The chants began in the middle innings, and intensified when the game reached the seventh, and Cam Schlittler was still on the mound with a 100-plus pitch count.
The "MVP" chorus echoed throughout Yankee Stadium as New York's ace mowed down the hated Red Sox for a second straight postseason, tossing 6.1 shutout innings to lead the Yanks to a huge game one victory.
Schlittler allowed just two hits on the night, struck out 10, and walked one. He allowed a first-inning single to Adley Rutschman and looked nearly unhittable the rest of the way, earning the confidence from Aaron Boone to return in the seventh inning after eclipsing 100 pitches in the sixth.
Schlittler threw a career-high 117 pitches, and while it was hard to top his historic playoff debut in last year's do-or-die game against Boston, Tuesday night was a heck of an encore. The righty dismantled his hometown team, becoming the first pitcher in Yankee history with multiple outings of no runs allowed and 10 or more strikeouts.
The Red Sox had no chance, as Schlittler nearly tripled his curveball usage from his season norm, missing bats at will as he looked every bit the American League Cy Young winner. The Yankee bats didn't break out until the later innings, highlighted by a Ben Rice grand slam in the eighth, but it was more than enough cushion for Schlittler, who pitched his way into baseball history with another dominant playoff performance.
Those "receipts" he admitted to keeping from trash-talking Red Sox fans certainly seemed to have Schlittler fired up and focused, and it now has the Yanks on the brink of advancing to meet the Rays in the ALDS.
The Yankee ace heard the chants throughout his brilliant performance.
The Yankee ace heard the chants throughout his brilliant performance.
