Before his historic Game 3 start for the New York Yankees in the Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox, rookie pitcher Cam Schlittler made sure he didn’t let his emotions boil over.
Schlittler, who grew up in Massachusetts and rooted for the Red Sox during his youth, was aware that some fans had attacked members of his family on social media. Still, he advised those closest to him to let him respond on the mound, because he knew that’s where he would get his revenge.
“I texted my family 20 minutes before the game,” Schlittler said, per ESPN’s Jorge Castillo. “I said, like, ‘Hey, this is postseason baseball. It doesn’t matter that we’re from Boston. They’re going to get under your skin. Just don’t answer. Stay away from it. Don’t give them an edge. We’ll handle it after the game, whatever. And I’ll go kick their ass.'”
Schlittler did just that, pitching eight scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts to help the Yankees earn a 4-0 win over their arch-rivals and advance to the ALDS against the Toronto Blue Jays. He became the first pitcher ever to throw at least eight scoreless innings with at least 12 strikeouts and no walks in a postseason game, and his 12 strikeouts were the most ever in a winner-take-all situation, per Castillo.
Schlittler will have to bring a similar quiet intensity to the mound for Wednesday’s start against the Blue Jays, as the Yankees are trailing 2-1. The 24-year-old’s confidence in himself gives the team optimism that he will be able to help keep the season alive.
“I think he’s obviously confident in his ability, and he walks out there with some pretty good equipment,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “But he’s super matter-of-fact and expects to do well, [and] also is kind of accountable and over himself too. [It’s like], ‘Man, how can I pull something from that outing that needs to be a little bit better or build on something that was really good in that outing?'”