The New York Yankees dropped the series opener against the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday, losing 9-4. They dropped to 36-24, but are still just one game behind the American League East-leading Tampa Bay Rays and 6.5 games ahead of a wild card spot.
The losing pitcher for Tuesday's match-up was second-year starter Cam Schlittler. It was an unusual performance for the 25-year-old, who is in the midst of a very impressive season. He pitched 4.1 innings, allowing five hits, four earned runs and one home run. It is just his third loss of the season, sitting with a 7-3 record.
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It was an ugly performance for the right-hander, who has emerged as an ace in the Yankees' rotation. After the game, Schlittler spoke to reporters, giving an honest assessment of his performance against the Guardians.
"Just didn't have my stuff today, they made a good approach, made me fight a little bit, I just didn't have it," he said in a video posted to X by SNY Yankees.
This was the first game this season that Schlittler failed to make it through five innings, and the most runs he's given up in any outing. In 13 starts this year, he's recorded 76.1 innings, a 1.89 ERA, a .860 WHIP, 2.9 WAR and an opponent slash line of .191/.229/.285.
While this serves as a low point for any otherwise great season, he is still viewed as one of MLB's top pitchers. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, he still has the best odds (+210) of winning the AL Cy Young Award.
Following the loss to the Guardians, Schlittler is focused on moving on. He has the opportunity to bounce back in a big way, with FanGraphs listing him as the probable starter when the Yankees take on the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.
