Red Sox season ends with 4-0 loss to Yankees in Game 3 of Wild Card round

The Boston Red Sox are going home after a 4-0 loss to the New York Yankees in Thursday night's deciding Game 3 of the Wild Card round. The Red Sox bats had no answer for Yankees starter -- and Walpole native -- Cam Schlittler, and another dropped ball in the outfield burned Boston.

Schlittler struck out 12 as he consistently hit 100 mph on the radar gun, and shut out the Red Sox over eight incredible innings for the rookie. He retired the final nine batters he faced, which included four strikeouts. 

Boston rookie Connelly Early looked good through three innings, but things fell apart for the Red Sox when Ceddanne Rafaela couldn't come up with a blooper off the bat of Cody Bellinger to lead off the bottom of the fourth.

That missed play started a four-run rally for the Yankees, who got four hits off Early in the inning, including RBI singles by Amed Rosario and Anthony Volpe. New York also scored two runs in the frame on an error by first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, who couldn't handle a chopper off the bat of No. 9 hitter Austin Wells.

The 23-year-old Early was tagged for four runs (three earned) off six hits and a walk over his 3.2 innings. He also struck out six in his just his fifth-ever Major League start.

Early got zero support from the Boston bats. The Red Sox stranded six runners and had just one opportunity with runners in scoring position. Jarren Duran struck out to end the top of the fifth with runners on first and second, which was Boston's only real scoring chance on the night.

So the Yankees now move on to the ALDS against the Toronto Blue Jays, while the Red Sox head into the offseason. Losing to the Yankees certainly stings, but the Red Sox have a lot to build on after going 89-73 in the regular season and making it to the playoffs for the first time in four years.

"We didn't finish the way we wanted," Alex Cora said after the loss. "As an organization, compared to other years, we took a step forward in certain areas. Like I always said, we are not a perfect team. We are a good team that needs to keep improving, and let's see what the offseason brings. But I truly believe we are going to keep getting better."

Boston's window should just be opening with Garrett Crochet at the front of the rotation and Roman Anthony quickly establishing himself as an impact player in the lineup before his oblique injury. With an aggressive offseason that brings in some more starting pitching, the Red Sox should be right back in the mix in 2026.

Here's how Game 3 played out at Yankee Stadium on Thursday night.

Yankees take advantage of another dropped ball in outfield

After three scoreless innings, things unraveled for Early in the bottom of the fourth. But the Boston defense had more to do with it than the 23-year-old's command.

Cody Bellinger led off the bottom of the fourth with a blooper to right-center, which Rafaela dropped as Wilyer Abreu and Romy Gonzalez also gave chase. It was a little tougher of a play than Jarren Duran's drop in Game 2, but was still a play Rafaela has to make.

Giancarlo Stanton followed with a walk, and after Ben Rice struck out, Amed Rosario drove Bellinger in with an RBI single to left to give New York a 1-0 lead.

Jazz Chisholm followed with another single to load the bases, and Anthony Volpe put the Yankees up 2-0 with an RBI single to right.

Alex Cora kept Early in to face Austin Wells, who hit a chopper off the glove of Nathaniel Lowe at first base, which caromed by Gonzalez at second and into the outfield. Two runs scored on the play -- which was ruled an error on Lowe -- which put New York up 4-0. Early was lifted a batter later after he got Trent Grisham to fly out.

Once again, the Yankees took advantage of the Red Sox not making a play on defense. It led to a four-run rally by New York, which was unsurmountable for Boston.

Red Sox had no answer for Cam Schlittler

The Red Sox bats didn't do anything against Schlittler, who scattered five hits and issued no walks over his eight shutout innings. 

The 24-year-old got Boston 1-2-3 in the top of the first, and struck out two each in the second and third innings.

Schlittler gave up a leadoff single to Lowe in the top of the fifth, but then proceeded to strike out the side. Gonzalez reached with a two-out single that sent Lowe to second, but then Duran couldn't hold up on a 100mph fastball inside to end the frame.

He gave up a leadoff single to Trevor Story to start the top of the sixth, but made quick work of the next three batters. Schlittler got Bregman to ground into a fielder's choice, and then fanned Masataka Yoshida and Rafaela -- both on fastballs. 

Schlittler then tossed a 1-2-3 top of the seventh. He got Lowe and Carlos Narvaez to pop out for the first two outs, and then struck out Abreu on a 98 mph fastball for his 11th punchout of the night.

Schlittler went back out for the eight inning at 98 pitches, and picked up where he left off. He fanned Gonzalez on a 97 mph fastball for his 12th strikeout of the night. 

Ryan McMahon then channeled his inner Derek Jeter as he flipped into the Boston dugout to bring in a Duran pop out. Schlittler needed just one pitch to get Story to ground out to short to end the inning, which required just seven pitches for the rookie.

It was an absolutely dominant performance by Schlittler, who will take a spot in Yankees lore with his incredible Game 3 outing. 

While most of Massachusetts is hurting after a Red Sox loss, at least Schlittler's dominant performance is a silver lining (a small one) for the town of Walpole.

Yankees closer David Bednar gave up a leadoff walk to Alex Bregman in the top of the ninth. But he retired Yoshida on a fielder's choice, struck out Rafaela, and got Lowe to pop out to end the game, the series, and Boston's season.

• Major League Baseball
• Boston Red Sox