Cam Schlitzer had an impressive night, striking out 13 Reds players, but also took a moment to call out online trolls.
On Friday evening, he shared some of the nasty messages directed at him by Red Sox fans on his Instagram Story, specifically targeting a user named “Kyle_Lynch11.”
Schlitzer simply captioned the post, “Free rental,” paired with two laughing emojis.
The harassment started prior to a significant match against the Red Sox last year and, surprisingly, continued into this recent game.
He briefly responded to the insults, posting, “Stop staring at Lil Brother,” about six hours before the game started.
Many of the messages insultingly referred to Schlitzer as “py.”
One fan even predicted the Reds would have a strong performance, but Schlitzer managed to pull off 13 strikeouts in six innings, lowering his ERA to an impressive 1.64.
This trolling began back on October 3, 2025, when a fan sent a message referencing Schlitzer and implying that others were coming for him.
The upset fan was miffed that Schlitzer, originally from Walpole, Massachusetts and a Red Sox supporter, was now playing for the Yankees—as if he had a say in the matter.
“Never forget where you come from,” read one of the messages.
In contrast, Schlitzer made sure Red Sox fans would remember him for his remarkable MLB playoff debut, where he pitched eight scoreless innings, racking up 12 strikeouts while winning Game 3 of the Wild Card Series.
As the American League Cy Young Award frontrunner in just his second year, Schlitzer seems to be relishing his success against the Red Sox.
This particular thread of insults, though harsh, didn’t include any of the “death threats” that Schlitzer had mentioned previously, which had put him and his family under considerable strain amidst the rivalry.
