Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after Wednesday's 4-3 Game 2 win over the Boston Red Sox that he had not yet "decided on" his starting catcher or first baseman for Thursday's winner-take-all Game 3, but Ben Rice's return to the lineup upon sitting Tuesday's 3-1 Game 1 loss "makes it tough."
"I haven't decided on my catcher, first base, all of that — sit on that," Boone said when he was asked about his plan for Rice with Boston set to start left-handed pitcher Connelly Early next. "Early's pretty neutral, a little different than the first guy we faced, so we'll sit and talk about it and make that decision tonight."
Boone started first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and catcher Austin Wells while sitting Rice in Tuesday's seven-hit loss. Goldschmidt was 2-for-4 with leadoff singles in the first and ninth innings.
Rice started at first base and batted cleanup while Goldschmidt sat in Wednesday's 10-hit win, which included Rice's tone-setting home run — a two-out, two-run shot that put the Yankees up 2-0.
"Obviously, Benny's playing at such a, such a (high level), swinging the bat so well, especially here down the stretch, so, yeah, he makes it tough," Boone said, referencing Boston starting southpaw Garrett Crochet in Game 1 and being set to start Early for Game 3 after going with right-handed pitcher Brayan Bello Wednesday.
"Again, it's not just, 'It's a lefty,' it's, 'What lefty? Is that guy going to be out there for six or seven innings?' I want to leverage a spot for, whoever my bench guys are, to have a good matchup and not three bad matchups that I can guarantee. So, all those things factor into it."
Rice cashed in on Cody Bellinger's two-out single after Trent Grisham and Aaron Judge went down to start the bottom of the first inning, taking Bello deep on his plate appearance's first pitch.
"It was great," Judge said. "The boys were locked in from the jump, but for us to get a two-run lead like that early was huge — and especially to knock out a guy like Bello, who's kind of had our number over the years, was huge and it was kind of a bullpen game after that. But it was great for Ricey to get a start — first pitch he sees in the postseason, to do that? Impressive."
Rice's 2-for-4 performance included a leadoff single in the sixth inning.
"I know my role, and yesterday my role was to be ready for a big at-bat off the bench and today I was starting," Rice said. "So, the approach doesn't change. I've just got to be prepared for every at-bat I get and every chance I get."
The 26-year-old slashed .255/.337/.499 with 26 home runs and 65 RBI in 138 regular-season games this year, his first full MLB campaign.
"Hits the ball hard every single time gets up there," Judge said. "Just great at-bats. Calculated. Knows what he's looking for. When he gets it, he usually doesn't miss. It's been fun to see his growth in the last season to this season."
Whatever Boone decides, Rice seems ready.
"It helps make you feel like you're in a good spot and, of course, I was able to help the team win today," Rice said. "So, just gives myself and the team a lot of confidence going into tomorrow."
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