Schlittler strikes out 12 in
postseason debut as Yankees beat Red Sox 4-0 to win Wild Card Series
[October 03, 2025]
By RONALD BLUM
NEW YORK (AP) — Rookie right-hander Cam Schlittler struck out 12 in
eight dominant innings and the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red
Sox 4-0 on Thursday night to win their AL Wild Card Series in a
deciding third game.
Taking his place in Yankees-Red Sox rivalry lore, the 24-year-old
Schlittler overpowered Boston with 100 mph heat in his 15th major
league start and pitched New York into a best-of-five Division
Series against AL East champion Toronto beginning Saturday.
“A star is born tonight. He’s a special kid, man,” Yankees manager
Aaron Boone said. “He is not afraid. He expects this.”
Amed Rosario and Anthony Volpe each had an RBI single in a four-run
fourth as New York became the first team to lose the opener of a
best-of-three Wild Card Series and come back to advance since Major
League Baseball expanded the first round of the playoffs in 2022.
“It felt like the most pressure-packed game I’ve ever experienced —
World Series, clinching games, whatever,” Boone said.
Schlittler, who debuted in the majors July 9, grew up a Red Sox fan
in Walpole, Massachusetts — but has said several times he wanted to
play for the Yankees. He had faced Boston only once before, as a
freshman at Northeastern in a 2020 spring training exhibition.
Schlittler said he spoke about the moment Wednesday with Yankees
great Andy Pettitte, a five-time World Series champion and winner of
a record 19 postseason games.
"I woke up and I was locked in, so I knew exactly what I needed to
do to go out there, especially against my hometown team,” Schlittler
said.
He outpitched Connelly Early, a 23-year-old left-hander who debuted
on Sept. 9 and became Boston’s youngest postseason starting pitcher
since 21-year-old Babe Ruth in 1916.
Schlittler struck out two more than any other Yankees pitcher had in
his postseason debut, allowing just five singles and walking none.
He threw 11 pitches 100 mph or faster — including six in the first
inning.
Schlittler threw 75 of 107 pitches for strikes, starting 22 of 29
batters with strikes and topping out at 100.8 mph. David Bednar
worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth as the Red Sox failed to
advance a runner past second base.
Bucky Dent threw out the ceremonial first pitch on the 47th
anniversary of his go-ahead, three-run homer for New York at Fenway
Park in an AL East tiebreaker game, and the Yankees went on to
vanquish their longtime rivals the way they often used to.
[to top of second column] |
New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler reacts as he walks off the
field at the end of the top of the eighth inning of Game 3 of an
American League wild-card baseball playoff series against the Boston
Red Sox, Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank
Franklin II)
New York, which arrived packed for a late-night
flight to Toronto, won its second straight after losing eight of
nine playoff meetings with Boston dating to 2004 and edged ahead
14-13 in postseason games between the teams.
The Red Sox cost themselves in the fourth with a defense that
committed a big league-high 116 errors during the regular season.
New York’s rally began when Cody Bellinger hit a soft fly into the
triangle between center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela, right fielder
Wilyer Abreu and second baseman Romy González. The ball fell just in
front of Rafaela, 234 feet from home plate, as Bellinger hustled
into second with a double.
Giancarlo Stanton walked on a full count and with one out Rosario
grounded a single into left, just past diving shortstop Trevor
Story, to drive in Bellinger with the first run.
Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s single loaded the bases, and Volpe hit a
grounder just past González, who had been shifted toward second, and
into right for an RBI single and a 2-0 lead.
Austin Wells hit a potential double-play grounder that first baseman
Nathaniel Lowe tried to backhand on an in-between hop. The ball
glanced off his glove and into shallow right field for an error as
two runs scored.
“We didn’t play defense,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “They
didn’t hit the ball hard, but they found holes and it happened
fast.”
Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon made the defensive play of the
game when he caught Jarren Duran’s eighth-inning foul pop and
somersaulted over the railing into Boston’s dugout, then emerged
smiling and apparently unhurt.
Up next
RHP Luis Gil (4-1, 3.32 ERA) or RHP Will Warren (9-8, 4.44) will
likely start the Division Series opener Saturday for the Yankees at
Toronto, which is expected to go with RHP Kevin Gausman (10-11,
3.59) or RHP Shane Bieber (4-2, 3.57).
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