Cam Schlittler continued his dominance against the Boston Red Sox on Friday night, delivering another strong performance against his hometown team as the New York Yankees held on for a 1-0 victory at Yankee Stadium.
The Walpole, Massachusetts, native grew up a Red Sox fan, but he once again gave his childhood team little to celebrate. Schlittler allowed just two hits over 5.2 scoreless innings while striking out eight, helping the Yankees secure an important divisional victory in front of 43,476 fans.
The 26-year-old right-hander did not have his sharpest outing, issuing five walks to match his season high. Still, he worked out of trouble throughout the night and reached another significant milestone when he struck out Nick Sogard in the fifth inning for his 200th strikeout of the season.
Schlittler improved to 12-6 with a 2.09 earned run average. He entered Friday having allowed just one earned run across three starts against the Red Sox this season.
His performance also added to a postseason résumé that already includes a memorable outing against Boston. Schlittler struck out 12 and tossed eight scoreless innings in the deciding game of last year’s American League Wild Card Series.
The Yankees supplied Schlittler with the only run he needed in the third inning. Paul Goldschmidt launched a 430-foot solo home run to give New York an early lead that its pitching staff would protect for the remainder of the night.
Brent Headrick escaped a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning, while Cody Bellinger and Austin Wells combined on a key defensive play in the seventh. Bellinger’s throw home and Wells’ tag prevented Boston from tying the game after Wilyer Abreu doubled.
The victory moved New York to 76-58 and kept the Yankees four games behind Tampa Bay in the American League East. New York also extended its lead over Boston for the league’s top wild-card position to three games.
The Yankees and Red Sox will continue their series Saturday when they play a split doubleheader. Game 1 is set for 1:05 p.m., followed by the nightcap at 7:15 p.m.
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Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.