Cam Schlittler’s penultimate start before the All-Star break was his most important to date.
So facing the prospect of another loss, and losing more ground to the rival Tampa Bay Rays, Schlittler looked like the AL’s best pitcher again in the New York Yankees‘ 5-1, slump-breaking loss at Tropicana Field.
Schlittler allowed just four hits while striking out eight in eight innings, helping the Yankees win for just the second time in their past 10 games. He improved to 9-5 and won his first start since striking out 13 against the Cincinnati Reds on June 19.
The Yankees dealt the Rays their third straight loss and cut Tampa Bay’s lead atop the American League East to three games. New York (50-40) also won for just the fifth time in its past 18 games and snapped a two-game losing skid.
Cam Schlittler Dominated the Rays
Schlittler had lost two straight starts and was coming off his worst outing of the season. He surrendered six earned runs, and gave up four home runs in just four innings, while getting outdueled by Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal in a 9-3 loss.
The Rays also dealt Schlittler his first loss of the season April 12, which capped an early-season Tampa Bay sweep in its return to the Trop.
So Monday night’s outing was cathartic for the budding Yankees ace.
“Last week was tough,” Schlittler said. “It was personal. I wanted to go out there and have a dominant start and put this team in the right position.”
Schlittler allowed just one hit in the first four innings, and the Yankees managed to build a 3-0 advantage thanks to Jose Caballero’s two home runs against his former club.
“He’s always electric to play behind,” Caballero told Meredith Marakovits of YES Network. “He’s always getting ahead in the count and always executing, and it’s showing. It’s pretty cool to see.”
With the Yankees bullpen taxed after two straight disastrous outings, manager Aaron Boone let Schlittler match his season-long outing — duplicated against the Boston Red Sox on April 23.
“It was huge,” Boone said of Schlittler’s outing. “I’m not surprised he bounced back from arguably the toughest outing of his young career.”
Schlittler rewarded his manager by settling in after surrendering a run in the bottom of fifth inning. He didn’t walk a batter and surrendered only one hit over his final three innings.
“He was great. He was dominant. He was efficient,” Boone said. “It was a great way to get the road trip started.”
The Yankees Became the First AL East Team to Win at Tropicana Field Since 2024
Not only did Schlittler score a huge win, he also snapped the Rays’ record-setting start at the Trop against AL East opposition.
The Rays had won 16 straight games against the AL East at Tropicana Field until Schlittler and the Yankees finally snapped the streak Monday.
At 31-13, Tampa Bay has the best home record in baseball, thanks to its 12-0 start at the Trop against the AL East. Of course, the Rays swept the Yankees in April in St. Pete, but that started a run of four straight series sweeps against divisional foes at home.
The Rays, of course, played their home games at Steinbrenner Field, the spring-training home of the Yankees in Tampa in 2025.
Tampa Bay also swept its final home divisional series against the Toronto Blue Jays before Hurricane Milton blew the roof off the Trop in October 2024.
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