BOSTON — A Night of Mixed Moments for Cam Schrittler
In a game where Cam Schrittler was the focal point Thursday night, things took a turn when Boston’s impressive young pitcher, Peyton Tolle, left the game.
The Yankees quickly seized their chance. Cody Bellinger, who pinch-hit in the seventh inning, belted a two-run homer, helping the Yankees secure a 4-2 victory over the Red Sox. This marked their sixth consecutive win in a packed Fenway Park.
Schrittler had a memorable outing, although he didn’t have quite as many swing-and-misses as he did during last October’s AL Wild Card game against the Red Sox. This time, the Walpole, Massachusetts native went eight innings, allowing just two runs—only one of which was earned—on four hits while striking out five. Despite some previous social media backlash directed at him and his family, he seemed to face less hostility from the crowd of 36,565 than anticipated, especially considering he was playing against a team he grew up watching.
In the final moments, David Bednar wrapped up the game with a 1-2-3 ninth inning, ensuring the Red Sox (9-16) had a tough series where they only managed three runs and thirteen hits.
Earlier, after Thor delivered an impressive six innings with 11 strikeouts, the Yankees found themselves trailing 2-1 until they turned the game around with a three-run surge in the seventh against the struggling Red Sox bullpen.
Trent Grisham, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Jose Caballero hit consecutive singles to load the bases. With two outs, reliever Greg Weissert came in, and Bellinger took his turn, launching a two-run homer to put the Yankees ahead 3-2.
Aaron Judge followed with a single, solidifying their lead.
Thor had a strong start, striking out the Yankees’ first five batters and retiring the first nine he faced.
The Red Sox managed to score their first run of the series against Yankees starters in the second inning. Schrittler walked Wylier Abreu with one out, but the threat was diminished when Austin Wells was caught attempting to steal second. However, an error by Rosario opened the door for Marcelo Mayer to score, giving the Red Sox a brief 1-0 lead.
The Yankees went ahead in the fourth inning thanks to Rosario’s single. Even with runners on base, Thor was relentless, striking out Giancarlo Stanton and Randall Grichak, putting out what could’ve been a dangerous inning.
Chisholm tied the game in the fifth with his first home run of the season, a well-placed 333-foot shot down the right field line, but the Red Sox soon regained the lead at 2-1 when former Yankee Carlos Narváez hit a fastball from Schrittler into the stands—marking the first home run Schrittler had given up this season after an impressive 32¹/₃ innings without one.
