Cam Schlittler boosts All-Star starting case with career-best 13 strikeouts in Yankees’ win
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On Friday night, it was the Reds.
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AdvertisementAdvertisementNext month, it may be the National League All-Stars that Cam Schlittler is starting against.
The Yankees’ budding ace turned in a downright dominant outing Friday, striking out a career-high 13 across six shutout innings on the way to a 5-0 win over the Reds in The Bronx.
Lowering his ERA to 1.71 — the lowest by a Yankee through his first 16 starts of a season since Whitey Ford in 1964 — Schlittler added another highlight to his crowded résumé to start the All-Star Game for the American League. His biggest opponent Friday was his pitch count, as he needed 96 pitches to get through the sixth or else he might have kept going.
AdvertisementAdvertisement“He was feeling it tonight,” manager Aaron Boone said.
The Reds (35-39), who entered the night with the second-highest strikeout rate (24.5 percent) of any team, fell right into Schlittler’s hands as he became the first Yankee to record 13 strikeouts since Max Fried last September. The right-hander scattered just four hits (one of them a dropped fly ball by Jasson Domínguez in right field) while walking none as the Yankees (46-28) won for the 10th time in their last 13 games.
In the process, the 25-year-old Schlittler became the youngest pitcher in Yankees history to record 13 strikeouts and no walks in a game, according to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs.
AdvertisementAdvertisement“It’s been kind of tough the last couple starts, just been a grind, especially pitching in New York,” Schlittler said. “I haven’t done an excellent job over the past month or so pitching here. So it’s important to go out there and have a dominant start.”
Schlittler has spent the past few weeks working on his mechanics, getting down the mound without opening up his frame, and it finally clicked Friday. With a four-seam fastball that averaged 98 mph, a sinker that averaged 98.1 mph and a cutter that averaged 95.6 mph, his heat kept the Reds guessing all night long as he racked up 18 whiffs.
“We always expect to watch him go out and do something special, so it wasn’t very surprising,” said Ben Rice, who provided most of the offense with a three-run shot in the second inning.
AdvertisementAdvertisementSchlittler, who was not all that interested in thinking about a potential All-Star Game start next month in Philadelphia, at least acknowledged a social media post from Knicks star and freshly crowned NBA champion Josh Hart, who wrote, “Schlittly is the Cy Young winner hands down.”
“That’s a good thing to hear, Josh is a great guy,” said Schlittler, who has gotten to know Hart. “I’m pumped for him and the city of New York, just being able to finish that off. It’s great to have his support.”
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Jazz Chisholm Jr. led off the second inning with a home run and Rice capped it off with his 21st blast of the season to make it 4-0, giving Schlittler all the support he needed before Anthony Volpe added an RBI single in the eighth.
Jake Bird, Brent Headrick and David Bednar each threw a scoreless inning of relief to finish off the shutout.
Entering Friday, Schlittler’s regular-season career high was nine strikeouts. He surpassed that by fanning Eugenio Suárez on a 99 mph sinker to end the fourth inning, when he struck out the side.
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His overall career high was the 12 strikeouts he had in the AL wild-card series against his hometown Red Sox last October. But he beat that mark by the fifth inning, blowing a 98 mph heater past JJ Bleday for a three-pitch strikeout.
Schlittler’s night actually got off to an inauspicious start, when his first pitch was a sinker that ran in and hit Blake Dunn. But by the time he walked off the mound for the final time, he received a standing ovation from the crowd of 42,420 for his efforts.
AdvertisementAdvertisement“I think it would be pretty cool to see him out there pitching in the All-Star Game,” Chisholm said, “knowing he’s one of the best pitchers in the world.”
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
