Ben Rice’s two-run homer doubles Yankees’ lead over Red Sox in live updates
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Source: ESPN Top · September 30, 2026 at 2:32 AM · AI-assisted report
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NEW YORK, 30 SEPTEMBER 2026 —
The Atlanta Braves opened the 2026 Major League Baseball postseason with a 5-3 comeback victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday, as Austin Riley's three-run home run in the eighth inning erased a 3-2 deficit and put Atlanta one win from a National League Division Series meeting with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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The dramatic turn came on a 99.9 mph fastball from Phillies reliever Jhoan Duran, the fastest pitch Riley has homered on in his career across regular season and playoffs, according to ESPN's Dan Mullen. Riley, who batted .219 during the regular season, drove the ball to left field with two runners aboard, igniting the home crowd at Truist Park. Raisel Iglesias followed with three outs to close the game.
The first run of the postseason had belonged to the Phillies, scored by Alec Bohm earlier in the contest. Starting pitchers Jesus Luzardo for Atlanta and Chris Sale for Philadelphia each delivered stellar performances, with Luzardo completing five innings of one-run ball days after his availability for the playoffs had been in question.
In the American League's first contest, the Chicago White Sox defeated the Houston Astros 6-3 at Daikin Park to take Game 1 of their series. Rookie left-hander Hagen Smith set the tone with three crucial innings on just 38 pitches, only the second time he has covered three frames since reaching the majors.
Smith was converted to bullpen work midway through the season while still in the minors, a move designed to accelerate his readiness for the postseason roster. Grant Taylor finished the final 2.1 innings on 54 pitches as the White Sox bullpen, described by Bradford Doolittle as "insane this year," preserved the lead.
Offensively, Sam Antonacci delivered a two-run single in the second inning for a 3-0 edge and added another two-run hit later, while Colson Montgomery launched a home run off the batter's eye for a 4-0 advantage. The Astros, a .500 team entering the playoffs, managed a two-run homer from Nelson Velazquez and an infield single by Jose Altuve, but played before a less-than-capacity crowd that voiced audible boos and remained largely disengaged throughout.
The day's marquee matchup between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees was underway at Yankee Stadium in the late afternoon. Yankees starter Cam Schlittler exited to a standing ovation after a career-high 117 pitches. New York struck first when Austin Wells drove in George Lombard Jr. for the opening run.
The Red Sox turned to Payton Tolle in relief, but Tolle was pulled to give Ben Rice a different look against left-hander Erik Miller. Miller served a middle-middle fastball that Rice crushed for a home run, doubling the Yankees' lead. Tolle later escaped a jam with a 5-4 double play, firing up the Boston dugout.
The final National League matchup featured the Chicago Cubs visiting the San Diego Padres at Petco Park, where the home side erupted early. Fernando Tatis Jr. homered on the first pitch he saw, and Manny Machado followed with the Padres' second home run of the inning, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
San Diego entered the postseason riding a major league-best 21-5 home record since the start of August, a stretch that has made Petco Park one of the sport's most formidable venues.
The opening day of the 2026 playoffs featured four games across both leagues, with the Braves and White Sox securing Game 1 victories while the Yankees-Red Sox and Cubs-Padres contests progressed into their middle innings.
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