It is admittedly easy to find yourself questioning just about every single inch of the process that got the Cincinnati Reds to their current position in last place in the National League Central. It’s even easier to do so when they got outscored 34-1 across a two-game span (and allowed another 13 runs the following day).
Last place. A whopping -145 run differential.
The astonishingly bad decision to acquire Ke’Bryan Hayes last trade deadline, the use of funds on Eugenio Suarez and Brady Singer and the rest of the bullpen, the continued inability to develop hitters aside from Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart. Giving up Mike Sirota and a comp pick for one famished season of Gavin Lux.
The poor moves that have been made tend to add up in a hurry. That’s how a team ends up not only in last place, but projected to remain there if and when baseball actually gets to playing next year, too, through the looming lockout.
Despite all of that, it appears the Cincinnati Reds don’t have many plans to make changes. In fact, they’re leaning hard into the same continuity that has led them through an era of zero division titles, zero postseason wins, and more last place finishes in the division than one can remember.
So says Gordon Wittenmyer of The Enquirer, who reportedly earlier on Sunday that the Reds don’t appear to be intent on making changes to the group who’s in charge of making decisions on how to run this baseball franchise.
The Reds, who avoided a winless six-game road trip with a win over the Brewers Sunday, plan to maintain continuity with their front office management team. https://t.co/C5kBofdbLN
That means Nick Krall and Brad Meador are expected to still sit atop the hierarchy. That means that future Hall of Fame manager Terry Francona isn’t going anywhere. While we’ve not seen pitching guru Derek Johnson for months during the season, it seems as if the Reds would like to make sure he sticks around, too.
The Reds entered play on Sunday ranked dead last in defensive runs saved. They ranked third-worst in collective FIP (ahead of only the lowly Athletics and Colorado Rockies). They ranked fourth-worst in team wRC+ offensively at 93, just a hair above being in dead last – that’s 91.
Fielding, pitching, and hitting seem to rank pretty highly on the list of things baseball teams should try to do well if they’re intent on winning games. Fielding, pitching, and hitting are three areas where the Reds are either the worst, or nearly the worst, in the entire sport. And it now appears as if the same group who assembled this team from the ashes of the 2022 rebuild is going to get another chance to rebuild it in their image – or, even more shockingly, will get to run it back with no changes whatsoever.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 13: Josh Naylor #12 of the Seattle Mariners scores a run on a sacrifice fly by Jhonny Pereda #5 of the Seattle Mariners during the top of the fourth inning against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on September 13, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A’s 8, Mariners 7
The first winds of fall: Randy Arozarena, +0.43 WPA Falling on your butt: Andrés Muñoz, -0.49 WPA
Game Thread Comments of the Day
Like every Mariners fan, I’ve been having a lot of feelings about Rizzs this season, but we’ll be in good hands.
And a bonus GTCOD, a late entrant from the captain.
DYERSVILLE, IA - AUGUST 11: Kohl Franklin #48 of the Iowa Cubs waves to the crowd during player introductions prior to the MiLB Field of Dreams game between the St. Paul Saints and the Iowa Cubs at MLB Field at Field of Dreams on Tuesday, August 11, 2026 in Dyersville, Iowa. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Starter Kohl Franklin gave up a double to the first batter of the game and a single to the second one, putting runners on first and third. After that, he was nearly perfect. Franklin allowed a one-out sac fly in the first, but only one more baserunner on a walk the rest of his start. His final line was one run on two hits over five innings. Franklin struck out five and walked one as he picked up the win.
Gabe Klobostis entered the game with the bases-loaded and two outs in the eighth inning. He got a ground ball to first to end that threat. Then he pitched a scoreless ninth and took home the save. Klobostis allowed just a one-out single, but that runner was quickly thrown out trying to steal second. Klobostis struck out one.
Both Iowa runs came on a two-run home run by left fielder Jordan Nwogu in the second inning. It was Nwogu’s third home run for Iowa and fourth overall. He was 1 for 3.
