Yankees' young ace Cam Schlittler made up for his All-Star snub with a 12-strikeout shutout of the Phillies in Philadelphia.

The young Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler took in every detail of the All-Star festivities. He had a prime spot for the Home Run Derby, waved to fans during the red carpet event, and even sneaked into the stands at noon to get his rainbow sprinkles fix.

The only thing he didn't do was display his pitching skills in the All-Star Game—and that was by his own choice. He saved the performance for today. At Citizens Bank Park, Schlittler threw 7.1 scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts, leading the Yankees to a 1-0 win over the Phillies, a strong start to the weekend series.

“I felt I deserved the chance to start the All-Star Game,” Schlittler said today. “Yeah, it was a bit disappointing not to pitch. But at the end of the day, it wasn’t something I could control. I knew I’d be back here in two weeks, so I was confident my opportunity would come.”

Paul Goldschmidt hit a solo home run off Jesús Luzardo in the fourth inning, accounting for the game’s only run. That also allowed Schlittler to join Sonny Gray (12 wins) and Gavin Williams (10 wins) as one of the few AL pitchers with double-digit wins.

Even though Schlittler has been outstanding throughout his year-plus in the majors, Goldschmidt couldn’t help but wonder what this performance could mean for the future.

“If he keeps this up, he could win a Cy Young Award, which would be great,” Goldschmidt said. “But I’m more excited to see his growth trajectory. Because when you’re at the highest level, you think about players who can dominate for over a decade. I think Cam absolutely has the mindset and the physical tools.”

Goldschmidt added: “In a lot of games, unfortunately, we haven’t been producing offensively, especially in the last month. The fact that he can still attack hitters like that when one swing can change the game—that’s probably what impresses me the most.”

Schlittler allowed only three hits, one hit batter, and no walks. In his previous start against the Dodgers, he went 4.1 innings and gave up three runs, with Dodgers hitters making him work hard—27 of his 98 pitches were fouled off. This time, the AL ERA leader (2.07) had a much easier time against the Phillies.

Trea Turner battled Schlittler for six pitches in the first at-bat before striking out. As manager Aaron Boone put it, it was a “tough battle.” From there, Schlittler “hit his stride.” He retired the first 10 batters in a row until Kyle Schwarber hit a deep double. Schlittler effectively used three fastball types mixed with a curveball, averaging 98.5 mph on his four-seamer and topping out at 99.7 mph.

“He uses his fastball to attack you on both sides of the plate,” Phillies manager Don Mattingly said. “I don’t think this guy gets hit hard very often.”

J.T. Realmuto singled in the fifth and eighth innings, the other two hits off Schlittler. This was his third career double-digit strikeout game and his second in the regular season. His career-high 13 Ks came on June 19 against the Reds, and he also had 12 strikeouts in Game 3 of last year’s AL Wild Card Series against the Red Sox. Schlittler said this outing wasn’t as easy as it looked.

“Their lineup is great,” Schlittler said. “They make you battle, and you have to execute the right pitches.”

Schlittler also had to fight through to the end. He left in the eighth inning with one out and two runners on. Reliever Brent Headrick faced pinch-hitter Edmundo Sosa, who singled to right field. Fortunately, Headrick, with precise throws from Jasson Domínguez and Cody Bellinger, managed to escape the jam.

“I think Cam pitched an incredible game, and my job was just to come in and keep the zero,” Headrick said. “It was crucial to help him hold on to the win.”

Schlittler was initially considered a top candidate to start the All-Star Game for the AL on July 14, but Blue Jays manager John Schneider ultimately announced he planned to send his own ace, Dylan Cease, to the mound.

“I had great communication with Schneider and the coaching staff, and I respect them a lot,” Schlittler said. “I felt like I got along well with them and the players. Schneider and his team did a good job of putting me in that position where I didn’t have to pitch.”

“I’m very happy with the result we got in Philadelphia, and the experience was great. But I’m even more excited to be here with these teammates and to try to deliver a great start.”