Yankees right-hander Schlittler starts finale against Red Sox after shortest outing

New York Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler starts Sunday against the Boston Red Sox after his shortest outing of the season five days earlier. Schlittler (7-3, 1.89 ERA) allowed five runs, four earned, on five hits in 4 1/3 innings during Tuesday's 9-4 loss to the Cleveland Guardians.

It was the fourth time in 27 career starts that he failed to complete five innings and the seventh time he allowed more than two runs. "I'm not afraid to admit that I was probably out there thinking about some stuff with the four-seam (fastball)," Schlittler said.

"The mechanics just kind of got away from me a little bit there. I wasn't going out there competing.

roster changes Boston counters with left-hander Ranger Suarez (2-3, 3.38 ERA), who allowed four runs on eight hits in five innings during his last start at Cleveland. Suarez is 1-2 with a 4.38 ERA in four career appearances against the Yankees. The Yankees placed starting catcher Austin Wells on the 10-day injured list with cervical headaches, leaving Ali Sanchez or J.C. Escarra as the likely battery mate for Schlittler.

Recent performance context Schlittler had been 5-1 with a 1.07 ERA in his previous eight starts before Tuesday. His fastball averaged 96.8 mph in that outing, one mile per hour below his season average through his first 13 starts. The Red Sox enter the game 10-3 in their past 13 road contests and 6-1 in their past seven regular-season visits to Yankee Stadium.

Boston won the series opener 5-3 behind Willson Contreras, who homered and drove in three runs.