MINNEAPOLIS — Cam Schlittler knows what he is pitching for down the stretch.
The Yankees still have to clinch a playoff berth, which is likely to be a wild-card spot at this point, but then they can begin to think more about what their rotation will look like for that opening postseason series.
Max Fried and Carlos Rodón are the obvious first two starters, but if and when they need someone for Game 3, Schlittler has certainly put himself in the mix.
But pitching the way he did to close out his outing Tuesday — unable to make it out of the fifth inning after being staked to a nine-run lead — will not help his case.
“That’s obviously the goal [to pitch in the playoffs],” Schlittler said after the Yankees held on for a 10-9 win. “You’re not going to get those opportunities when you walk five against a team that’s not even in the race. Just got to be better with that and keep working over these next few starts.”
The rookie right-hander struggled with his command in the first inning, issuing a pair of walks that led to a run, but then retired 11 straight before running into trouble again in the fifth.
He got tagged for a two-run homer from No. 9 hitter James Outman, and then walked three of the next four batters, spelling the end of his start.
The five walks were a career high for Schlittler, who was known as a strike thrower while coming up through the minor leagues.
“Let up the home run and then tried to get too picky when you’re up [seven] runs,” Schlittler said. “It’s embarrassing, but you got to get in the zone, especially with that lead.”
Major League Baseball planned to have the Yankees and Blue Jays play two games in London next June, but that has been nixed because of scheduling issues with West Ham’s Olympic Stadium, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.
Aaron Judge started in right field Tuesday, marking the first time he has done so on back-to-back days since returning to the field from his right elbow flexor strain.
He had started back-to-back games once during that span, but there was a team off-day in between.
Giancarlo Stanton, meanwhile, was back at DH after entering the day just 6-for-51 (.118) with a .476 OPS in his past 15 games — including a four-strikeout effort Monday.
But he rebounded with a pair of singles and a sacrifice fly on Tuesday.
“I feel like he’s held up well, physically he’s in a pretty good spot and just a matter of him getting it rolling again offensively,” manager Aaron Boone said.
