TAMPA, Fla. — It wasn’t the perfect ending by any means, but it resulted in what the Yankees need most this time of year — a win.
After rookie righthander Cam Schlittler flirted with throwing the fifth perfect game in franchise history Wednesday night — and still ended up with a scoreless outing thanks to Luke Weaver escaping a bases-loaded two-out jam in the seventh — David Bednar allowed the Rays to pull even in the ninth on a two-out, two-run double.
But Giancarlo Stanton, who hit two of the Yankees’ franchise record-tying nine homers Tuesday night, hit a pinch-hit two-run homer off Pete Fairbanks leading off the 10th, paving the way for a 6-4 victory at Steinbrenner Field for a fifth straight win, though it required some tightrope walking by Devin Williams to seal it.
“He’s an animal,” Aaron Boone said of Stanton who, pinch hitting for Ryan McMahon, blasted a full-count, 96-mph fastball out to left for his 15th homer of the season, 11 of those coming in his last 22 games.
Stanton, for whom pinch hitting was never been a strength the first 15 years of his career, is 4-for-7 with two homers as a pinch hitter this season.
“The guy’s one of the most focused players I’ve ever seen,” Aaron Judge said of Stanton. “He was locked in. Doesn’t matter if he hasn’t had an at-bat all night, he’s going to be ready for his moment, and he came up big for us.”
Said Stanton: “Every pinch hit’s it’s own scenario, it’s own algorithm. You figure it out. As long as you’re prepared and on time…you can do something good.”
The Yankees (69-57), who trail the AL East leading Blue Jays by four games, start a huge four-game series against the Red Sox, whom they lead by 1 ½ games for the league’s top wild-card spot, Thursday night at the Stadium.
“Great road trip,” Stanton said. “[We’re] hitting the ball hard, hitting the ball in the air, hitting a lot of homers, timely hitting. Clicking on a lot of cylinders, so it’s good to take into the weekend.”
Trent Grisham and Austin Wells each hit two homers Wednesday, with Wells’ second coming after Stanton’s blast to make it 6-3.
There was more drama to come. Jose Caballero, inserted as a pinch runner in the eighth and stealing his MLB-leading 40th base, reached on an error later in the 10th and was called out at second trying to steal, oversliding the bag. The Yankees challenged, the call was upheld and Caballero was ejected by second base umpire Roberto Ortiz as the two passed each other, Caballero heading to the dugout and Ortiz back to his position at second. His ejection meant Boone had to put Stanton in rightfield, which he did not want to do.
“Can’t happen,” Boone said of Caballero getting tossed.
“I have to handle it better. I can’t get thrown out in that situation,” said Caballero, who received that exact message from Boone after his first career ejection.
The wild night wasn’t over.
Devin Williams allowed an RBI single to the first batter he faced in the bottom of the 10th, Bob Seymour, to make it 6-3 and Tristan Gray doubled to put the tying runs in scoring position. But Chandler Simpson, who broke up Schlittler’s perfect game with a sharp single leading off the seventh and now representing the winning run, struck out looking. Williams then struck out Yandy Diaz and Brandon Lowe for his 18th save.
Schlittler, brought up from the minors in early July and inserted into the rotation out of organizational desperation more than anything else, has impressed since Day 1.
But never more so than Wednesday night, his dominant outing somewhat overshadowed by the frantic final innings.
Featuring his usual high-90s fastball to go with a curveball one rival scout watching called “disgusting” and a darting cutter, Schlittler retired the first 18 batters he faced before Simpson’s single. The 24-year-old allowed just the one hit. Schlittler walked two batters later in the inning, leaving the bases loaded for Weaver, who struck out Hunter Feduccia swinging at a 96-mph fastball.
Schlittler, lasting a career-best 6 2/3 innings in lowering his ERA to 3.22, struck out a career-high eight in the 95-pitch outing (67 strikes) and walked two.
“The goal isn’t to go out there and throw a perfect game,” Schlittler said. “The goal is to go out there as a starter and go six, seven, try to get to eight innings and put the team in a spot to win.”
Erik Boland started in Newsday’s sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
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