The New York Yankees are just one win away from advancing to the American League Division Series to face their other AL East rival in the Tampa Bay Rays.
After a decisive 9-0 victory against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday evening, backed by an amazing performance by Ben Rice, New York will look to put away their bitter rival on Wednesday evening.
However, manager Aaron Boone is opting to make a slight Ben Rice tweak ahead of game two of the series.
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Ben Rice Moved to Leadoff Before Red Sox Game 2
On Tuesday, September 29, Ben Rice went 4-for-5 with two home runs, 6 RBI, and two runs scored.
He put the Yankees lineup on his back, and now he will lead the Yankees batting order in game two.
Other lineup notes include Jazz Chisholm Jr. being back in the fold, and Anthony Volpe being out of the Yankees’ order, with the Red Sox going with Sonny Gray as their starter.
Heliot Ramos is also OUT of the batting order, and Trent Grisham is back in center field. Grisham has not played in a few weeks due to a hamstring injury.
B. Rice DH C. Bellinger LF L. García Jr. 1B S. Jones RF G. Lombard Jr. SS J. Chisholm Jr. 2B T. Grisham CF A. Wells C R. McMahon 3B
M. Fried SP
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Back to Ben Rice…
Back to Ben Rice… His performance in game one was a huge boost for the New York Yankees, and with Aaron Judge still sidelined, Rice has emerged as an absolute star in the Bronx.
Looking back on Ben Rice’s regular season, he was also one of the best hitters for the Yankees and is likely in line for a pretty lucrative contract in the future.
Across 154 games played, Rice batted .264 with 41 home runs, 97 RBI, 24 doubles, and an OPS+ of 146, which is an extremely impressive campaign that could garner some MVP moves.
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New York Yankees Announce Ben Rice Change During Red Sox Series