Listless Yankees bats waste Cam Schlittler gem in 10-inning loss to Braves

The Yankees had a chance to sweep one of the best teams in the majors on Sunday afternoon.

All they had to do was score two runs in nine innings, but it once again proved to be too tall of a task.

Trent Grisham’s solo home run in the eighth inning at least ensured the game got to extras, but it was the only bit of offense the Yankees could muster all day as they fell to the Braves 2-1 in The Bronx.

Michael Harris’ leadoff single in the top of the 10th was the difference, scoring the automatic runner off Paul Blackburn before the Yankees were unable to return serve in the bottom of the frame, going down in order as they squandered a chance to finish off a three-game sweep of the NL East leaders.

Offense was at a premium for most of the afternoon, as Matt Olson clubbed a solo shot off Cam Schlittler in the seventh inning before Grisham matched him by going deep off Braves reliever Didier Fuentes in the bottom of the eighth to tie it.

In total, the Yankees (66-52) tallied only four hits, two of which were Grisham’s.

Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. reacts after striking out in the ninth inning during a game against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, August 9, 2026. Jason Szenes for the New York Post
Yankees shortstop George Lombard Jr. (96) reacts after striking out in the seventh inning during a game against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, August 9, 2026. Jason Szenes for the New York Post

Nineteen of the Yankees’ last 25 games have been decided by two runs or fewer, and they’re 13-6 in those games.

Coming off the worst start of his season — when he lasted a season-low three innings and walked a career-high-tying five batters while giving up four runs against the Cardinals — Schlittler was dominant, striking out 11 and walking none across seven innings.

He had given up just one hit until the seventh, when Olson took him deep on a 2-0, 100-mph fastball that Schlittler left over the middle of the plate.

The only problem for Schlittler was that his offense could not figure out Braves right-hander Grant Holmes, who threw six shutout innings in which he gave up just three hits and two walks. 

Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) reacts on the mound after giving up a solo home run to Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson (28) in the seventh inning during a game on Sunday, August 9, 2026. Jason Szenes for the New York Post

Schlittler entered Sunday having pitched to a 1.10 ERA in 14 road starts this season but a 4.32 ERA in 10 home starts, which he acknowledged needing to figure out after his last start here.

He clearly did.

Schlittler struck out five of the six batters he faced through the first two innings, four of them on 100 mph pitches — two four-seamers and two sinkers.

The other came on a measly 99 mph sinker.

Jim Jarvis led off the third inning with a double, but never got any further than that, and the Braves did not get another base runner until Olson’s shot in the seventh.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled in the second inning off Holmes but the Yankees did not have another hit until the sixth inning, when Austin Wells singled and Grisham doubled with one out.

Ben Rice came up next and drilled a line drive to right field that hung up long enough for Ronald Acuña Jr. to run in and snag it, and Wells smartly did not try to test his cannon of an arm.

But Heliot Ramos followed with a strikeout, ending the threat.

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