Cam Schlittler is coming off one of the best games ever pitched. He threw 8 scoreless innings, struck out 12, and walked nobody. He did that against the Red Sox in an elimination game. Schlittler will face a taxed Toronto Blue Jays bullpen. The Yankees have an enormous advantage in this fourth game, and Schlittler should be able to feed off the Yankee Stadium crowd. How do you think Schlittler will do in this game?
Who Is Toronto Going To Pitch?
The Yankees scored 7 runs off the Toronto bullpen in the 13-7 Game 2 loss, and add in the 9 runs the Yankees scored last night, mostly off the Blue Jays bullpen. So, Toronto is going to have a bullpen game tonight, and fans wonder who is going to pitch. Blue Jays Manager John Schneider has said that Trey Yasavage, who blanked the Yankees in Game 2 for 5.1 innings, could pitch in Game 4 on two days’ rest. He’s better. Who else is going to pitch for Toronto?
It is a good thing for the Blue Jays that none of their key relief pitchers threw more than 20 pitches in Game 3. Everyone in the bullpen could be available, but then one has to think that relief pitchers who pitched in Games 3 and 4 will not be able to pitch in Game 5. It may not matter much, but the Yankees have hit almost all of the relief pitchers for the Blue Jays.
Cam Schlittler’s Fantastic Start
Schlittler set several records during his unforgettable performance, including the most strikeouts by a Yankees rookie in the postseason in franchise history, while also becoming the first pitcher in Major League Baseball history to record a playoff start of at least eight innings with 12 strikeouts, no walks, and no runs allowed.
Many fans were a bit surprised to see Schlittler emerge from the dugout for the eighth inning, his pitch count already at a career-high 100. Aaron Boone, the Yankee manager, had learned his lesson on pulling hot pitchers early when he pulled Max Fried, and the bullpen subsequently let in three runs. However, the first pitch he threw that inning made it abundantly clear that he still had enough left in the tank to get through the frame.
With a chance we could see Schlittler and Yasavage pitching at the same time in Game 4, the game could be a great one for baseball fans. That said, with Yasavage potentially pitching on two days’ rest, Schlittler and the Yankees have an enormous advantage. There is a very good chance the Yankees will win Game 4 and force a decisive Game 5.
Hitting Beachballs
It will be interesting to see Toronto slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Yankee slugger Aaron Judge go at it in Game 4. Guerrero Jr. is 8-12 in this series. Judge had a double, a home run, and a diving catch in Game 4. He is hitting .524 in this postseason. Both the Blue Jays and the Yankees have other good hitters, but these two make the world go round. The pitch that Judge hit for a home run was 99.7 miles per hour, and a foot off the plate inside. It was the fastest pitch in the Statcast era hit for a home run.
Conclusion
After seeing the Blue Jays blow their biggest lead in postseason history, and seeing the Yankees have their largest comeback in a postseason elimination game, we will see a reeling Blue Jays team and a rolling Yankee team in Game 4. No matter who wins this game, and Toronto could win, the game will be high adventure. If the Yankees win, Game 5 will be in Toronto on Friday at 8:08 p.m.
