Bronx, NY — The atmosphere inside Yankee Stadium was electric Tuesday night.
From the moment the gates opened, the building carried the unmistakable energy of postseason baseball. The chants, the noise, and the anticipation surrounding another Yankees-Red Sox playoff matchup created the kind of environment that makes October baseball different.
The Yankees answered that energy with a performance that was every bit as emphatic.
Behind another outstanding postseason start from Cam Schlittler and an explosive offensive performance from Ben Rice, New York overwhelmed the Boston Red Sox 9-0 in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series.
Rice, a Massachusetts native who grew up around Red Sox baseball, delivered the biggest offensive performance of the night against the team he once rooted for. He collected four hits, including two home runs and a double, and drove in six runs.
His biggest blow came late in the game when he launched a grand slam, turning what had already been a dominant Yankees performance into a celebration throughout the Bronx.
“It was pretty incredible, if I’m being honest,” Yankees infielder Anthony Volpe said of Rice’s performance. “But I don’t think anyone is surprised. That’s just what he does.”
Rice wasn’t the only young Yankee making an impact.
George Lombard Jr., just 21 years old, collected three hits in his postseason debut, while Austin Wells contributed two RBIs from the No. 9 spot in the lineup.
Together, New York’s offense provided more than enough support for Schlittler, who once again looked completely comfortable on the October stage.
The right-hander continued his remarkable run against Boston by holding the Red Sox to two hits while striking out 10 and walking only one over 6⅓ innings.
Schlittler needed 117 pitches to complete his outing, 10 more than his previous career high. It was also the most pitches thrown by a Yankees postseason starter since Hall of Fame left-hander CC Sabathia threw 121 pitches against Baltimore in the 2012 American League Division Series.
“It was awesome,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “The only thing was, obviously, it was a higher pitch count, and they made him work. They took some tough at-bats against him. But he was terrific.”
Schlittler entered the postseason carrying a 1.95 ERA, the best mark in the American League and a number that has placed him firmly in the conversation for the AL Cy Young Award.
But his connection to this particular rivalry makes his performance even more meaningful.
Schlittler grew up in Walpole, Massachusetts, as a Red Sox fan before eventually becoming one of the Yankees’ most important pitchers. Rice also grew up in Massachusetts, and both players attended college in New England before the Yankees selected them in the draft.
Now, they are helping New York try to extend its postseason run at the expense of the team they grew up watching.
For Boston starter Payton Tolle, the evening began with the Red Sox keeping pace with Schlittler.
Tolle worked through 4⅔ innings and surrendered only one run on five hits while striking out four. When he left the game, Boston was still within striking distance, trailing only 1-0.
But the Yankees’ offense eventually broke the game open.
“I wasn’t good enough,” Tolle said. “They had a good plan, and I threw a lot of balls. I just didn’t feel like I could command the zone. I kind of let some at-bats get away from me.”
Once New York’s lineup found its rhythm, the game quickly moved out of reach.
The absence of Aaron Judge, who was left off the Yankees’ Wild Card roster because of a calf injury, placed additional pressure on the rest of the lineup.
Rice responded.
His two home runs, double and four-hit night provided the offensive spark New York needed, while the Yankees’ younger players added another dimension.
The combination of Rice’s power, Lombard’s three-hit postseason debut and Wells’ production from the bottom of the lineup gave New York a balanced attack that Boston could not contain.
Meanwhile, Schlittler continued to demonstrate why the Yankees trusted him with the ball in the opening game of the series.
The performance was another chapter in what has quickly become a memorable postseason rivalry between the pitcher and the Red Sox.
Last October, Schlittler delivered a spectacular playoff performance against Boston, striking out 12 over eight scoreless innings.
This time, he returned to Yankee Stadium and again kept the Red Sox off the scoreboard.
New York now has a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series and is one victory away from advancing.
But for one night, the numbers only told part of the story.
The real story was the atmosphere inside Yankee Stadium.
The Bronx was loud from the opening pitch, and as the Yankees continued adding runs, the building became increasingly charged. By the time Rice’s grand slam sailed out of the park, Yankee Stadium had transformed into a postseason celebration.
The Yankees came into October knowing they would have to navigate the Wild Card round without their biggest offensive star.
On Tuesday night, Rice, Schlittler and a group of emerging young players showed that New York has plenty of firepower beyond Judge.
And in a rivalry where every postseason moment carries extra weight, the Yankees made their first statement loudly.
