Yankees Announce Ben Rice History Before Game 2 Against Red Sox

The New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice made postseason history on Tuesday night.

by Xavier Constantino

Sep 30, 2026

The New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice made postseason history on Tuesday night.

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The New York Yankees celebrated a franchise-record night from Ben Rice on social media after their Game 1 win of the American League Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox.

Rice went 4-for-5 with two home runs in New York’s 9-0 shutout of the Red Sox on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium. One of those home runs was a late grand slam, the 16th in Yankees postseason history, and it solidified Rice’s dominant performance with six RBIs.

The six RBIs matched the franchise record for a postseason game, putting him among the best in Yankees history with Robinson Cano, Hideki Matsui, Bernie Williams and Bobby Richardson.

Rice has been one of baseball’s best hitters in 2026, filling in well for Aaron Judge while he recovers from injury. In 2026, Rice belted a career-high 41 home runs in an All-Star season. The 27-year-old grew up in Cohasset, Massachusetts, rooting for the New York Yankees, which made the performance against Boston even more special.

Right-hander Cam Schlittler, another Massachusetts native, shoved in the opener, holding Boston scoreless with 10 strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings. He holds a 4-1 record with a 0.47 ERA and 49 strikeouts in six career starts against the Red Sox, including the postseason.

New York Yankees designated hitter Ben Rice (22)

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New York now holds a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series and can advance to the American League Division Series with another win on Wednesday night in the Bronx. Game 2 is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Boston managed just three hits in the opener and is one loss away from elimination.