The New York Yankees took a commanding step toward the ALDS with a 9-0 Game 1 win over the Boston Red Sox in the American League Wild Card Series despite the absence of injured captain Aaron Judge. However, what appeared to be a blowout on the scoreboard was actually a tightly contested game through seven innings before Ben Rice's late grand slam turned it into a rout.
Rice delivered one of the most productive postseason performances in recent Yankees history, while matching his entire 2025 playoff hit total in a single night. Rice finished 4-for-5 with two home runs, six RBIs and 11 total bases. The performance tied the Yankees' franchise postseason record for RBIs in a game, placing him alongside Bobby Richardson (1960 World Series), Bernie Williams (1999 ALDS), Hideki Matsui (2009 World Series) and Robinson Cano (2011 ALDS).
After doubling in the first inning, Rice broke through again in the fifth with the Yankees protecting only a 1-0 lead. Boston manager Chad Tracy removed starter Payton Tolle after 4 innings and turned to left-handed reliever Erik Miller, who had limited left-handed hitters to a .195 batting average during the regular season.
Ben Rice is 4 for 5 with two home runs and six RBIs. He has as many hits tonight as he did the entire 2025 postseason. pic.twitter.com/oh70hBLaLM
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) September 30, 2026
Rice immediately erased the matchup advantage, launching a 423-foot solo home run to center field that doubled New York's lead to 2-0. He later added an RBI single in the seventh before delivering the game's decisive blow in the eighth, crushing a grand slam off Brayan Bello to extend the lead to 9-0 and effectively put the game out of reach.
Ben Rice matches 2025 postseason production in ALDS series Game 1
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The 27-year-old finished the regular season with 41 home runs, more than 100 runs scored, and nearly 100 RBIs while posting a .897 OPS and 149 wRC+. Those numbers helped establish Rice as the offensive anchor of the Yankees' lineup during Aaron Judge's lengthy absence earlier in the season.
The Red Sox deployed three left-handers, Payton Tolle, Erik Miller and Alec Gamboa, in an effort to neutralize a Yankees lineup featuring several left-handed bats. Instead, New York's left-handed hitters combined to go 7-for-13 with a double, a home run and three RBIs against left-handed pitching. Rice was at the center of that success, particularly with his fifth-inning home run against Miller.
The significance of Rice's night was amplified by Judge's absence. The three-time MVP was left off the Wild Card roster because of a calf strain, leaving questions about where the Yankees would find enough offense in the postseason. Rice answered that question emphatically.
Rather than attempting to replace Judge's production on his own, he became the lineup's driving force while receiving support from across the roster. George Lombard Jr. collected three hits in his playoff debut, Austin Wells drove in the game's first run, and Anthony Volpe contributed offensively while handling second base defensively.
Game 2 is scheduled on Tuesday, and gives the Yankees a chance to clinch the series.