The 'Not Competing' Quote That Tells You Everything About Cam Schlittler's Lost Fastball

Holy smokes, folks, did you catch what's happening back East? While our Mariners were busy shutting down the Tigers 4-0 in Detroit, something wild is brewing up in the Bronx. Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler, a guy who's been mostly lights out this season, had an outing so off-kilter that he actually admitted his 'best stuff' wasn't consistently there. This dude, who's sitting at a 7-3 record with a 1.89 ERA, is coming off his shortest start of the year and is gearing up to face the Red Sox today. Seriously, what is going on?

Schlittler's Struggles and a Shocking Admission

You gotta be asking, what happened? Five days ago, Schlittler got shelled, giving up five runs, four of 'em earned, on five hits in 4 1/3 innings during a 9-4 loss to the Cleveland Guardians. For a pitcher of his caliber, that's almost unheard of. This was only the fourth time in his 27 career starts that he couldn't even get through five frames, and a mere seventh time he's coughed up more than two runs. But the real kicker? His own words. Schlittler straight up said, "I'm not afraid to admit that I was probably out there thinking about some stuff with the four-seam fastball. The mechanics just kind of got away from me a little bit there. I wasn't going out there competing. I was just trying to get guys out."

“Not competing”? That hits different, right? Baseball Savant even backed him up, showing his fastball averaged 96.8 mph, a full 1 mph slower than his average over his first 13 starts. Before this stumble, he was practically unhittable, rocking a 5-1 record with a 1.07 ERA over his previous eight starts. He even pitched eight strong innings against the Red Sox earlier this season, allowing two runs, one earned, in a 4-2 Yankees win back on April 23. And don't forget that Game 3 Wild Card Series where he fanned 12 Red Sox batters over eight innings for a 4-0 victory. So he *can* dominate these guys. He's gonna need to find that gear again, especially with starting catcher Austin Wells out with cervical headaches, meaning he might be throwing to Ali Sanchez or J.C. Escarra.

Boston's Road Warriors and a Power Surge

Now, let's talk about the Red Sox, because they're not exactly slouches, especially on the road. They're 10-3 in their last 13 road games and have dominated in the Bronx, taking six out of their last seven regular-season visits. They opened this rain-shortened series with a 5-3 victory, thanks in large part to Willson Contreras. That dude is absolutely on fire, hitting a two-run homer, driving in three runs, and extending his on-base streak to a ridiculous 17 games where he's batting .417, going 25-for-60. That's his second time this season homering in consecutive games, and it was the tenth time the Red Sox hit multiple homers this year, first since May 26 against Atlanta.

Interim manager Chad Tracy even weighed in, saying these homers "are coming more frequently and a lot of them seem to be like big variety home runs." He knows they're "game-changers." Despite having an MLB-worst 48 homers, they're clearly getting some pop when it counts. Their starting pitcher, Ranger Suarez, is looking for a bounce-back too, sitting at 2-3 with a 3.38 ERA and 0-1 with a 3.80 ERA over his last five starts. He gave up four runs and eight hits last Sunday, though he did strike out 10. He also got tagged for four runs against the Yankees back in April. This dude is ready for a redemption story himself.

So, Schlittler needs to find that lost velocity and bring the competition. The Red Sox, fresh off a win and with Contreras red hot, are definitely not an easy out. This finale, rescheduled after Saturday's rainout, is going to be a battle, pure and simple. Can Schlittler get back to form and prove his struggles were just a blip, or will the Red Sox continue their road dominance? Tune in, because this one’s gonna be spicy!

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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.