NEW YORK — Aaron Boone had plenty to enjoy after the Yankees opened their postseason with a 9–0 win over the Boston Red Sox. His message afterward was about what still needed doing.
“But it’s one win,” Boone said. “So we’ve got the blinders on.”
For Yankees fans, Tuesday delivered both a convincing result and reasons to believe the team could finish the series. Ben Rice drove in six runs, Cam Schlittler struck out 10 over 6⅓ scoreless innings, and New York moved within one victory of advancing.
Boone’s assessment went beyond the final score. He liked the quality of the at-bats throughout the lineup, including the work against Boston starter Payton Tolle before the game opened up late.
That distinction matters. The Yankees led only 1–0 before Rice’s fifth-inning homer doubled the advantage. This was a close game before it became a celebration.
“Probably his best curveball of the year,” Boone said of Schlittler’s breaking ball. He also praised his fastball command. He also acknowledged that he might have pushed his starter too far by leaving him in for the Wilyer Abreu at-bat in the seventh. Schlittler finished with 117 pitches.
The manager explained that the plan had been to lean heavily on his starter. Getting additional outs also offered a chance to preserve relievers for the rest of the series.
The offensive contributions reached beyond Rice’s two homers. George Lombard Jr. had three hits, while Austin Wells supplied two hits and two RBIs. For a team playing without Aaron Judge, those contributions gave the opening victory particular weight.
Boone described a confident clubhouse but repeatedly put the result in perspective. New York had earned an opportunity to close out Boston, not a place in the next round.
That is the challenge for the Yankees now: bring the same quality of at-bats and pitching execution into the next game. A nine-run margin makes Game 1 memorable. It still counts as only one win.
Read Aaron Boone’s complete postgame transcript from ASAP Sports · Watch Boone’s postgame interview on YES Network · More Yankees–Red Sox series coverage
