The New York Yankees are back in the MLB postseason as they look to return to the World Series for a second straight year. But to do so, they will need to get past the Boston Red Sox in a best-of-three Wild Card series at Yankee Stadium.
In Game 1 on Tuesday, the Sox will give the ball to their ace, Garrett Crochet. The Cy Young candidate will have to face a deep Yankees lineup, filled with home run threats. One of those threats is Ben Rice, who hit 26 long balls in the regular season and went on an absolute tear in September, hitting for a .932 OPS.
That doesn't, however, make the lefty hitter a shoe-in to start in Game 1. Crochet is a lefty himself, who has picked apart left-handed batters all season, holding them to a .166 batting average and three home runs in 145 at bats. Rice himself hasn't hit lefties well all season, batting .208 against them (albeit with a still respectable .752 OPS).
There's not much of a sample size for Rice against Crochet, but he is only 1-8 against the Boston ace with a double in nine plate appearances.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone will be going with the splits as he makes out his Game 1 lineup, with Austin Wells starting at catcher and Paul Goldschmidt at first base. With Giancarlo Stanton the designated hitter, that means Rice will be on the bench to start the series.
Of course it's doubtful he stays there. Rice will likely be the first pinch hitting option off the bench once Crochet leaves the game.
The Red Sox haven't announced a starter beyond Tuesday, but it appears to be between Lucas Giolito and Brayan Bello, both righties, so expect Rice to start Game 2 and 3, if necessary.
Game 1 between the Yankees and Red Sox will get going at 6 p.m. on Tuesday night in the Bronx. The game will air on ESPN.
