Goldy HR & Yank D Back Schlittler & the Pen. NY 1 Boston 0

August 29, 2026 paperbacklou 2026 0
Paul Goldschmidt hits solo HR in 3rd that stood up for a 1-0 win.

The Yankees got 3 hits — and won 1-0 because one of those hits was a solo HR by Paul Goldschmidt that backed a shutout thrown by Cam Schlittler and the Yankee bullpen — for a 1-0 win over the Red Sox in the Bronx on a beautiful Friday night.

The game came to a nexus twice — in the 6th inning Boston loaded the bases with 2 outs against Brent Headrick, who had relieved Schlittler with 2 outs and a runner on but walked a batter and allowed an infield hit. Headrick through 8 straight 95-MPH four-seam fastballs to Andruw Monasterio, who fouled off a 3-2 pitch before hitting a line drive to right center that was caught by Heliot Ramos.

In the 7th inning, Boston had 2nd and 3rd with 1 out against Paul Blackburn — and made a bid to tie the game when Willson Contreras hit a medium fly to left — but Cody Bellinger threw a 97-MPH fastball to home to just barely nab Ceddanne Rafaela at the plate — with Austin Wells the great catch and tag — for a double play!

The Yank Defense aided and abetted all night:

  • George Lombard Jr. — who had made an error in each of the last 6 games — instead made a tremendous play in the 8th to just nail Durbin on a grounder in the hole.
  • Trent Grisham made 2 fine catches in centerfield — a terrific catch at the wall in right center in the 1st, and a catch of a shallow line-drive in the 5th that he turned into a double play — doubling off the Rafaela at 1st.

David Bednar wrapped up with yet another non-agita, 1-2-3 save in the 9th — making Paul Goldschmidt’s HR in the 3rd inning stand up for the win.

“Great win,” said manager Aaron Boone afterwards. “Cam obviously ends up walking 5 but his stuff was really good; just had a couple of pockets where he lost the zone a little bit for the walks but otherwise was excellent. To hold the line there, 2 outs into the 6th and then the bullpen comes in and does their thing with some big defensive plays behind them. Goldy — that ties him with Johnny Bench so that was cool — and a no doubter — he stepped on that ball. And then Belli with one of the defensive plays of the year there.”

NY improves to 76-58, and remains 4 behind Tampa but are now 3 ahead of Boston. The Red Sox drop to 73-61, 7 games back.

1. Schlittler an Ace

This was a big game in a big series — the Yankees and Red Sox near neck-and-neck chasing Tampa in the AL East — with NY just 2 games ahead of Boston.

And Cam Schlittler took the mound and threw down, like Aces do. Like he did in the playoffs last year against Boston.

Schlittler threw 96-MPH to 101-MPH heat with his wicked 89-MPH curveball and 92-MPH cutter as off sets.

Schlittler didn’t have his usual control — he walked 5 batters; and that rose his pitch count. He left at 101 pitches with 2 outs in the 6th. His line: 5.2 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs, 8 K’s, 5 BB’s. He wins to go 12-6 2.09.

Schlittler was helped in the 1st when Trent Grisham made a terrific catch at  the right-centerfield wall for the 2nd out.

Schlittler was also helped in the 5th by Trent Grisham and Ceddanne Rafaela — Grisham who made a terrific catch running in to nab a potential base hit, and Rafaela who had gotten off 1st base so much that he was thrown out. Not a good look as there was a runner on 2nd — Anthony Siegler who had walked leading off the inning — and he got back in time.

2. Goldschmidt HR Puts NY Up 1-0

Boston threw 29-year-old, 6’3 lefty Pedro Sandoval at the Yanks. Sandoval has spent his career with the LA Angels and was signed by Boston this winter after missing all of 2025 recuperating from Tommy John surgery. Sandoval is 1-3 4.20 for the Red Sox this year, with 55 hits allowed in 45 innings — but he pitched much better than that.

Ben Rice hit a 1-out double off Sandoval in the 1st, and George Lombard Jr. worked a 1-out walk in the 2nd, but Sandoval worked out of those threats and had a shutout going into the 3rd when Paul Goldschmidt hit a 95-MPH sinker just over the wall in left for a 1-0 Yankee lead.

3. Sandoval and Bosox Pen Tough

After that Sandoval shut the Yankees out into the 6th — when he got in trouble — allowing a leadoff single to Ben Rice, then walked Heliot Ramos and Trent Grisham to load the bases with 1 out.

Former Yankee Greg Weissert (3-2 3.88, 51 K’s in 51 innings) came in and got George Lombard Jr. to line out to right, and struck out Jazz Chisholm Jr. to leave the bases loaded.

Tyrone Guerrero, a 35-year-old 6’8 righty — pitched a 1-2-3 shutout 7th for Boston, and Wyatt Olds, a 27-year-old 6’0 righty, pitched a 1-2-3 shutout 8th — keeping the score 0-0 and the Yanks with only 3 hits.

4. Headrick Escapes Bases Loaded Jam in 6th

But the Yankee bullpen matched that.

Schlittler got the first 2 outs of the 6th, then walked Caleb Durbin and was relieved by Brent Headrick. But Headrick walked a batter and allowed an infield single to White to load the bases with 2 outs.

Then came the 8-pitch at bat to shortstop Andruw Monasterio — with Headrick throwing 8 consecutive 95-MPH four-seam fastballs — and Monasterio fouling off a 2-2 pitch and a 3-2 pitch — before hitting a line drive to the gap in right that Heliot Ramos tracked down. PHEW!

5. Bellinger Rifle Throw Saves Run in 7th

Headrick got a strikeout to start the 7th in the 1-0 game, and was relieved by Paul Blackburn, who allowed a single to Ceddanne Rafaela and double to Wilyer Abreau.

With 2nd and 3rd and only 1 out — it looked like Boston was about to tie the game.

And Wilson Contreras obliged with a medium fly to left that looked like it would be good enough for a sac fly. But Cody Bellinger was in left — and he threw a 97-MPH one-hop Bullet home to just nab Rafaela, with Austin Wells making the great catch and tag.

6. Blackburn Terrific — with Some Help from Lombard

Blackburn pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 8th — keeping the score 1-0. He was helped by George Lombard Jr., who made a tremendous play on a hard grounder in the hole for the 2nd out — just nabbing Durbin at 1st.

7. Bednar the 1-2-3 Save

And David Bednar did his part with yet another non-agita save — a 1-2-3 inning in the 9th — foul out to 3rd, pop out to 2nd, pop out to shortstop for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401816702

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*