Yankees pitcher Schlittler sets a career high with 13 strikeouts in a single game, lowering his AL-best ERA to 1.71

New York Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler kept his game plan simple: unleash hot fastballs and see if anyone could hit them. For the most part, the Cincinnati Reds lineup had no answer.

The Yankees righty showed absolute dominance, tossing six shutout innings with a career-best 13 strikeouts, guiding the team to a 5-0 victory over the Reds. Schlittler's league-leading ERA fell to 1.71, further cementing his case not just for an All-Star selection but also for the starting role in the All-Star Game.

As reported by MLB.com's Sarah Langs, at 25 years and 134 days old, Schlittler became the youngest pitcher in Yankees history to record at least 13 strikeouts with no walks in a game. His 1.71 ERA is also the lowest by a Yankees pitcher through the first 16 starts of a season since Whitey Ford posted a 1.47 mark in 1964.

Schlittler's 13th strikeout came in the sixth inning, getting JJ Bleday to swing and miss, surpassing the 12 strikeouts he recorded in Game 3 of last year's AL Wild Card Series against the Red Sox.

Schlittler generated 18 whiffs on 49 swings, leaning heavily on his sinker (41 pitches), four-seamer (32), and cutter (20), while mixing in three curveballs. He allowed just four hits over six innings. After the sixth, with a four-run lead, he exited to a standing ovation from the crowd.

After allowing a season-worst five runs (four earned) against the Guardians on June 2, Schlittler has surrendered only two runs over 18.2 innings in his last three starts against the Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Reds, posting a microscopic 0.96 ERA.