PHILADELPHIA — The New York Yankees leaned on seven-plus dominant innings from Cam Schlittler to keep the Phillies checked. A fourth-inning home run from Paul Goldschmidt sealed the 1-0 win at Citizens Bank Park over a real postseason contender.
The win pushed the Yankees to four victories in their last five games. That Yankees run has been built almost entirely on pitching. It also framed the problem gnawing at manager Aaron Boone. The offense keeps vanishing, and the margin for error keeps shrinking.
Since June 18, only the Mariners have scored fewer runs than the Yankees. New York has topped three runs just once in its last seven games. The lineup managed three hits on Friday, and one of them cleared the wall.
A shutout the Yankees had not managed against Philadelphia in 76 years
Here is what got lost in another quiet night at the plate. The 1-0 final was the first time the Yankees blanked the Phillies by that score since Game 1 of the 1950 World Series. Vic Raschi spun a two-hit shutout at Philadelphia’s Shibe Park on Oct. 4, 1950, in a Series the Yankees swept. Friday marked 76 years since New York last won a 1-0 decision over this opponent.
The result also extended a rare stretch. The Yankees threw back-to-back shutouts while scoring no more than three total runs across the two games. New York had not done that since July 5 and July 9 of 1998, against Baltimore and at Tampa Bay.
Schlittler set the tone. The rookie right-hander struck out 12 over 7 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and no walks while hitting one batter. He threw 68 of his 99 pitches for strikes and lowered his ERA to 2.07, the best mark in the American League. The 12 strikeouts were one shy of his career high of 13, set June 19 against the Reds.
The Yankees rookie retired the first 10 hitters before Kyle Schwarber doubled. He sat at 98.5 mph with his four-seam fastball and touched 99.7. J.T. Realmuto collected two of the three hits against him.
Schlittler keeps his cool in a duel he knew would be tight
Schlittler was matched against Phillies left-hander Jesus Luzardo, who struck out nine over seven innings and gave up only Goldschmidt’s homer. The rookie understood from the outset that runs would be scarce, and that holding a one-run lead would demand precision.
“Being able to keep that a 1-0 game, that’s a good feeling,” Schlittler said. “Luzardo is a great pitcher. They got a great offense. Philly is a great environment to play in, and you just gotta go out there and do your job. Don’t treat it any differently, and you know it’s probably going to be a close game.”
Boone placed the pitchers duel near the top of what he has seen.
“That’s about as well pitched a game as you’re going to see both sides,” Boone said.
The Phillies pushed back late. Schlittler left with two on and one out in the eighth after grazing Gabriel Rincones Jr. Left-hander Brent Headrick took over and gave up a single to pinch-hitter Edmundo Sosa that loaded the bases. Headrick then coaxed a lineout from Trea Turner and a groundout from Schwarber to escape without damage. He admitted the escape was not smooth.
“It was tough,” Headrick said. “I don’t feel like I executed some pitches that I wanted to, so I really had to bear down. I think at the end, it came through when we needed it and got out of it.”
Defense, deep bullpen keep Yankees afloat
The eighth-inning stand hinged on the glove work behind Headrick. Strong throws from Jasson Dominguez and Cody Bellinger kept Realmuto pinned at third and snuffed the threat. Bellinger later robbed Brandon Marsh with a leaping catch in the ninth.
Yankees closer David Bednar handled the ninth for his 19th save. He struck out Bryce Harper, who went down on strikes three times in the game, then retired Marsh and Alec Bohm to end it.
Headrick has quietly become one of the most valuable arms in the Yankees bullpen. He carries a 1.38 ERA this season. His 52 appearances are tied for the major league lead, and his 44 scoreless outings pace all pitchers. Boone did not hedge when asked about his role in the pitching staff.
“He’s probably on the short list of guys who have been the best in the game that aren’t the full-time closer or whatever,” Boone said, “so he’s been huge.”
Schlittler (10-6) picked up the win. Luzardo (9-5) took the loss. The two clubs combined for 25 strikeouts, a sign of how little either offense could solve on the night.
The Yankees offense searches for answers with Judge still out
The lone run came from a hitter grinding through his own slump. Goldschmidt entered Friday in an 8-for-63 slide, with 24 strikeouts over his previous 19 games. He turned on a 2-0 sinker that stayed up and lifted it the other way for his 16th home run, an opposite-field shot to right.
Even after delivering the game-winner, Goldschmidt refused to spin the night as progress. The Yankees have gone consecutive games without a homer twice in their last eight, something that had not happened even once since late May. They have been held to six or fewer hits in three straight games.
“We haven’t performed up to the level we think we’re capable of and would like to,” Goldschmidt said. “We need to do better than we did tonight. Give Luzardo and their bullpen credit. We’re trying to do everything we can. The results definitely, offensively, have not been there the last few weeks and we know that. We’re not content with how we’ve played.”
The slump traces to the absence of Aaron Judge, sidelined since May 31 with a fractured right rib, with Giancarlo Stanton also out. Without them, hitters have expanded the zone trying to fill the void. That has left the Yankees pitching staff no room to breathe, a burden Schlittler, Headrick and Bednar carried cleanly.
A 38-year-old and 25-year-old form unlikely winning formula. The Yankees will need more from the lineup in the AL East race, and they will look for it Saturday in the middle game of the series.
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