The Toronto Blue Jays and everyone at Yankee Stadium had one question before Friday’s game: Just where is Cam Schlittler? The New York Yankees began a 10-game homestand on Friday, starting with the Toronto Blue Jays, and Schlittler was scheduled to take the mound for the series opener at 7:05 p.m., the scheduled time for Friday’s first pitch. Time went by, but Schlittler was nowhere to be found.

The delay had veteran pitcher Max Scherzer tapping an imaginary watch on his wrist as the minutes piled up. The broadcast cameras caught everyone, including umpires, managers, coaches, and players, impatiently looking toward the Yankees’ dugout. Jomboy Media shared a 56-second video capturing the frustration in the visitors’ dugout.

“Max Scherzer and the Blue Jays were getting impatient when Cam Schlittler wasn’t on the mound in time for tonight’s game,” Jomboy Media wrote on X.

The 25-year-old Yankees star pitcher kept Brett Bateman standing for a few more minutes before he finally came out. But once he was on the mound, there was no stopping Schlittler for the next 6 innings. During the Yankees’ 3-1 win, he only allowed 1 earned run and 3 walks to the Blue Jays. He fanned 4 hitters to take the win, his first since July 24.

However, the reason behind his initial tardiness remains unclear. The only thing different about Schlittler when he eventually came to the mound was his cleats. In honor of Players’ Weekend, Schlittler was rocking Star Wars-themed cleats on Friday. Maybe he was tying up his new cleats? Or couldn’t find them fast enough? We’ll know only when Schlittler tells us the reason.

It is unusual for starting pitchers to arrive late on the mound, and Schlittler certainly does not have a reputation for doing so. Hence, when it happened, fans were left speculating, trying to remember if they had witnessed a similar incident before. Those who were watching games in 1982 sure did.

The Atlanta Braves star, Pascual Perez, famously got lost while driving through the highways in Atlanta. On his way to a late-season game, Perez missed multiple highway exits and could not reach the Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in time. The Braves had to find a replacement starter at the last minute.

Fortunately for Aaron Boone, the Yankees did not have to face such extreme scenarios. Rather, Schlittler proved his worth again, as the Yankees won their fifth straight game.

Cam Schlittler-Spencer Jones duo lifts the Yankees over the Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays arrived at Yankee Stadium to play perhaps one of the most important series of their playoff push. But the New York Yankees handed them a defeat in the series opener, making their road to the playoffs even rockier. Following the defeat, the Blue Jays are now 1.5 games behind the final AL Wild Card spot.

On Friday, in the first inning, Cam Schlittler allowed a leadoff single to Brett Bateman and walked Alejandro Kirk, but escaped it unscathed. It took him an inning to get things under control, but then came the fourth inning, and trouble brewed once again.

Schlittler allowed back-to-back singles to Ernie Clement and Kazuma Okamoto, putting runners on first and second. Okamoto and Clement moved to second and third on Valenzuela’s groundout. But Schlittler stranded them on base by retiring the rest of the hitters.

The only scoring play the Blue Jays managed against the Yankees came in the fifth inning. Alejandro Kirk drove in an RBI single to bring Bateman home. After Schlittler left the mound, the Yankees’ relievers held off the Blue Jays’ lineup, limiting them to one run.

The Blue Jays outmatched the Yankees in terms of hits on Friday. To Toronto’s 9 hits, the Yankees recorded only 4. But it’s the Blue Jays’ 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position that made all the difference.

While the Yankees’ offense did not flourish, Spencer Jones’ second-inning homer gave the Yankees an early 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the fourth, George Lombard Jr. scored an insurance run on Jose Caballero’s sacrifice fly.

While the Yankees remain at the top of the AL Wild Card spot, they are now only three games behind the Tampa Bay Rays.