Rookie Cam Schlittler dominates as Yankees shut out Red Sox in Game 3

Cam Schlittler stood successful a soaked T-shirt, shorts and flip flops precocious Thursday night, skis goggles successful hand, arsenic the October chill settled implicit Yankee Stadium. The 24-year-old rookie had conscionable authored 1 of the top postseason pitching displays successful shot history, carrying the New York Yankees to a 4-0 triumph implicit the Boston Red Sox successful the decisive Game 3 of the AL Wild Card Series.

Over 8 innings, Schlittler struck retired 12, walked none, and allowed lone 5 hits — numbers ne'er earlier matched connected a playoff stage. According to ESPN Research, his 12 strikeouts were the astir ever successful a winner-take-all game, the astir successful a Yankees postseason debut, and the astir helium has recorded astatine immoderate nonrecreational level. “A prima is calved tonight,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He is not afraid. He expects this.”

Schlittler kept his regular steady, adjacent shutting disconnected his telephone for the day. “I woke up and I was locked in,” helium said. “I knew precisely what I needed to do, particularly against my hometown team.”

Yankees capitalize, Red Sox stumble

Boston’s ain rookie, 23-year-old Connelly Early, matched him done 3 innings earlier antiaircraft lapses shifted momentum. A bloop double, a walk, and 3 consecutive singles successful the 4th inning — combined with a costly mistake — gave New York each 4 of its runs. “We didn’t play defense,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora admitted. “They didn’t deed the shot hard, but they recovered holes. It conscionable happened fast.”

Schlittler, whose fastball touched 100.8 mph, lone grew stronger. His 100th pitch, a 99 mph strikeout, capped the seventh. The assemblage roared, assuming his nighttime was done, yet Boone simply asked, “You good?” Schlittler nodded, past delivered a flawless eighth inning.

When asked however helium managed the pressure, helium kept it simple: “I wasn’t going to fto them bushed me. I was conscionable overconfident successful that fact.” For the Red Sox, it was a bitter end. For the Yankees, it was a connection — and possibly the commencement of their adjacent ace.