Center fielder Chas McCormick was 3 for 3 and scored on Nwogu’s blast.
Connor Schultz only allowed one run on five hits over three innings, but that was enough for the loss. Schultz walked one and struck out two.
Knoxville managed just two hits in this game, both singles. DH Kane Kepley and right fielder Andy Garriola were both 1 for 4.
Knoxville finished the second-half at 35-33 and in second place, 1.5 games behind Rocket City. Their overall record was 73-64 after their first-half win. Knoxville will start the best-of-three Division Series in Rocket City on Tuesday. Games two and three (if necessary), will be in Knoxville on Thursday and Friday.
NEW YORK (AP) — Clarke Schmidt will be activated this week and will rejoin the New York Yankees as a reliever, 14 months after elbow surgery.
Manager Aaron Boone indicated the 30-year-old right-hander could return during a three-game series in Minnesota that starts Monday.
“This has been a long journey,” Schmidt said before Sunday’s Subway Series final against the Mets. “So a lot of anticipation and it’s probably going to feel like a debut when I go out there, but it’s going to be exciting. I’m ready to get back out there and compete with the guys.”
Schmidt had an internal brace procedure on his ulnar collateral ligament by Texas Rangers team physician Dr. Keith Meister on July 11, 2025, and was told recovery would take about a year. He had a 3.86 ERA in five minor league rehabilitation appearances starting Aug. 29. He threw 12 of 21 pitches for strikes and struck out three of four hitters as a reliever for Double-A Somerset on Saturday.
“I think he can be huge,” Boone said. “I think he’s throwing the ball really well. His stuff’s really good now right now. I feel like it has been for the last month. So I think he definitely could be an interesting guy for us down there and hopefully that’s the case.”
New York began Sunday second with a 3.16 bullpen ERA, trailing only Boston. Yankee relievers have thrown 527 2/3 innings, the seventh-fewest amongst the 30 teams and Brent Headrick is second to Toronto’s Mason Fluharty for the major league lead with 75 appearances.
“I think it will shake itself out as far as what the role is,” Schmidt said. “Obviously I’m a reliever so I think that how they use me in leverage or whatever the case may be, it’s going to shake itself out. I don’t think I’m going to be throwing a bunch of innings, like three, four, stuff like that and I don’t see myself probably going back to back, but I want to work myself into leverage and pitch in big scenarios and try to pitch as much as I can and help guys in big situations.”
Schmidt was 4-4 with a 3.32 ERA in 14 starts last season. He previously had Tommy John surgery in May 2017, a month before the Yankees selected him with the 16th overall pick in the amateur draft out of South Carolina.
The 30-year-old debuted in 2020 and made 27 of his 30 career relief appearances in 2022. He is 23-24 with a 3.82 ERA in 97 games for the Yankees and 5-3 with a 3.18 ERA and two saves as a reliever.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco’s Rafael Devers’ season is over and he may have surgery for a core muscle injury.
The Giants placed the first baseman/designated hitter and designated hitter on the 60-day injured list Sunday, ending his season.
Devers, who leads the team with 37 homers and 98 RBIs, is to meet Monday in Philadelphia with Dr. William Meyers. If a procedure is recommended, Devers would have the operation on Tuesday.
Devers had played in 309 consecutive games before sitting out the Giants’ 7-6 win over St. Louis on Wednesday.
“He battled with it the entire year,” Giants manager Tony Vitello said. “I think it’s something that has bothered him for a few years now.”
Devers homered in his last two games and had eight home runs with 20 RBIs in his final 11 games.
“I think he’s pretty geeked up about next year,” Vitello said. “His confidence in next year’s success gives me confidence.”
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Steven Kwan homered to lead off the game, Tanner Bibee had seven strikeouts in 6 2/3 strong innings, and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Minnesota Twins 9-2 on Sunday to pull within a half-game of the American League Central-leading Chicago White Sox.
