Ben Rice didn’t just beat the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night — he carved his name into New York Yankees history. The 27-year-old slugger went 4-for-5 with two home runs, including a towering eighth-inning grand slam, and six RBIs as the Yankees crushed Boston 9-0 in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium.
Ben Rice’s record-breaking night: 4 hits, 2 homers, 6 RBIs
Ben Rice’s night started quietly and ended with a Bronx roar. With the Yankees leading 2-0 in the fifth, he crushed a solo shot to center field. An inning later, his bases-loaded single made it 3-0. Then came the eighth: bases loaded, two outs, a full count against reliever Brayan Bello — and Rice launched a 408-foot grand slam to center at 108.6 mph off the bat.
The numbers were unprecedented. Rice became the first player in Yankees franchise history with 6-plus RBIs and 4-plus hits in a single postseason game — a mark neither Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, nor Mickey Mantle ever reached. His six RBIs tied the franchise single-game postseason record shared by Robinson Cano, Hideki Matsui, Bernie Williams, and Bobby Richardson, and the grand slam was just the 16th in Yankees playoff history.
He was also the first Yankee with multiple home runs — including a grand slam — in a postseason game, and the first Yankee with a multi-homer playoff game since Giancarlo Stanton in Game 2 of the 2020 ALDS.
Schlittler shuts down Boston as fellow Massachusetts native
Rice wasn’t the only Massachusetts kid tormenting his home-state rivals. Fellow native Cam Schlittler was brilliant on the mound, holding the Red Sox scoreless with 10 strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings. Schlittler now owns a 4-1 record with a 0.47 ERA and 49 strikeouts in six career starts against Boston, including the postseason.
The Yankees’ 9-0 victory was their largest shutout postseason win since the 1960 World Series — a fitting stage for Rice’s breakout night.
With Judge out, Ben Rice carries the Yankees’ power
New York entered the series without its captain. Three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge was left off the Wild Card roster with a calf injury — the first postseason game of his career he has missed — and the Yankees needed someone to supply the power. Rice, an All-Star after a breakout 2026 season with 41 home runs and an .897 OPS, answered the call.
Teammate Anthony Volpe wasn’t shocked by the explosion. “It was pretty incredible, if I’m being honest,” Volpe said. “But I don’t think anyone is surprised. That’s just what he does.”
The poetics ran deep: Rice grew up in Cohasset, Massachusetts — about 45 minutes from Fenway Park — as a Yankees fan, attended Dartmouth, and was a 12th-round draft pick. Young players backed him up, too: George Lombard Jr. had three hits in his postseason debut, and Austin Wells drove in two runs from the No. 9 spot.
Game 2: Yankees one win from the ALDS
Game 2 of the best-of-three series is Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, with New York now one win away from advancing in a rematch of the 2025 AL Wild Card Series. After a night like Tuesday, the Bronx is dreaming of an October run — and Ben Rice is the reason why.
Also read: Madonna’s 7-win night at the 2026 VMAs, another huge US story this week.
FAQs
What Yankees record did Ben Rice set?
He became the first Yankee ever with 6+ RBIs and 4+ hits in a single postseason game, and tied the franchise single-game postseason RBI record (6).
How far was Ben Rice's grand slam?
The eighth-inning grand slam off Brayan Bello traveled 408 feet to center field at 108.6 mph off the bat.
Why is Aaron Judge not playing in the Wild Card Series?
The three-time AL MVP was left off the Yankees' Wild Card roster due to a calf injury — the first postseason game of his career he has missed.
When is Yankees vs Red Sox Game 2?
Game 2 of the best-of-three AL Wild Card Series was played Wednesday night (September 30, 2026) at Yankee Stadium.
