Rookie starting pitcher Cam Schlittler struck out 12 batters over eight shutout innings to lead the New York Yankees to a 4-0 win over the Boston Red Sox in the winner-take-all Game 3 of their American League Wild Card Series on Thursday evening in the Bronx.
Schlittler threw blazing fastballs all night, routinely hitting over 100 mph. His rising fastball in particular gave the Red Sox fits en route to a quiet night for the Boston bats.
The 24-year-old Schlittler was born and raised in Walpole, Massachusetts and went to school in Boston at Northeastern University. However, the former Red Sox fan became a member of the Yankee organization when New York selected him with a seventh-round pick in the 2022 MLB draft.
Schlittler got the call-up on July 9 after Clarke Schmidt suffered a season-ending injury. He’s fared quite well in the Bronx, going 4-3 with a 2.96 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 73.0 innings.
However, the pressure was immense in Game 3, with Schlittler getting the ball against his hometown team with a berth in the American League Division Series on the line.
Needless to say, Schlittler answered the call and then some, creating history along the way.
Schlittler stole the show, and he got some help along the way.
New York scored all four of its runs in the fourth inning. Red Sox rookie starter Connelly Early got off to a good start but ran into trouble in the fourth after allowing a hustle double to Cody Bellinger and a single to Giancarlo Stanton. Early then struck out Ben Rice, but Amed Rosario hit a single to score Bellinger for a 1-0 lead.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. then hit a single before Anthony Volpe’s RBI single scored Stanton for a 2-0 edge.
Catcher Austin Wells then smacked a ball off the glove of first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, scoring two more.
Schlittler did most of the work himself on the mound, but he got some amazing help via third baseman Ryan McMahon, who flipped over the Red Sox dugout railing to snag the second out of the eighth inning.
Closer David Bednar shut the door in the ninth, and with that, the Yankees moved on.
Needless to say, Schlittler was the story of this one, and fans, analysts and even a few ex-Yankees raved about his performance.
The Yankees will now advance to the ALDS to face the Toronto Blue Jays. Game 1 will take place in Toronto at 4:08 p.m. ET.
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