The Guardians are one game ahead of Toronto, and have a 5 1/2-game lead over Minnesota, in the race for the final AL wild-card spot. Cleveland hosts the White Sox for a three-game series beginning Monday.
Travis Bazzana drove in three runs for Cleveland, including a two-run homer in the sixth inning.
Bibee (6-15) gave up just two runs on four hits. The 27-year-old right-hander had allowed 10 runs over 8 1/3 innings in his previous two September starts.
Minnesota All-Star Joe Ryan’s tough second-half continued.
Making his second start since coming off the injured list, Ryan (6-10) surrendered four runs on seven hits in four innings. He is 0-5 with an 8.48 ERA in five starts since the All-Star Game. He had given up eight runs on a franchise-record six homers allowed in a start against the Guardians on July 20.
Kwan sent the second pitch of the game from Ryan into the row of flowers in the overhang in right field at Target Field for just his third homer of the season. He finished a triple shy of the cycle.
Jo Adell added a solo home run in the third.
Kody Clemens doubled home Luke Keaschall in the third, and Trevor Larnach hit a solo homer in the seventh for the Twins.null
Up next
Guardians: RHP Gavin Williams (13-7, 3.78 ERA) starts Monday for Cleveland opposite White Sox RHP Sean Burke (8-7, 3.58).
Twins: RHP Dean Kremer (3-5, 5.65) starts Monday against New York Yankees RHP Will Warren (10-6, 4.05) to open a three-game series at Target Field.
TORONTO (AP) — For the first time this season, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has homered north of the border.
The 2023 Home Run Derby champion, Guerrero connected off Baltimore’s Trevor Rogers in the fifth inning of Sunday’s 8-1 win.
His 350-foot drive into the left field bullpen was his ninth homer of the season. It came in Toronto’s 75th home game, sparking a celebration in the dugout.
“It looked like it was a walk-off homer,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said of his team’s reaction. “Vlad’s our guy. It’s just nice to get that out of the way.”
Guerrero is batting .265 with 56 RBIs in 135 games.
With the sellout crowd of 41,805 cheering his name, Guerrero came out for a curtain call.
“Obviously it means a lot,” Guerrero said through a translator.
It was Guerrero’s 29th career home run against Baltimore, his most against any opponent. The hit would have been a homer in six of the 30 big league stadiums.
Guerrero had eight home runs in 18 postseason games last October as Toronto reached Game 7 of the World Series. Three of those homers came at Rogers Centre, including one in Game 6 of the ALCS against Seattle.
A six-time All-Star, Guerrero last homered in a regular season game in Toronto in a loss to Texas on Aug. 17, 2025.
Guerrero Jr. had his second four-hit game of the season Sunday. He nearly homered in his second at bat, lining a double off the wall in right-center.
In 29 games for Double-A Binghamton, Rojas slashed .280/.336/.593 with nine home runs and 29 RBI.
New York acquired Rojas from the Cubs in the Aug. 3 trade that dealt RHP Clay Holmes and LF Tyrone Taylor to Chicago.
With Chicago's Double-A affiliate, the Knoxville Smokies, Rojas slashed .270/.339/.461 while hitting 15 home runs and driving in 57 runs over 91 games.
"While his skill set does not scream future star, scouts I speak to look at Rojas as a high-floor player who looks the part of a future everyday player," DeMayo wrote. "It would not surprise me if the Mets gave Rojas a taste of Triple-A before the 2026 season ended. But even if not, he should begin the 2027 season with Triple-A and put himself in position to make his major league debut if/when an opportunity presents itself next season."
New York Mets' Brett Baty reacts after hitting a double against the New York Yankees during the fourth inning of a MLB baseball game on Sunday, September 13, 2026, in New York.
Brett Baty’s return to the lineup allowed for the only really good Mets swing against Cam Schlittler on Sunday.
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After the Yankees ace fired 4 ²/₃ hitless innings, Baty launched a double off the right field fence at Yankee Stadium. It was the only hit Schlittler surrendered over six innings in the Mets’ 2-0 loss.
