Yankees To Start Cam Schlittler Game 1 Of Wild Card Series

The Yankees announced their rotation for the Wild Card round against the Red Sox. Cam Schlittler will get the ball in Game 1, followed by Max Fried. Gerrit Cole will start the final game of the series, if necessary. Manager Aaron Boone teased the reveal this morning, saying he had spoken to both Schlittler and Fried but wasn’t ready to share the decision publicly (h/t Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). New York’s rotation has been a persistent topic of conversation since the club locked up the top Wild Card spot. The speculation centered around Fried potentially starting Game 1 to afford Schlittler extra rest. Schlittler last pitched on Thursday and will be on regular rest for the series opener on Tuesday. Fried would’ve had a full week between starts if he went in Game 1. He’ll now pitch on Wednesday. As the top candidate to take home AL Cy Young honors, Schlittler is an easy choice to start the first game. He leads the AL with a 1.95 ERA across 33 starts. Schlittler has allowed one earned run or fewer in 25 of his appearances this season. It’s a truly elite campaign for Schlittler, who’s emerged as the ace of New York’s staff. Schlitter, a Massachusetts native, is no stranger to facing the Red Sox in the playoffs. He posted eight dominant innings against Boston in Game 3 of the Wild Card series last year. Schlittler struck out 12 in his postseason debut. Fried would’ve been a worthy candidate to draw the start on Monday. He’s notched a crisp 2.80 ERA over 20 starts. The lefty has dealt with injury issues, but he’s been solid when available. Fried matches up nicely against a Boston offense that ranks 29th in wRC+ against lefties since the start of August. Photo courtesy of Arianna Grainey, Imagn Images View Comments (0)