New York Yankees designated hitter Ben Rice hit a grand slam in the bottom of the eighth inning on Tuesday night, giving the Yankees a 9-0 lead in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card series against the Boston Red Sox. The ball was headed for the bullpen in right-center field, where a Yankees bullpen catcher stood and allowed the baseball to strike him directly on top of his helmet.
The play occurred as the stadium crowd anticipated the ball clearing the wall. The catcher took a few steps to his right and, rather than raising his glove to catch the ball, he remained stationary. He showed no last-second flinch or movement to soften the blow, displaying pure commitment to the position.
Rice went 4-for-5 at the plate in the game, which the Yankees won 9-0. The team built its lead gradually, taking a 1-0 advantage in the bottom of the second inning, doubling it in the bottom of the fifth, and adding two runs in the seventh inning. The fifth run came in what was a five-run eighth inning for the home club, capped by Rice's grand slam.
Starting pitcher Cam Schlittler, a Massachusetts native, was dominant on the mound. He allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out 10 hitters over 6.1 innings of work. Schlittler is the heavy favorite to win American League Cy Young honors and is part of an exclusive conversation regarding the award.
The Red Sox face elimination in the best-of-three series on Wednesday night. They will be forced to deal with New York starting pitcher Max Fried on the mound in Game 2.