Rookie righty Cam Schlittler was in a league of his own Thursday night, striking out 12 over eight goose-egg innings to carry the New York Yankees to a 4-0 shellacking of the Boston Red Sox in the series-deciding Game 3 of the American League Wild Card Series.
The 24-year-old's dazzling mound work not only helped New York claw back after a Game 1 loss, the first squad to stage such a comeback since MLB’s 2022 playoff expansion, but also immortalized him in Bronx postseason folklore.
Schlittler threw 107 pitches, 75 for strikes, and hit triple-digit velocity 11 times, topping out at 100.8 mph. He struck out two more batters than any other Yankees pitcher in a postseason debut and became the first pitcher in postseason history, rookie or otherwise, to throw eight shutout innings while striking out 12 and issuing zero walks.
The Red Sox were unable to advance a runner past second base against him. Schlittler’s performance aligned perfectly with the Boston struggles against high-velocity pitching, as Boston had been among the worst teams in MLB against fastballs exceeding 95 mph, particularly after September injuries weakened their lineup.
After the game, Cam Schlittler served some cold water to Boston fans with a four-word post on X (formerly Twitter):
“Drinking dat dirty water,” he wrote.
The rookie did indeed admit that Game 3 was “personal” for him, saying the Red Sox fans had crossed a line, but he let his fastball do the talking.
New York's offense erupted in the fourth inning, scoring all four runs against Red Sox rookie starter Connelly Early, 23, who became Boston’s youngest postseason starter since Babe Ruth in 1916. Cody Bellinger doubled into shallow right-center, and Giancarlo Stanton walked to set up Amed Rosario’s RBI single, giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. followed with a single, and Anthony Volpe’s RBI grounder extended the lead to 2-0. The inning concluded with Austin Wells’ grounder off first baseman Nathaniel Lowe’s glove, bringing in two more runs for a 4-0 advantage.
New York’s defense pulled its weight behind Schlittler, with Ryan McMahon making a gravity-defying eighth-inning grab over the Red Sox dugout railing, and David Bednar shutting the barn door in the ninth, letting no one sneak past second. The victory also helped the Yankees overcome postseason history against Boston, winning their second straight matchup after previously losing eight of nine meetings dating back to 2004.
Born and raised in Walpole, Massachusetts, and a former Red Sox fan who played at Northeastern University, Schlittler was called up to the majors on July 9 after Clarke Schmidt’s season-ending injury. He went 4-3 with a 2.96 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 73 innings before the postseason, earning the Game 3 start over reigning AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil.
Standing 6-foot-6 and known for his 100 mph fastball, Schlittler has fast become the Yankees’ glue guy in the rotation, plugging the hole left by Gerrit Cole’s Tommy John surgery setback.
The Yankees now move forward to clash with AL East leaders, the Toronto Blue Jays, in the Division Series starting Saturday.
