A unique first baseman/catching prospect of the New York Yankees farm system, Ben Rice was called up to majors abruptly after a fracture ruled Anthony Rizzo out for eight weeks. While the fans were skeptical about the kid, the franchise was confident in what they had seen in the minors.
Ben Rice was promoted as an everyday starter at first base, and the kid didn’t disappoint. He recorded extra-base hits almost every day before getting promoted to the leadoff spot. And in what turned out to be a career-changing moment, Rice did something no other rookie in the franchise’s century-long history has ever achieved before.
Yankees Ben Rice Goes Yard Thrice Vs Red Sox In Historic Outing
In a thrilling game 2 of the three-game series against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, Ben Rice stepped up to the plate and delivered a performance for the ages. He started off with a leadoff home run in the first innings off Josh Winckowski to mark his second career-long hit. However, Rice had something even more special and extraordinary in store. In the Yankees’ seven-run fifth inning, Rice scored his first-ever three-run home run off Chase Anderson to add three runs to the Yanks’ soaring lead. He pumped up the dugout on his way home and was greeted enthusiastically by his teammates back in the dugout. That being said, with the game in the Bombers’ control, Rice scored some insurance runs.
In the seventh innings, Ben Rice scored yet another three-run home run off Anderson to become the first rookie in Yankees history to record a three-home runs game. “It’s definitely a day I’ll never forget,” Rice shared his thoughts on the historic outing. The kid was overwhelmed, and when the fans raised the volume for a curtain call, the rookie was lost and had to be guided by his teammates on how to soak in the applause. “I was just walking through the dugout, and then I heard everyone yelling at me to do something,” Rice said on his curtain call confusion. With Rice’s extraordinary outing, the New York Yankees snapped out of their four-game losing streak to take home a massive 14-4 victory over arch-rivals Boston Red Sox. Needless to say, Rice’s heroics proved to be the spark the Yanks needed amid a slow run.
Gerrit Cole Thankful To Be Part Of Ben Rice’s Historic Night
As Ben Rice walked back to the dugout following his third home run of the day against the Red Sox on Saturday, ace Gerrit Cole had to guide the lost rookie to accept his curtain call. Cole revealed how it was a magical moment and that he feels grateful to be a part of a historic night.
Gerrit Cole added that Ben Rice will remember this day for the rest of his life and that it was much needed for the New York Yankees. It goes without saying, with this historic performance, Ben Rice has firmly established himself as a player to watch and has given Yankees fans plenty to be excited about the season.
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