The New York Yankees absolutely clobbered the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card series, putting up a commanding 9-0 win that’s the most lopsided playoff game we’ve seen so far this year. But seriously, forget the final score for a second, because Yankees DH Ben Rice just dropped a piece of franchise history that literally *no one* in a Yankees uniform, not even the legends, had ever pulled off before.
Ruth, Mantle, DiMaggio? Nah, It Was Ben Rice Who Did *This*
Yeah, you heard that right. Jayson Stark from The Athletic broke it down, revealing that Rice’s two homers in that single game, one a grand slam and the other a solo shot, marked the first time *any* Yankees slugger in their long, storied playoff history had ever done that. Stark didn’t pull any punches, saying, “Finally, Yankees DH Ben Rice did something Tuesday that Babe Ruth never did, that Mickey Mantle never did, that Joe DiMaggio never did … because no Yankee in history had ever had a game quit like this dish of Rice-a-Roni. That’s because it included: A postseason grand slam and another home run in the same postseason game.” Think about that for a second. Legends, gone. Rice, the new guy, making history. It’s wild!
Game-Changing Bombs and Why This Feat Is Still Jaw-Dropping
Look, it’s not like grand slams in the postseason are totally unheard of for the Yankees; Rick Ledee hit one back in ’99 against these very Red Sox. And a solo homer? Impressive, for sure, but not a one-of-a-kind feat on its own. What makes Rice’s night so bonkers is the combo. His solo shot early on doubled the Yankees’ lead, taking it from a tight 1-0 to 2-0. Then, his grand slam later just busted the game wide open. Yeah, the article admits it’s “a little cherry-picked” to define history this way, but come on, it’s still absolutely true that no Yankees fan has ever seen this particular combination before. It’s genuinely surprising that in all those years, with all those sluggers, this specific dual-homer feat never happened until Ben Rice stepped up to the plate in 2026.
So, what’s next? The Yankees now roll into Game 2 of this Wild Card series with a 1-0 lead, riding high after that dominant win. With Rice already etching his name into the record books on the biggest stage, you just gotta wonder what else these Yankees have in store. You can bet fans are gonna be glued to their screens for the next one, hoping for more fireworks.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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