Yankees relying on Cam Schlittler to even series against the Rays

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Cam Schlittler is likely to win the AL Cy Young Award and became an even bigger fan favorite in New York after saying he wants to be a “Yankee forever.”

All that matters right now is beating the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.

The Yankees are down 1-0 in the best-of-five AL Division Series after Drew Rasmussen dominated a lineup missing Aaron Judge in a 1-0 win on Saturday night. New York didn’t get a hit until Austin Wells lined a double with two outs in the eighth and was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple.

So, pressure is on the 25-year-old Schlittler to deliver in Game 2 for a young batting order that includes Ben Rice, Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr.

“Ben contributing a lot last year, me just kind of learning the ropes, and Spencer comes up and George, as well, they’ve taken advantage of their opportunity and they’ve been amazing since they’ve gotten up here,” Schlittler said. “So, it’s exciting to watch.

“I think the ability to adapt, play under the pressure, work hard. Those guys work hard. I would say I work hard. So the goal is to be a Yankee forever when you get drafted by them. So I know the guys are determined to meet that end goal, and they take it day by day and are going to put the work in to have the success out on the field.”

Schlittler was 14-6 with an AL best 1.95 ERA, striking out 239 in 193 2/3 innings over 33 starts. He threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and fanning 10 in a 9-0 win against Boston in Game 1 of the Wild Card series. Schlittler underestimated Rays fans at quirky Tropicana Field.

“I wouldn’t say there’s really too much of an away crowd here,” he said hours before the series opener. “I expect there to be a lot of Yankees fans. In some ways, you are, to an extent, kind of playing at home. I feel like the guys are excited to have that atmosphere here.”

Instead, a sellout crowd of 40,542 electrified the Trop, ringing cowbells, drowning out the Yankees fans and booing the opponent. Rays manager Kevin Cash called it the best ballpark noise he’s ever witnessed.

Tampa Bay will send Freddy Peralta to the mound against the Yankees, aiming to take a 2-0 series lead. Peralta was 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA in 10 starts for Tampa Bay after being acquired from the Mets before the trade deadline. He struggled in his first season in New York, going 5-9 with a 4.99 ERA in 22 starts.

“Obviously, I wasn’t in the spot I wanted to be when I talk about, like, how my numbers were over there,” Peralta said. “But this is baseball. Everything changed when I got traded. I said it before that I’ve been treated here as a king, and I feel really good about it. They’re working me really well here.”

Peralta credited pitching coach Kyle Snyder for his turnaround.

“The information and the way he communicated to me, it was the right way to do it,” Peralta said.

Max Fried threw six innings of three-hit, one-run ball in Game 2 vs. the Red Sox and lines up to start Game 3 at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night. Carlos Rodón tossed eight scoreless innings, allowing just three hits in his last outing against the Rays on Sept. 22.

“It will be one or the other. We’re still working through that,” Boone said Sunday. “Kind of depends maybe a little bit how these games unfold and how we want to make guys available.”

All-Star right-hander Nick Martinez (15-6, 3.10 ERA) likely will start Game 3 for the Rays.

Judge, who was left off the roster while he tries to work his way back from a calf injury that has sidelined him since Sept. 16, resumed running on Sunday when the Yankees worked out at their spring training home – George Steinbrenner Field –- across the bay in Tampa.

“He didn’t run yesterday. He was off from running, so I know he’s running again today,” Boone said. “I think we’ll get some live in. So just another work day, trying to stack another good day and, obviously, continue to heal up.”

The three-time AL MVP was limited to 66 games this season after missing a few months with a fractured rib.

Rasmussen’s impressive performance gave the Rays’ bullpen even more rest.

Cash only used closer Bryan Baker, who finished the masterpiece with a 1-2-3 ninth. Tampa Bay’s relievers have been off for a week because the 98-win Rays earned the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye.

“We’re in a pretty good spot,” Cash said. “Everybody is fresh, and I think probably that much more as the bullpen now kind of chomping at the bit to get in there and contribute.”

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