Baty had missed the previous two games after departing with left knee pain Wednesday in Miami. He started at second base Sunday.
“It’s really kind of mean as a manager to give him two days off and tell him to go get Schlittler, after sitting with an off-day on the front side of that,” interim manager Andy Green said. “It’s good that he is healthy. It’s fun to watch him slide headfirst into second base.”
Over his past 15 games, Baty has produced a 1.101 OPS.
Nate Lavender pitched a scoreless seventh in his first appearance since his streak of 14 shutout innings to begin his major league career was snapped Wednesday in Miami. The left-hander allowed one walk and one strikeout. In his previous appearance he surrendered three earned runs and recorded only one out.
“He was right back to being himself,” Green said. “Getting lazy fly balls, getting above barrels a little bit and then just a relatively efficient inning. He’s a guy we’re excited about. He will continue to work. I wasn’t worried about him getting back on the mound after finally giving up some runs.”
Jonah Tong will be the third rookie in four games to start for the Mets when he faces the Orioles on Monday at Citi Field. The right-hander was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse last week and allowed four earned runs over five innings in a win over the Marlins.
The Mets will begin their final homestand of the season, with the Phillies (four games) following the Orioles into Queens.
The Mets split the season series with the Yankees. All time in the regular season, the Mets are 72-86 in the Subway Series. This includes a 21-27 record at the present Yankee Stadium.
Jun 3, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Fans give a standing ovation for Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (61) after his franchise record consecutive scoreless streak ends after a San Diego Padres run at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Earlier this week, we asked you to choose your preferred first round opponent for the Phillies. Your responses were this:
It’s not surprising that the Padres would be the choice. It has always felt like the Phillies have played them well, regardless of where it is. Were those games to come to fruition, it would likely be in Philadelphia where the Phillies have dominated them in the past five years, going 12-4.
Based on how they have been lately against teams that have winning records, it’s really not surprising that people would want to avoid the top tier of the National League until they absolutely have to.
MIAMI –– Freddie Freeman will be back out of the Dodgers’ lineup on Monday, manager Dave Roberts announced, after the veteran first baseman continued to look physically limited during back-to-back losses to the Miami Marlins this weekend.
Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers runs to first base against the Miami Marlins in the fifth inning of a game at loanDepot park on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Miami, Florida. Getty ImagesLos Angeles Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman watches the game from the dugout against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, in Los Angeles. Wally Skalij for CA Post
Evidently, those days off only did so much good. While Freeman insisted his knee was feeling better, he still suffered back-to-back 0-for-4 performances on Saturday and Sunday and committed a costly miscue defensively in the latter, contributing to a 6-4 walk-off loss.
“Just talking to him today, he said he felt good,” Roberts said, before countering: “Obviously, the swings don’t indicate that, don’t kind of validate that … The last week, it’s pretty obvious that he’s not himself in the box.”
For now, the Dodgers are still not considering an injured list stint for the newly-turned 37-year-old slugger.
As Freeman told the California Post on Saturday, he is hopeful continued treatment and medication will help the problem improve over the final couple weeks of the regular season.
And on Sunday, the team got a reminder of the risk it runs by trotting him out at less than 100%.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman tosses his bat after drawing a walk during the third inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Miami. AP Photo/Lynne Sladky
With the Dodgers protecting a two-run lead in the bottom of the ninth inning, Freeman was called into action on an Xavier Edwards grounder that forced him to range to his right. While Freeman fielded the ball cleanly, he had to then stop, turn and make an underhand flip back to first base –– ultimately misfiring on a lob that was too high and off-target for pitcher Tanner Scott to receive while still covering the bag.
It was a moment Roberts highlighted specifically in his postgame review of the team’s collapse.
“There’s a PFP that Freddie made an errant throw,” Roberts said, before later adding: “He’s obviously not moving as well as he’s used to [on defense].”
