Yankees Hero Takes Aim At Red Sox Fans In Postgame Comments
In a matchup of rookie pitchers, Cam Schlittler outdueled Connelly Early on Thursday, leading the New York Yankees to a 4-0 win over the Boston Red Sox in the deciding game of the American League Wild Card series.
Schlittler was fantastic. He threw eight shutout innings, striking out 12 hitters and allowing five hits while walking just one. He handed the ball to David Bednar in the ninth, who shut the door to win the series.
After the game, the Yankees’ rookie took aim at Red Sox fans in his postgame presser.
“There was a line they crossed a little bit,” Schlittler said. “I’m a competitor. I’m gonna go out there and make sure I shut them down.”
It’s unclear if Schlittler was referring to specific comments, but notable Red Sox fan Jared Carrabis responded to the pitcher’s comments about his family converting to New York fans on Wednesday night.
Regardless of the source of his motivation, Schlittler showed up on Thursday. Fastballs accounted for 89% of his pitches. His four-seam was up 0.9 mph over his season average, while his sinker and cutter were up 1.5 and 1.7 mph, respectively. The combination kept the Red Sox from barreling up the baseball, leading to eight shutout innings and 12 strikeouts.
After the game, Schlittler took to X to take another shot at the Red Sox.
The Yankees will face the Toronto Blue Jays in the divisional round. Game 1 of the series is on Saturday in Toronto.