CHICAGO — Wednesday evening nearly belonged to Cam Schlittler, who was dazzling on the mound, making most of his outing appear untouchable.
However, despite such a promising start, the Yankees’ right-hander found himself grappling with disappointment as his stellar performance unraveled, culminating in a heart-wrenching 6-5 defeat against the White Sox in a 12-inning marathon at Rate Field.
Schlittler’s dominance was apparent early on, with just a single baserunner reaching safely due to a broken-bat hit in the fourth inning. Heading into the seventh inning with the Yankees enjoying a comfortable 4-0 lead, Schlittler issued a walk to Munetaka Murakami on a full count. His ensuing 98 mph sinker unfortunately plunked Miguel Vargas on the hands. An out later, Andrew Benintendi delivered a well-placed double down the right-field line, driving in the White Sox’s first run and signaling the end of Schlittler’s commanding night.
Reflecting on the game, Schlittler expressed his frustration over the walk, the first he had given up in three starts. “The walk there is frustrating,” he admitted. “I aimed for the inside against Vargas and hit him instead. They didn’t exactly earn it; I just handed it to them. It’s frustrating, but sometimes that’s just baseball,” he concluded with a rueful smile.
Schlittler, who impressively fanned eight batters while showcasing a sharper, more aggressive curveball, also lamented his pitch choice against Benintendi. This led to a discussion with Gerrit Cole in the dugout, reflecting on how crucial decisions and details can alter the course of a game.
“Shook [off] a pitch to Benintendi, didn’t execute it,” Schlittler said. “Probably had more wiggle room with the pitch Wells called. That’s on me.”
In the last few years, Aaron Boone has pounded the table for the Yankees to acquire certain players, including David Bednar and Alex Verdugo, both of whom ended up on his roster.
As another trade deadline nears, the Yankees manager is making his opinion known to the front office again with a few names in mind.
“Oh yeah,” he said with a grin, of course unwilling to disclose what those names were.
But Boone is keeping in touch with general manager Brian Cashman and his lieutenants, offering an occasional “thought bubble” as the Yankees try to wade through the uncertainty of which teams are selling and which players are actually available ahead of Monday’s deadline.
“At the end of the day, the front office has been working hard at this for certainly weeks, but it’s even years in the making where you’re evaluating other organizations, evaluating your own organization so you’re prepared to move when something potentially comes up,” Boone said. “They’re all down there [in Tampa] ready to do their thing and if something presents itself, then you strike.”
The daily Giancarlo Stanton non-update: He continues to run, according to Boone, but still not on the bases.
“He just needs to get to a level intensity-wise with the running,” Boone said. “You don’t need to keep asking. He’s running. When it gets really close, close to being in a game or something, we’ll let you know. It’s not there yet.”
Carlos Rodón was set to throw about 30 pitches across two simulated innings Wednesday at Double-A Somerset as he builds toward a rehab assignment and potentially rejoining the Yankees in mid- to late August.
The Yankees announced the Old-Timers’ Day roster for the annual game on Aug. 8.
The first-timers scheduled to attend are Dellin Betances, Todd Frazier, Adam Ottavino and David Weathers.
Notably absent were Derek Jeter, who only attended the event in 2023 when a game was not played (he has said he will not play in it), and Brett Gardner, who has not been around the organization at all since he played his last game for it in 2021.