Thus, the Dodgers will try another day of rest for Freeman again on Monday. They will hope he feels better by the time he returns to action (or is at least scheduled to) on Tuesday.
“He’s doing anything and everything he can to prepare,” Roberts noted.
But so far, it hasn’t assuaged the growing concerns over Freeman’s health –– giving the team yet another critical question mark with the start of the playoffs just three weeks away.
Sep 13, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (5) celebrates with second baseman Justin Foscue (14) after scoring against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the fifth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Texas Rangers scored seven runs while the Arizona Diamondbacks scored six runs.
Back on June 30, coincidentally on the exact day the Rangers secured their last road series win before today’s victory, AJM wrote about how the Rangers being unable to grab an extra bag on base hits was hindering their run production.
After Texas went up 2-0 just two batters into the game when Corey Seager hit a monstrous two-run home run, the game settled in at that score until Josh Jung led off the top of fourth with a single and then scampered to second base on a Brandon Nimmo single and then went to third base on a two-out Ezequiel Duran single and then didn’t score because Elias Diaz struck out with the bases loaded.
In the bottom of the inning, two pitches after the Rangers had spent like 25 minutes getting three hits and not scoring, Gabriel Moreno hit a solo home run off of Cal Quantrill to make it a 2-1 game. It felt for a moment like we were in for a repeat of Friday’s loss — and many similar losses throughout the summer — where the Rangers failed to score with the bases loaded in a close game only for the opponent to pounce the next half inning.
Quantrill buckled down and prevented the Diamondbacks from getting anything else going and the game remained 2-1. However, something interesting happened the next inning. After an out, Justin Foscue reached on an error and then took off for third base on a Seager single and made it just before the throw. It was an aggressive play on the bases, one we haven’t seen very often.
It paid off. Jung followed with a single that Arizona left fielder Lars Nootbaar got nutmegged on which allowed two runs to score and Jung to reach second base. After an out, Nimmo singled in Jung to put the Rangers up 5-1. An inning after that, the Rangers added a couple more runs to go up big.
Quantrill ended up with his customary weekly quality start and though Tyler Alexander ran into some trouble in the seventh to allow the Diamondbacks to get back in the game, Robert Garcia was good for a scoreless inning before Jacob Latz escaped the ninth with a save to give the Rangers their first road series win since the first day of July.
There’s only two weeks left. Let’s go gambling!
Player of the Game: Seager finished the day with a team-best three hits and three RBIs while also scoring a couple of runs. The Rangers need their superstar shortstop to be a superstar difference maker in the season’s final couple of weeks and today was a good start.
Up Next: The Rangers have Monday off before beginning a series back at The Shed against the Boston Red Sox beginning on Tuesday evening.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 07: Logan Webb #62 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals at Oracle Park on September 07, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s series finale time, and for the last time this year, the San Francisco Giants are facing the San Diego Padres. The Giants are trying to avoid the sweep, after losing on Friday and Saturday.
There will be an MLB debut for the Giants, who called up Scott Bandura before the game, and placed Rafael Devers on the Injured List. Bandura will become the 67th player to play for the Giants this season, which is a franchise record.
Taking the mound for San Francisco is the face of the franchise, righty Logan Webb. The 29-year old three-time All-Star has made 26 starts this year, and is 8-8 with a 4.10 ERA, a 3.46 FIP, and 127 strikeouts to 40 walks in 155.2 innings. He held the St. Louis Cardinals to one run over six innings in his last start.
For San Diego, it’s veteran right-hander Nick Pivetta, who makes just his sixth start of the year. The 33-year old is 2-2 with a 3.43 ERA, a 1.48 FIP, and 26 strikeouts to six walks in 21 innings. In his last start, which was his first outing since a nearly five-month stint on the IL, Pivetta tossed five scoreless innings against the Washington Nationals.
