BRONX, NY — It is apropos that the sixth chapter of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox’s postseason saga is coming to a decisive, winner-take-all Game 3 on Thursday night at Yankee Stadium.
The Bronx Bombers answered Boston’s initial volley, taking Game 2 late behind Jazz Chisholm’s heroics and Austin Wells’ eighth-inning, game-winning single. Now, with everything at stake, both clubs are turning to rookie starting pitchers Cam Schlittler and Connelly Early to keep their respective seasons alive.
Just how we all drew it up.
The Red Sox are going with the September call-up and 23-year-old southpaw, Early, who has just four starts and 19.1 major-league innings to his name. His stuff, though, is undeniable. The 2023 fifth-round pick owns a 2.33 ERA and 1.096 WHIP with 29 strikeouts, including 11 in his MLB debut on Sept. 9 against the Athletics.
He is by no means a flamethrower. His fastball averages 94 mph and can top out at 97, which he sets up well thanks to an arsenal that features a devastating curveball — his marquee secondary pitch — a changeup, sinker, slider, and a seldom-used sweeper.
More importantly, he attacks the hitter. His 5.1% walk rate (four walks in 19.1 innings) is elite. So is his 33.9% whiff rate and 36.7% chase rate.
“His poise throughout, he’s very calm,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “Obviously, it’s going to be very loud here. Two rookies, Game 3, Wild Card, Yankees-Red Sox, should be a fun night.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone labeled Early as more of a “neutral” southpaw when it comes to his splits against lefties and righties, meaning Chisholm will start at second base. He has yet to decide how he wants to address first base and the catcher’s spot, with lefty Ben Rice, whose first-inning home run in Game 2 got the Bronx rocking early, in contention for both positions. Paul Goldschmidt, who fares well against southpaws is the other option at first, with Tuesday night’s hero Wells potentially needing a night off after two straight behind the plate.
Schlittler is the wily veteran of this pitching matchup. The 24-year-old right-hander came up in July and has been “a stabilizing force” in Boone’s rotation. He is 4-3 with a 2.96 ERA with 84 strikeouts in 73 innings pitched.
“For them to put faith in me when we get to a Game 3 that means a lot,” Schlittler said. “Just make sure that I’m taking this as another game, go out, and do my job.”
Starting the year in Double-A Somerset, he got to the majors on the back of a scorching fastball that averages at 98 mph and can regularly touch 100. The Walpole, MA native, who grew up in a Red Sox family, also has a sinker that clocks in at 97.5 mph but mainly carries a three-pitch arsenal: The four-seamer, a low-90s cutter, and a low-to-mid-80s curveball.
Control has been an issue, and the Red Sox will be keen on making him work for strikes. Schlittler’s 10.2% walk rate ranks in MLB’s 18th percentile. Still, Boone believes that Thursday night is just the first steps for a talent that will be at the top of the Yankees’ rotation for years to come.
“It does feel that way, yes,” Boone said. “Been super impressed with, first and foremost, his stuff. Big fastball, the cutter, his curve ball are really good pitches for him. He’s a really good competitor. I like how he’s handled every situation he’s kind of found himself in this year… He really gave us a shot in the arm when he came up.”
“He’ll handle it well, regardless of result, or whatever. I don’t think it’ll be too big for him, and he’ll be ready to go.”
With the Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds, Game 3 has been flexed from a 6:08 p.m. ET start to a 8:08 p.m. first pitch.
“It’s been two great games,” Boone said. “I think both sides have played really well. There’s been a lot of impactful plays whether it’ son the bases, in the field. Looking forward to [Thursday night] and try and move on.”
