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Schlittler, Rice author 'remarkable' night as Yankees roll in Game 1
Confirmed
In Short: Cam Schlittler and Ben Rice led the New York Yankees to a 9-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series Tuesday night.
Schlittler, 25, pitched a masterful game, striking out 10 and allowing only two singles and one walk in 6⅓ innings.
Rice, 27, provided the offensive firepower, going 4-for-5 with two home runs, including a grand slam, and six RBIs.
The Yankees' offense, without star slugger Aaron Judge, was fueled by Rice's breakout performance.
Schlittler's 117 pitches were the most for a Yankees pitcher in a postseason game since CC Sabathia in 2012.
Both Schlittler and Rice grew up in Massachusetts as Red Sox fans and attended New England colleges before being drafted by the Yankees.
Schlittler's 1.95 ERA and 239 strikeouts in his first full major-league season make him the heavy favorite for the AL Cy Young Award.
Rice's 41 home runs and.897 OPS this season helped the Yankees maintain a competitive offense despite injuries to key players.
Yankees shortstop George Lombard Jr. went 3-for-4 in his postseason debut, contributing to the team's offensive surge.
Manager Aaron Boone received a standing ovation and MVP chants from the crowd as he removed Schlittler from the game in the seventh inning.
Rice expressed his joy at the win, saying, 'I'll remember getting a W versus the Red Sox.
Schlittler, who faced the Red Sox in his last outing last year, acknowledged the pressure, noting, 'It’s very well known that if you want to be a legend, which is obviously the goal, you’ve got to do it in the postseason.
What's confirmed
- "I'll remember getting a W versus the Red Sox," Rice said.
What's still developing
- In six career starts against the Red Sox, Schlittler has allowed two earned runs over 38⅔ innings, good for a 0.47 ERA, with 49 strikeouts.
- "When I saw him come out there, I saw his stuff and I was like, 'Alright, he's just got to keep doing his thing and we'll score some runs for him,'" said Yankees shortstop George Lombard Jr., who went 3-for-4 in his postseason debut.
- "That's a pitch I've been able to rely on," Schlittler said.
- The plan backfired when Miller threw a sinker down the middle that Rice launched into Monument Park.
- "He's a superstar," Yankees second baseman Anthony Volpe said.
- They were euphoric, and perhaps stupefied, after watching Schlittler overwhelm the Boston Red Sox in their Wild Card series again.
- A year ago, Schlittler tossed eight scoreless innings in a win-or-go-home Game 3 against his hometown team.
- The Yankees drafted them in the seventh and 12th rounds, respectively, one year apart, and they were overlooked as they rose through the ranks until showing up in the Bronx and becoming homegrown franchise cornerstones.
- On Tuesday, the Red Sox, after scoring the fewest runs in the majors in September, were again no match for Schlittler.
- “Wearing the Yankees jersey to the first-grade picture day probably got some weird looks,” he said.
- Schlittler, who led the American League with a 1.95 ERA, allowed only two singles and one walk in 6 1/3 innings without letting a runner reach second base.
- Schlittler has said he received on-line abuse before some of his outings against Boston.