BRONX, NY — After being left out of the lineup in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series, both Ben Rice and Jazz Chisholm Jr. had something extra to prove. Following second-guessing from fans with endless calls to New York sports radio shows and posts on social media regarding the moves, manager Aaron Boone went with his best lineup in Game 2—and Rice and Chisholm immediately became the difference-makers.
The duo helped the Yankees stay alive in the AL Wild Card Series with a nail-biting 4-3 win over the Red Sox, forcing a decisive Game 3 Thursday night in the Bronx.
The Red Sox and Yankees will meet once again Thursday night with the winner advancing to the ALDS to face the Blue Jays – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Chisholm gave it his all—flashing the glove on defense, using his speed on the bases, and showing full awareness of what was at stake. The Yankees now find themselves in a win-or-go-home scenario, and Chisholm summed it up,“I feel like every game is a must-win. For us, we want to win every day. Any other professional athlete would tell you the same. We always put everything on the line—especially in the playoffs, you don’t want to give another team even a little bit of an edge.”
Carlos Rodón did everything he could to keep the Yankees in the game. Following Max Fried’s strong Game 1 performance, Rodón battled through traffic and gave New York six gritty innings, allowing three runs, striking out six, and walking three. He even pitched into the seventh before handing the ball to Fernando Cruz.
Carlos Rodón recorded six strikeouts across six-plus gritty innings vs. the Red Sox in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series Wednesday night in the Bronx – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
After the game, Rodón described the moment when Boone came to the mound in the sixth, “Playing under Boone for three years now, I get a sense of his demeanor when he walks out. Sometimes he points right away, but when I saw he crossed the line without putting his arm up, I knew I had a chance to rebuttal. So I hit him straight with it—I said, ‘I’m staying in.’ It worked out.”
Rodón also voiced confidence in Game 3 starter and rookie Cam Schlittler, “Everybody knows the kind of stuff Cam has. He’s equipped with a really impressive arsenal. I’m excited to see how he handles the energy, the crowd, the moment. He needs this experience. I’m looking forward to watching him dominate tomorrow.”
Coming into the postseason, Rice was already a player to watch. He wasted no time proving it, homering in his first career postseason at-bat. He became the first Yankee to do so since Shane Spencer in Game 2 of the 1998 ALDS. On the year, Rice finished with a 133 wRC+, the 10th-best mark in the American League.
With his first inning blast in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series, Ben Rice became the first Yankee to hit a home run in his first career postseason at bat since Shane Spencer in Game 2 of the 1998 ALDS – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
For perspective, that’s better than stars like Fernando Tatis Jr., Bryce Harper, Bobby Witt Jr., Junior Caminero, Julio Rodríguez, Manny Machado, and Christian Yelich. The young slugger is quickly making a name for himself, even if it complicates things for his family and friends who grew up rooting for the Red Sox.
Despite being raised in Massachusetts, Rice grew up a Yankee fan. After the game, he called the moment surreal, “Unbelievable. So cool. To be a part of the rivalry now, given where I’m from and where I grew up — it just makes it that much more special.”
Another Yankee with Boston roots is Schlittler, who explained how his family has handled the rivalry, and if he has converted them over to Yankee fans, “Yeah, I’d say so. Growing up in Boston, I take pride in that. But when it came to my career and where I wanted to be, this is it. They’re full Yankee fans now. They don’t show it much in Boston—for obvious reasons—but when they’re here, they wear it proudly.”
Yankees’ rookie right-hander Cam Schlittler, New York’s starter for Game 3 of the AL Wild Card Series, speaking to the media – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
After the game, Boone was asked about his potential Game 3 lineup, especially after Alex Cora announced Connelly Early as Boston’s starter, “Jazz will be playing. I haven’t decided on catcher, first base, all that yet. Early is pretty neutral, a little different than the first guy we faced. We’ll talk it through and I’ll make that decision tonight.”
With the Yankees on the brink of elimination, history offers some hope. Since 2022, New York has won four of its last six potential elimination games, and they’re 11-7 in such games since 2017.
It’s also worth noting that each of the last two World Series champions—the Dodgers (2024) and Rangers (2023) had to win two straight while facing elimination during their title runs.
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