Yankees’ home-grown pair put Red Sox under pressure
Cam Schlittler and Ben Rice led New York to a 9–0 win in Game 1, leaving the Yankees one victory from the ALDS.
The New York Yankees opened their Wild Card Series with a 9–0 win over the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Cam Schlittler held Boston scoreless for 6⅓ innings and struck out 10, while Ben Rice went 4 for 5 with two home runs and six RBIs.
The result gives New York a chance to close out the series with one more win and advance to the ALDS. Rice’s six RBIs also tied a Yankees franchise postseason record, according to CBS Sports.
The performance brought together two players with Massachusetts roots. CBS Sports reports Schlittler grew up in Walpole and Rice in Cohasset; both were drafted from New England colleges and signed by Yankees Northeast scout Matt Hyde. Schlittler was a seventh-round pick in 2022 and Rice a 12th-round selection in 2021.
Rice hit 41 home runs in the 2025 regular season, CBS Sports reported. Schlittler’s fastball velocity rose through the minor leagues before reaching 98–99 mph in the majors, according to the report.
Schlittler also pitched eight scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts in Game 3 of last year’s Wild Card Series, CBS Sports noted. The Yankees now need one more win to move on.
