As it turns out, Cam Schlittler was pitching with a little extra motivation in his record-setting performance in the American League wild-card decider on Thursday.
Schlittler, 24, became a household name after a dominant performance in the Yankees’ 4-0 victory over the Red Sox. After dropping the first game, New York won the series and advanced to take on top-seeded Toronto in the AL Division Series.
In just his 15th major league start, Schlittler became the first pitcher ever to hurl at least eight scoreless innings with a dozen strikeouts and no walks in a postseason contest. He overwhelmed Boston with his fastball, firing 64 of a career-high 107 pitchers at least 98 mph.
On Friday, as the Yankees were preparing in Toronto, Schlitter expressed his thoughts that some Red Sox fans “crossed the line” with social media posts attacking members of his family.
The Walpole, Mass., native was especially distressed that the venom emanated from his hometown. A Red Sox fan growing up, Schlittler still roots for other Boston professional teams.
Friends sent the right-hander several of these posts, including one that ridiculed Schlittler’s mother, forcing her to switch her account to private.
“I’m a competitive player,” Schlittler said. “All they’re doing is feeding the fire. Just making sure I’m staying off my phone. I see it. I noticed it the other day. But at the end of the day, I’m going to go out there and just lock in even more. So, honestly, I can thank them as well for putting me in that position.”
Barring a sweep by either team, Schlittler is in line to start in Game 4 of the ALDS in Yankee Stadium next Wednesday.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone had no fear about putting his rookie pitcher in a pressure-packed situation.
“Cam’s a tough kid,” Boone said, “and I know (he) is going to handle any slings and arrows. Social media can be an ugly place sometimes, unfortunately. We try to prepare our guys and obviously support our guys in so many different ways, but Cam is broad-shouldered, confident, clear-eyed, and I don’t think going to be affected by much.”
Schlittler has not allowed a run in his last two outings, fanning 21 batters and walking only one in 15 innings. His nine-strikeout effort over seven innings in a 6-1 win over Baltimore on Sept. 27 put the rest of the AL playoff teams on notice.
But that paled in comparison to the dagger he delivered to the Red Sox and their fans.
“But at the end of the day,” Schlittler said, “there’s not much they can say now.”
“I wasn’t really expecting it to go that far,” he said.
