The New York Yankees opened the Wild Card Series on Tuesday night without Aaron Judge in the lineup. The three-time MVP’s calf strain kept him on the bench for the biggest game of the year. Someone else would have to carry the offense against the Boston Red Sox.
Ben Rice made sure nobody noticed Judge was missing.
The Cohasset, Massachusetts native delivered one of the most complete offensive performances in Yankees postseason history, finishing 4-for-5 with two home runs, a double, and six RBIs in a 9-0 rout that put the Red Sox on the brink of elimination.
Rice Puts Up a Historic Line for the Yankees
His six RBIs matched a franchise record for a postseason game. Rice did the damage against three different left-handed pitchers, each time making the Red Sox pay for challenging him.
It started in the first inning with a 110 mph double off Payton Tolle that nearly left the yard. In the fifth, with the Yankees clinging to a 1-0 lead, Red Sox manager Chad Tracy pulled Tolle and brought in lefty Erik Miller specifically to face Rice. He greeted Miller by launching a solo homer 423 feet to dead center.
The seventh inning brought a 106 mph single to right field that extended the lead to three. Then came the exclamation point. With the bases loaded in the eighth, Rice hammered a grand slam off Brayan Bello that removed any remaining doubt.
“He pummeled pitches all night,” manager Aaron Boone said. “They went after him a little bit and he made them pay.”
Asked whether it was the best game of his career, Rice kept it understated.
“I would say it’s definitely up there,” Rice said.
The Massachusetts Connection
Rice is a Dartmouth graduate who grew up in Cohasset. His father played baseball at Brown and is a member of the Boston Park League Hall of Fame.
Performing against the Red Sox carries an extra layer for Rice, and he acknowledged it after Tuesday’s game.
“Definitely adds a cool little layer to it,” Rice said. “For Cam too. It’s always fun playing against them.”
The pairing of Rice and Cam Schlittler, both Massachusetts natives, produced the kind of night that felt almost scripted. Schlittler dominated on the mound with 10 strikeouts over 6⅓ innings. Rice took care of the offense. Boone marveled at the symmetry.
“For them to go out and have that kind of night together to start this postseason, pretty amazing and kind of hard to grasp a little bit, frankly,” Boone said.
“We love it,” Schlittler said.
What Rice Means Without Judge
Rice carried the Yankees lineup for long stretches this season while Judge dealt with a fractured rib that cost him more than three months. He hit 41 home runs during the regular season and posted a 1.023 OPS over his final 28 games heading into the playoffs.
With Judge still sidelined, the rest of the middle of the order went quiet, Rice’s bat was the difference between a tight game and a blowout.
The Yankees will need more of the same if Judge remains out. Game 2 is Wednesday night, with Max Fried on the mound against Boston’s Sonny Gray. One more win ends the series.
Rice made clear he will remember this night for a long time.
“I’ll remember getting a W versus the Red Sox,” Rice said. “There’s nothing better than that.”
Final Word for the Yankees
Four hits. Two homers. Six RBIs. A franchise postseason record tied. All of it against the team from his home state.
The Yankees are one win away from the ALDS. If they get there, Rice’s Game 1 will be the performance that set the tone.
Yankees’ Ben Rice Makes Feelings Clear on Red Sox After Historic Game 1