Yankees ride rookie Cam Schlittler's historic performance to ALDS with Red Sox elimination

The last time the New York Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox in a postseason series, Aaron Boone hit a towering home run to send the Bronx Bombers to the 2003 World Series. On Thursday night, Boone and his Yankees earned the satisfaction of sending their bitter rivals home for the first time in over two decades.

The Yankees outscored the Red Sox 9-6 over the duration of the AL wild-card round and are one of the rare teams in the three-game wild-card era to overcome a 0-1 deficit to win the series. In Thursday night’s bout, it was all Yankees. The fourth inning saw New York score four runs, one of which was unearned on an error charged to Red Sox first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, though it came on a tough play. This was enough for Boston manager Alex Cora to remove rookie starter Connelly Early, whose looping sweeper had largely kept the Yankees off balance until then. He finished the night having given up three earned runs on six hits, one walk and six strikeouts.

Yankees rally behind Cam Schlittler to eliminate Boston 

Four runs were all the Yankees would score in the game; however, it was all they needed. The true story of the night was rookie phenom Cam Schlittler, whose indomitable performance quickly earned him an entry in the annals of MLB history during his first postseason appearance.

Firing his electric array of offerings that ranged from 100+ mph heaters to high-80s swing-and-miss bait, Schlittler carved up the Red Sox lineup in ace form, collecting 12 strikeouts — the most strikeouts for any Yankees pitcher in their postseason debut — in eight shutout innings, allowing five hits and no walks. Yankees closer David Bednar would come on in the ninth to seal the shutout.

Of course, while Schlittler’s utter dominance seized the spotlight on Thursday, there were a few notable contributors worth highlighting throughout the series. One such contributor is Anthony Volpe. The Yankees shortstop went 4-for-11 in the series, scoring the Yankees' only run in Game 1 with a solo home run off Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet. Volpe also had a few defensive gems including one in the Yankees’ decisive Game 3, where he also had an RBI on a single.

Another notable performance came from Jazz Chisholm Jr., who might not have had a hit in Game 2, but proved to be the deciding run when he scored from first on an Austin Wells base hit after drawing a walk. He also scored in the Yankees’ four-run fourth in Game 3, going 2-for-4 on the day.

And, of course, there is Ryan McMahon. McMahon was brought in as a defensive substitution in Game 3. In the eighth inning, he tumbled with a full flip (he didn’t stick the landing) into the Red Sox dugout to catch a foul ball, backing Schlittler’s historic gem. 

Last but not least, there is Max Fried. Although the first game was lost, Fried performed admirably, pitching 6.1 shutout innings, giving up four hits and three walks while garnering six strikeouts.

With the Red Sox gone, the Yankees will head north where they will face the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday to start the 2025 ALDS. Both teams share the same record, but this season, the Blue Jays got the better of the Yankees in head-to-head matchups, winning eight games to five in the regular season. The Yankees will look to capitalize on their momentum having won their last series against them.