Schlitzer Struggles in First Start After All-Star Game

Cam Schlitzer didn’t pitch during the All-Star Game, but his return to the mound featured a well-known lineup that was anything but easy to handle.

The Yankees star, although not quite on target, displayed flashes of brilliance amid challenges, as the Dodgers ultimately fell 8-2 in the opening game of a Sunday doubleheader, with Schlitzer exiting in the fifth inning.

With a personal record of 20 strikeouts, he hit a noteworthy mark but still threw 98 pitches over just 4 1/3 innings. The Dodgers kept him on his toes, managing to foul off 27 pitches—16 of those coming with two strikes—and scoring three runs along the way.

“Not getting through the fifth inning, that’s really frustrating. That’s probably the most disappointing part,” Schlitzer remarked.

“Sure, I racked up the strikeouts, but if you can’t put together a solid game, it doesn’t matter. They kept making me work.”

Schlitzer opened strong, striking out the side in the first inning after delivering a 100-mph fastball that caught Shohei Ohtani off guard and also fanning both Andy Pages and Freddie Freeman with strong pitches.

Yet, by the second inning, the Dodgers started to escalate the pitch count significantly. One particularly notable moment was Max Muncy’s deep pop fly that led to a double, while teammates like Max Shuman and Jazz Chisholm Jr. struggled with the sun glare.

In the third inning, Ohtani smashed a 111.1 mph RBI double, putting the Dodgers on the board with a 1-0 lead. Before the inning concluded, Freddie Freeman added another run, extending the lead to 2-0.

Despite that setback, Schlitzer kept pushing through, racking up three more strikeouts in the fourth inning before going into the fifth. He faced Tommy Edman and managed to strike him out with an 0-for-2 fastball. However, Edman later scored on Page’s double to the right field line, leading to Schlitzer’s exit and leaving the game with a 3-1 deficit.

The first game of the doubleheader didn’t go as planned for the Yankees.

“They were taking good swings on pretty much everything,” catcher Ali Sanchez commented.

Although Schlitzer’s 20 strikeouts were a new personal high, the Dodgers’ persistence made it challenging for him to replicate his past successes.

“I thought Cam did well, but they were tough today,” Manager Aaron Boone reflected. “He had plenty of strikeouts but found himself in a lot of deep counts. They extended their at-bats, and that took a toll on him. I thought he was on point, but those lengthy battles kept him from going deeper.”