NEW YORK -- Cam Schlittler and Ben Rice spent their formative years surrounded by everything Red Sox, only to land on the other side of baseball’s most storied rivalry. Back under the postseason spotlight, the Massachusetts-born duo delivered for the Yankees, fracturing a few more New England hearts in the process.
Schlittler struck out 10 over 6 1/3 scoreless innings and Rice launched two homers, including a grand slam, as part of a six-RBI performance as the Yankees posted a 9-0 victory over Boston in Tuesday’s Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium.
In the history of the best-of-three Wild Card Series, teams taking a 1-0 lead have gone on to win the series 21 of 24 times (88%), including 17 two-game sweeps. Home teams have won all nine series in which they have gone ahead 1-0, including eight sweeps.
A Walpole, Mass., native who grew up rooting for the Red Sox, only to become one of Red Sox Nation’s most popular targets on social media, Schlittler boasted coming into the start that he’s “good at keeping receipts.” Using available rage bait as fuel, Schlittler delivered a strong sequel after sending Boston home from last year’s AL Wild Card Series.
The likely AL Cy Young Award winner, Schlittler set the tone by pumping his first pitch at 100.6 mph, then refused to ease up on the gas. Throwing a career-high 117 pitches, Schlittler leaned heavily on his four-seamer and his curveball, permitting two singles and a walk.
Austin Wells’ second-inning RBI single produced the Yankees’ only run off Payton Tolle, who scattered five hits over 4 2/3 innings.
Rice, who slugged a team-leading 41 home runs during the regular season, greeted left-hander Erik Miller by launching a 96.8 mph sinker over the center-field wall for his second career postseason homer. He added a run-scoring single in the seventh inning, then sent his grand slam into the right-field bullpen in the eighth.
“Off the bat ... I thought, 'Wow, it’s going to go out. I hope it’s going to go,'" Rice said. "Just thrilled it went out and we got four more runs on the board to save the bullpen.”
Growing up in Cohasset, Mass., Rice chose his pinstripes early in life, somehow returning from a game at Fenway with a Yankees cap as a souvenir. That was all it took: during one subsequent childhood visit, Rice memorably scrawled "Yankees Rule!" on Pesky’s Pole.
No pens are necessary now. Once again, Schlittler and Rice left their mark.