Yankees romp against Red Sox in playoff opener
Yankees roll past Red Sox 9‑0 in Wild‑Card opener
NEW YORK – In a decisive first‑game victory of the new‑year Wild‑Card Series, the New York Yankees dismantled the Boston Red Sox 9‑0 at Yankee Stadium. The win was powered by a masterful outing from rookie right‑hander Cam Schlittler and a dominant offensive explosion from Ben Rice, who drove in six runs and hit a grand slam in the fourth inning.
Schlittler, the 25‑year‑old former Massachusetts native, left the mound after 6 1/3 innings and 10 strikeouts. He allowed just two hits and one walk while throwing 117 pitches – the most by a Yankees postseason starter since Hall of Fame left‑hander C.C. Sabathia threw 121 in the 2012 Division Series. His 1.95 earned‑run average has made him the front‑runner for the American League Cy Young Award this season.
“After 13 straight outs, I got a walk in the fifth,” Schlittler said of the brief hiccup. “It was a small moment, but I stayed focused. I finished the game with a single in the seventh and a double‑play to keep the Red Sox off the board.” The crowd of 48,437 erupted in chants of “MVP! MVP!” as the pitcher left the mound to a standing ovation.
The offense was equally convincing. Ben Rice, who was filling in for the injured Aaron Judge, went 4‑for‑5 with two homers and a double. His late‑game grand slam in the fourth inning accounted for four of his six runs batted in. “It was a great night for the team,” Rice said after the game. “I’m just glad to help us get out of here.”
Austin Wells added two more runs for the Yankees, and rookie George Lombard Jr. collected three hits in his postseason debut. Together, the Yankees’ lineup produced a total of 18 hits, with eight runs in the first half of the game and a final score that left the Red Sox scrambling for a rally.
The Red Sox, who were missing long‑time right‑hander Sonny Gray, were held to just one hit after the third inning and could not muster a single run. The team’s offense was stifled by the Yankees’ pitching staff, which also saw left‑hander Max Fried take the mound on the West Coast in a later series. Fried, who has limited himself to 20 starts this season due to a bruised elbow, had earlier pitched six scoreless innings against New York in last year’s Wild‑Card opener.
Both Schlittler and Rice grew up as Red Sox fans in Massachusetts and played college ball in New England before the Yankees drafted them out of the Boston area. Their performances tonight underscored a narrative that the Bronx can be just as competitive for former Red Sox players as it was for current ones.
Looking ahead, the Yankees host the Red Sox again on Wednesday night for Game 2. A win would propel the Yankees into a best‑of‑five Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, who won the American League East. The Red Sox, in turn, will rely on the return of Sonny Gray, who posted an 18‑win, 2.72 ERA season and tied for the league lead in victories. In a rare interview, Gray
