Saturday afternoon, Cincinnati will send LHP Andrew Abbott (4-4, 3.95 ERA) to the mound against New York RHP Will Warren (7-1, 3.47).
Cam Schlittler New York Yankees Cincinnati Reds Jazz Chisholm Jr. Ben Rice Anthony Volpe Rhett Lowder Andrew Abbott Will Warren Elly De La Cruz Aaron Judge fractured right rib