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Cam Schlittler's Dominant Yankees Start Sparked by Red Sox Fans Who 'Crossed Line'

Schlittler made it his mission to shut the Red Sox down.

Tim Capurso

Schlittler became the first pitcher to record eight scoreless innings with 12-plus strikeouts and no walks in a postseason game.
Schlittler became the first pitcher to record eight scoreless innings with 12-plus strikeouts and no walks in a postseason game. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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It was personal for Cam Schlittler.

The Massachusetts native, who grew up in a family of Red Sox fans, pitched the Yankees into the ALDS with an utterly dominant performance against his hometown team at Yankee Stadium on Thursday night. Schlittler became the first pitcher in postseason history to record 12-plus strikeouts and no walks in eight-plus innings pitched.

And the masterful start, as Schlittler told reporters after the game, was fueled by online barbs from Red Sox fans.

"People from Boston had a lot to say before the game," Schlittler said, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. "For me, just being a silent killer, being able to go out there and shut them down—I’m from Boston. I didn’t like some of the things they were saying today. I was just making sure I was going out there and extra locked in."

Schlittler didn't want to specify what was said, but one thing was apparent: He felt what was said "crossed the line" and got him into the perfect competitive mindset.

"There’s a line I think they crossed a little bit," Schlittler said. "I’m a competitor. I’m going to go out there and make sure I shut them down. You know Boston fans. It’s just how it is. We’re aggressive back home and we’re gonna try and get under peoples’ skin. They just picked the wrong guy to do it to—and the wrong team to do it to as well."

Pitching with a purpose, Schlittler primarily used a mix of three fastballs—four-seam, cutter and sinker—to keep the Red Sox hitters guessing. His 12 strikeouts were the most by a Yankees pitcher in a postseason debut in franchise history, surpassing Dave Righetti and Red Ruffing.

"We needed to be perfect tonight, because he was perfect," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said after the game. "The stuff is outstanding. He was under control. That was electric."

And at the end of the night, Schlittler got the last laugh with a jab back at Red Sox fans, referencing the club's longtime post-victory song.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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