Schlit’ happens.
The Yankees opened a crucial stretch in The Bronx on Friday, trying to make a late run at the Blue Jays for the AL East title and it began with a thud.
Cam Schlittler, the rookie who had provided a much-needed boost to the Yankees’ rotation after being called up in early July, delivered the worst start of his major league career in a 7-1 loss to Toronto.
The right-hander gave up four runs in just 1 ²/₃ innings, done in by a three-run, 40-pitch first inning as the Yankees fell four games behind the first-place Blue Jays in the AL East.
It was also the seventh time in their past eight meetings the Yankees have lost to Toronto, who improved to 8-3 against the Yankees this season.
“They’ve certainly had our number to this point,’’ Aaron Boone said.
And as solid as Toronto’s offense was, right-hander Kevin Gausman was dominant. He allowed just one run over eight innings.
Schlittler entered the game having allowed just two runs over his previous four starts.
He struck out the first two batters he faced and was a strike away from retiring the side in order in the first before Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled to left — his first of four hits on the night, matching the Yankees’ number for the entire game — and scored when Bo Bichette doubled into the corner in left field to give the Blue Jays a quick lead.
A single by Daulton Varsho and a walk to Alejandro Kirk loaded the bases and forced the Yankees to get Ryan Yarbrough up in what turned into a 40-pitch inning for Schlittler.
Nathan Lukes’ two-run single to right made it 3-0, as Aaron Judge tossed a throw back into second base gingerly in his first action in right field since returning from a flexor strain.
The second inning was rough for Schlittler as well, as he was unable to put hitters away.
“That’s a little bit who they are,’’ Boone said of Toronto’s lineup. “They drive nice cars, too.”
Schlittler loaded the bases with one out for Bichette and his sacrifice fly on a liner to center ended Schlittler’s night after 66 pitches with the Yankees down by four runs.
“Just because tonight went bad doesn’t mean he can’t have massive success against that group,’’ Boone said. “I don’t think he was that far off.”
Yarbrough entered and got Varsho swinging to limit the damage.
“The biggest thing is we’re playing a division rival,’’ Schlittler said. “You can’t go [1 2/3 ] innings.”
Yarbrough bailed out the Yankees and their bullpen, allowing just one run — a Guerrero homer — in 5 ¹/₃ innings in the lefty’s first outing since June 18, having been sidelined with a strained oblique.
Giancarlo Stanton gave the Yankees their first run in the bottom of the second with a one-out homer — a 418-foot, 112-mph laser — into the visiting bullpen in left-center. It was Stanton’s third straight hit that landed in the seats.
Stanton was the Yankees’ lone base runner against Gausman until Ryan McMahon walked to lead off the sixth.
And Yarbrough kept the Yankees in the game, but the lineup never got going.
They got singles from Judge and Stanton in the seventh, but with one out, Jazz Chisholm Jr. struck out and Paul Goldschmidt flied to right to strand the Yankees’ first runner in scoring position on the night.
Asked if the Yankees’ late arrival home following Thursday’s night game in Houston was a factor, Boone said, “It doesn’t matter. We’ve got to make the best of it and go out there and produce.”