Yankees star Cam Schlittler’s 1.71 ERA hits low not seen since 1964

It was a showcase performance at Yankee Stadium on Friday night as Cam Schlittler struck out a career-high 13 Cincinnati Reds hitters, leading the New York Yankees to a 5-0 win while lowering his American League-leading ERA to 1.71.

Schlittler’s 13 strikeouts surpassed his previous career best of 12, which came in Game 3 of last year’s American League Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox. In Friday’s start, he worked six scoreless innings on 96 pitches, allowing four hits and issuing no walks while earning his eighth win of the season (8-3).

With the performance, Schlittler’s 1.71 ERA through 16 starts became the lowest by a Yankees pitcher over that period since Whitey Ford recorded a 1.47 ERA in 1964. It also ranked as the fourth-lowest mark in MLB history through a pitcher’s first 16 starts of a season among qualified starters.

The right-hander became the youngest Yankees pitcher since Al Downing in 1964 to record a 13-strikeout, no-walk outing. At 25 years and 134 days old, he also set a franchise record as the youngest New York player ever to reach 13 strikeouts in a game without issuing a walk. He threw 66 of his 96 pitches for strikes and generated 18 whiffs on 49 swings.

Schlittler overwhelmed Cincinnati’s lineup, which entered the game as the weakest in MLB against pitches 95 mph or faster, hitting just .194 with a .305 slugging percentage. He relied heavily on his high-velocity arsenal, including a sinker, four-seam fastball, and cutter, which combined for nearly all of his strikeouts. His four-seamer averaged 97.9 mph and produced five strikeouts, while he also recorded four strikeouts each with his cutter and sinker.

Schlittler used the sinker on 41 of his 96 pitches, more than doubling its usual usage rate, and complemented it with 32 four-seam fastballs and 20 cutters, while barely relying on his curveball. The Reds hitters went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and were consistently kept off balance throughout his six innings.

Schlittler has now allowed just two runs over his last 18 2/3 innings across three starts.

Offensively, the Yankees provided early support with home runs from Jazz Chisholm Jr., who homered in his return to the lineup, and Ben Rice, who added a three-run blast for his team-leading 21st home run. Rice’s homer accounted for New York’s only hit with a runner in scoring position until the eighth inning.

The Yankees’ bullpen preserved the shutout with scoreless appearances from Jake Bird, Brent Headrick, and David Bednar, securing New York’s eighth shutout of the season.

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