Cam Schlittler shuts down Red Sox trolls who ‘crossed a line’

TORONTO — What was apparent Thursday night was that Cam Schlittler, loudly, impressively and historically, beat the Red Sox.

What has become apparent since is that Schlittler beat the Boston trolls, too.

In the days leading up to the Yankees rookie’s postseason debut — a win-or-go-home Game 3 masterpiece against the same Red Sox team the Walpole, Mass., native grew up rooting for — Schlittler said he and his family received social media venom that “crossed a line.”

“There’s not much they can say now,” Schlitter said, accurately, after becoming the first pitcher to throw eight scoreless innings while striking out 12 and walking zero in postseason history in the Yankees season-saving victory.

Schlittler, whose four-seamer averaged 98 mph during his 14 regular-season starts, threw 11 pitches of at least 100 mph and maxed out at 100.8 mph (which, along with a 100.7 mph fastball, became his two fastest pitches of the year).

What also was clear was Schlittler was especially pumped up, to which he attributed channeling the rage from those social media messages.

He said he generally tries to avoid looking at the social-media dumpster, but “some stuff got sent to me, some of the bigger accounts they got over there [in Boston].”

What might have thrown off some pitchers was turned into a control fire from Schlittler, who was methodical, dominant and focused all day.

“I was locked in when I woke up [Thursday],” Schlittler said from Rogers Centre, where the Yankees and Blue Jays will begin the ALDS on Saturday. “I knew it was going to be a big day for me. I told Andy [Pettitte, now a Yankees adviser] I wasn’t going to let them beat me. I think that just kind of lit the fire a little bit.

“I was able to go out there a little bit more locked in than I usually am.”

Schlittler grew up around Boston and went to Northeastern before getting drafted in the seventh round of 2022. Ahead of his Game 3 outing, the righty who rose from Double-A to the majors this season said publicly his Red Sox-loving family had converted to Yankees fans.

The 24-year-old said he was “disappointed” that a fan base he once belonged to had taken the social-media hate too far. Before leaving the ballpark after Wednesday’s Game 2 win, Schlittler and manager Aaron Boone had a brief, telling conversation whose contents they have hidden but which seems to have demonstrated Schlittler’s added intensity.

“I can’t really repeat [what I said to Boone],” Schlittler said, “but I told him I was ready to go and just reassuring him that I got no ties to Boston.”

Cam Schlittler after last night’s performance against the Red Sox:

“I’m happy their season’s done”

DEMON.

He does have plenty of friends in Boston whose baseball hearts have been broken.

“They’re happy for me. I think they’re bummed out. Obviously they’re all Red Sox fans,” Schlittler said. “But I told them that’s exactly what was going to happen.

“They’ll get over it. Hockey season’s coming up.”