Ben Rice explodes for historic Yankees playoff performance against Red Sox

Ben Rice explodes for historic Yankees playoff performance against Red Sox originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

>Aaron Judge wasn't in the Yankees lineup Tuesday night.Ben Rice made sure New York still had plenty of power.

>Rice delivered the offensive performance of the night in the Yankees' 9-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of their American League Wild Card Series, homering twice and driving in six runs.

>One of those swings was a grand slam. On a night when much of the attention surrounding New York centered on who wasn't playing, Rice gave Yankees fans a different story.

Rice takes over October stageRice's emergence has been anything but conventional. The former Dartmouth standout has developed into an important part of New York's offense, and Tuesday provided his biggest opportunity yet to introduce himself to a national postseason audience.

>He didn't waste it.

>Rice's two home runs gave starter Cam Schlittler more than enough breathing room. Schlittler struck out 10 while working 6 1/3 scoreless innings, combining with Rice to turn what could have been a tense rivalry game into a comfortable New York victory.

>The performance was particularly important considering Judge was unavailable because of a calf injury. Replacing Judge's production isn't realistic for any one player.

>Rice didn't need to replace him.

>For one night, he simply became the most dangerous hitter in the ballpark.

>MORE: Yankees' Cam Schlittler sends message after dominant playoff performance vs. Red Sox

Yankees put Boston on the brinkThe beauty and cruelty of the Wild Card Series is how quickly everything changes.

>Boston entered Tuesday needing two wins to advance. After one night, the Red Sox are one loss from elimination. New York can finish the series Wednesday and avoid exposing itself to the randomness of a deciding Game 3.

>Rice is a major reason why.

>October often creates unexpected stars. Players who spend much of the regular season outside the national spotlight can suddenly become synonymous with one postseason moment.

>Rice may have just found his.

>Two home runs. Six RBIs. A grand slam. And one enormous Yankees victory.

>Not bad for a first impression on one of baseball's biggest stages.

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