Massachusetts natives Cam Schlittler and Ben Rice propelled the New York Yankees to a 9-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. Schlittler struck out 10 batters over 6 1/3 scoreless innings, while Rice hit two home runs, including a grand slam, and drove in six runs.
The Yankees opened the best-of-three postseason series by blanking their rivals in front of a sellout crowd of 48,437. History favors the home side in this matchup: teams taking a 1-0 lead in the wild-card round have gone on to win the series 21 of 24 times, an 88% success rate that includes 17 two-game sweeps. Home teams have won all nine series in which they grabbed a 1-0 advantage.
Cam Schlittler Dominates on the Mound With 10 Strikeouts
Schlittler set an aggressive tone from his very first offering by pumping a 100.6 mph fastball to Red Sox leadoff hitter Roman Anthony. Operating on ample motivation from online criticism by opposing fans, the right-hander leaned heavily on a sharp mix of fastballs and an expanded curveball, which he threw 32 times—accounting for 31.6% of his total pitches—to generate eight swings and misses.
Throwing a career-high 117 pitches, Schlittler permitted just two singles and one walk while striking out 10 batters across 6 1/3 scoreless innings. As he walked off the field to chants of “MVP,” Schlittler improved his career record against Boston to a remarkable 0.47 ERA with 49 strikeouts over 38 2/3 innings.
Ben Rice Powers the Pinstripes With Two Home Runs and Six RBIs
With star slugger Aaron Judge sidelined by a right calf strain, the Yankees needed production from the rest of their lineup to fill the middle-of-the-order void. Rice answered by going 4-for-5 with a double, two home runs, and six RBIs.
After Austin Wells opened the scoring with an RBI single in the second inning off Red Sox starter Payton Tolle, Rice added to the lead in the sixth by launching a solo shot off reliever Erik Miller. He followed up with an RBI single in the seventh before putting the game entirely out of reach in the eighth.
Off the bat … I thought, ‘Wow, it’s going to go out. I hope it’s going to go.’ Just thrilled it went out and we got four more runs on the board to save the bullpen.
Ben Rice, Yankees designated hitter
How the Rest of the Lineup Contributed to the Shutout
The bottom of the New York order gave Boston’s pitching staff trouble all evening. Wells finished with two RBIs, while the Yankees outhit Boston 12 to 3.
On the other side, Tolle worked 4 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and one run while striking out four before giving way to a bullpen that struggled to contain the New York bats.
“Wasn’t good enough. 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.”
Payton Tolle, Red Sox starting pitcher
The Red Sox also lost outfielder Roman Anthony to an apparent injury in the sixth inning, further compounding a difficult night for the visitors.
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