Cam Schlittler delivered six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts to lead the New York Yankees to a 5-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Paul Goldschmidt hit a three-run homer and Ben Rice added a late solo shot as the Yankees finished their season-opening road trip 5-1. The performance marked Schlittler's second strong start of the young season.
New York, NY -- The 25-year-old right-hander Cam Schlittler retired the final 15 batters he faced, striking out seven over 6 1/3 scoreless innings on Wednesday. He permitted just two hits, none after the second inning, and touched 98.2 mph with his fastball despite a pitch count of 79. Yankees manager Aaron Boone praised Schlittler, saying, “He’s throwing the ball incredibly well. He set the tone for us.” Schlittler became the first Yankee to open a season with back-to-back starts of at least five scoreless innings and seven strikeouts, allowing three hits with 15 strikeouts and no walks across 11 2/3 innings total this year. He noted, “The biggest thing is just pitching with a lead, making sure I’m taking care of what I need to do, being efficient.” Paul Goldschmidt belted a three-run homer off Seattle starter George Kirby in the sixth inning, his first against a right-hander since last June. Ben Rice provided insurance with a ninth-inning homer off Cooper Criswell, reaching base safely in each of his first five games while hitting .412. Goldschmidt said, “I love the guys in this lineup. I love being a Yankee.” Seattle's Cal Raleigh drove in two runs with a single in the eighth off David Bednar, who closed the game despite loading the bases earlier. The Yankees have allowed only six runs in their first six games, the third-fewest in MLB history for that span. They return home to face the Marlins on Friday.