A groundswell of sorts started at Yankee Stadium on Sunday afternoon, a few minutes after the Yankees clinched the finale of the Subway Series with a Cam Schlittler-fueled 2-0 victory over the Mets. Aaron Boone was asked just how valuable Schlittler has been this season, and Boone ate up the topic. Or at least the verbiage:
“I think valuable is a good word," the manager said. "He might be the MVP, too.”
Schlittler, who delivered six more shutout innings in beating the Mets, is the clear favorite for the AL Cy Young Award. The Yankees seemed mostly delighted to thrust him into the AL MVP conversation, too, and Schlittler’s dominance should at least factor into the voting by the Baseball Writers Association of America, which is announced after the season.
The last full-time pitcher – so, not Shohei Ohtani – to win an MVP Award was Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers in 2014.
“Why not give it to him?” catcher Austin Wells said of Schlittler. “He’s been the MVP of our team, for sure.”
It’s worth kicking around, considering he’s 14-6 with a microscopic 1.95 ERA, the best pitcher in what might be the best rotation in baseball. Schlittler held the Mets hitless for the first 4.2 innings Sunday and only surrendered one hit overall while fanning eight and walking two.
And it was easy to talk MVP Sunday, especially after Schlittler declared himself OK after getting blasted by a 111.5 mph comebacker off Bo Bichette’s bat in the sixth inning. The ball struck him in the right hamstring as he finished his follow-through. It was certainly a scare and, perhaps, a reminder that seasons can tilt in a single moment, but Schlittler said he should be able to make his next scheduled start.
“It’ll be a fun couple of days trying to get that recovered, but I think we’re in a good spot,” Schlittler said.
Schlittler said a couple of teammates came up to him to report the exit velocity on the comebacker. Schlittler said it was a bad pitch (a fastball) that he “didn’t execute it where I wanted to, and he’s a really good hitter.”
At that point in the game, Schlittler was at 94 pitches. Boone said the Yankees wanted to go shorter with him Sunday, so he may have come out without the comebacker. But Schlittler getting hit made it a “no-brainer” for Boone to call on his bullpen, which delivered three scoreless frames.
Schlittler had some long counts early, but used his trio of fastballs – four-seamer, cutter and sinker – to frustrate the Mets. They all come out of his hand the same way and his four-seamer brushes 100 mph, so he’s got enough velocity to leave hitters with little time to make a swing choice. And each of his fastballs has its own distinct action, which makes him a hellacious at-bat.
He also throws a useful curveball that the Mets swung at six times and missed on four. That arsenal has helped him to one of the biggest pitching seasons in Yankee history. Only Spud Chandler (1.64 in 1943), Ron Guidry (1.74 in 1978) and Ray Caldwell (1.95 in 1914) have finished a season with ERAs in Schlittler’s current neighborhood.
His 21 starts allowing one run or fewer, including Sunday, is the most in Yankee history and the most in MLB this year. Only one AL pitcher in the last 110 years (excluding openers) has had more – Dean Chance of the 1964 Angels, who had 22. He’s already got the seventh-most strikeouts by a Yankee (228) in a season.
Sep 2, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) throws against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
When the Yankee offense went through its tough times – sometimes it seems like they’re still in them, eh? – Schlittler was a constant at the top of the rotation. With him, MaxFried, Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón, the Yankees figure to be a difficult playoff opponent, especially if they start scoring more. We know Schlittler can deliver in October, considering his brilliant outing against Boston last year.
And he’s only 25 years old.
“He goes deep in games for us when we need him to, especially when the bullpen’s beat up at times,” Aaron Judge, the reigning back-to-back AL MVP, said. “We’ve been leaning on him a lot. It just continues to get better, and it’s just been amazing to see all the way back to the Wild Card (Series).”
Judge was asked about Schlittler and the MVP, saying, “he’s definitely pitching like an MVP.” But then he added, “You know, they got a Cy Young Award for a reason – best pitcher in the game. He’s got my vote, definitely, for the Cy Young.”
