Cam Schlittler recorded 12 strikeouts with no walks and only three hits allowed over 7 1/3 shutout innings in the Yankees’ 1-0 win over the Phillies on Friday. It was one of the most dominant starts yet in Schlittler’s fantastic season, as the right-hander now has a 2.07 ERA, 30.5% strikeout rate, and 4.9% walk rate over 130 1/3 innings.
1. Skubal dominates amidst trade buzz
All eyes remain on the Tigers as the trade deadline approaches, and whether or not Tarik Skubal will be in another uniform after August 3. The Tigers are doing their best to avoid selling at the deadline altogether, as Friday’s 2-1 win over the Royals was Detroit’s 15th victory in its last 20 games. Detroit’s overall record is still only 50-54 but the club is 3.5 games back of the last AL wild card slot. If Friday was indeed one of Skubal’s last starts as a Tiger, he is going out strong, as the ace allowed one run on four hits and two walks over 7 1/3 innings, while striking out 12 Royals batters.
2. Miami’s swoon hits double digits
The Marlins haven’t won a game in over two weeks, as the team’s losing streak extended to 10 games with Friday’s 4-2 loss to the Padres. None of the 10 losses have been by more than three runs, adding to the Marlins’ frustration during a cold stretch that might sink their playoff hopes. This latest defeat dropped Miami back to an even .500 (52-52 record), and three games out of a National League wild card position. With the deadline looming, a Miami club who seemed like surefire buyers earlier this month might now be leaning more towards selling some pieces if things don’t quickly get on track. Eury Perez will take the mound today against the Padres’ JP Sears.
3. Rangers extend AL West lead
A big four-game series between the first-place Rangers and second-place Mariners got underway last night, with Texas earning a 5-4 win to extend its division lead to 1.5 games. Jake Burger went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, and Joc Pederson reached a personal milestone with the 1000th hit of his big league career. Texas now holds a 5-2 head-to-head advantage over Seattle, and getting to seven wins and clinching the season series may have massive tiebreaker implications down the stretch. Bryan Woo and Nathan Eovaldi are the scheduled starters when the series continues tonight in Arlington.