There have been 25 instances in which a pitcher has won an MVP Award, and 11 of those have come since the 1956 invention of the Cy Young. Houston’s Yordan Alvarez, who harbors Triple Crown dreams – he came into Sunday leading the AL in average and was second in homers and RBI – provides thorny competition for a Schlittler sweep of MVP and Cy Young. He’s not the only one, either.
Schlittler seems to have a sense of theater – he noted that all the Mets chants at Yankee Stadium when the Yanks got clobbered on Saturday were “a little frustrating… Just kind of want to make sure I came in here and kind of shut that down.”
So he sounds like a guy who’d probably appreciate the debate over the award.
When he was told of Boone’s suggestion, Schlittler said, “I don’t know. I don’t know anything about that. Great compliment… I always appreciate the kind words from him.”
Whatever happens, Schlittler’s been an enormous part of the Yankees' run toward a playoff spot – their Magic Number is one entering play Monday. And, as their best starter, he’ll be an enormous part of however far they roam in October.
And Schlittler really has had a helluva season.
He even leaves his teammates gaping sometimes. Watching from the outfield Sunday, Cody Bellinger marveled at Schlittler. “In the middle of the game, I was just being, like, ‘It’s unbelievable,’” he said.
“You know,” Bellinger added, “you don’t really get that too much."
Yankees ace Cam Schlittler strengthened his Cy Young case in Sunday's 2-0 win over the Mets, overshadowing one of Christian Scott's best starts this season.
The Mets' 27-year-old RHP allowed two runs on three hits while striking out seven and walking two in six innings of the team's Subway Series finale at Yankee Stadium.
Scott (4-5, 3.76 ERA) allowed two solo shots -- Ben Rice's leadoff homer and Austin Wells' third-inning blast -- but "was absolutely dominant" otherwise, Mets interim manager Andy Green explained.
"I think Christian Scott's really good," Green said. "He's getting better and better every time we watch him. I just mentioned -- it was a 315-foot home run that goes out of this ballpark and this ballpark alone (against Rice). We had a chance to do the same thing, we didn't, but it was his split-change that got lifted out -- it wasn't even necessarily a bad pitch. And then he got ambushed on a heater that got well out of the ballpark (against Wells).
"Outside of that, he was absolutely dominant. He matched Schlittler, pitch for pitch, at that point and time. But they did the damage on the home runs and Scotty, to me -- Cutter's getting better and better. The four really plays and just continues to grow his confidence and using his other pitches as well."
The Mets (69-80) enter the season's final two weeks with a stock-up pitcher in Scott as he winds down his first year back from September 2024 Tommy John surgery.
"I can compete anywhere versus anybody," Scott said of what he takes away from his latest outing. "Obviously, Cam threw a great game today. When you give up a solo home run and he goes no runs through six, it's tough to beat him. But I feel like, at the end of the day, I can go out and compete against anybody, put myself against anybody else's. So, especially a third time through, being able to get soft contact when I needed to -- exciting, to be able to take that into the next start."
"It's good to see him do it here," Green said. "I don't think there's a one of us that knows to guys that would've doubted they would do it here. Pitchers have bad games sometimes because they have bad games, but this park was not going to rattle either one of those guys. Don't see playoff atmospheres rattling those guys. Don't see anything really getting in their way from being what they can be -- and that goes to Nolan (McLean), too. Sometimes you just don't have your best game, but it's not a matter of handling pressure and handling environment. Those guys are wired to handle that stuff well."
Scott is set to follow Thornton again this coming Saturday in the Mets' four-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
"I feel like we're doing a good job building off each other," Scott said. "Learning from each other, really. I mean, Zach threw an unbelievable game (Saturday). When he goes seven shutout innings, I want to go eight shutout innings. So, being able to also take the challenge that each of us provides and we're obviously not going to be able to do that every time but be able to bounce ideas off each other -- I feel like we're a really confident group. Just being able to consistently do that at a high level throughout the whole season's going to be special."
