CNN
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Rookie Ben Rice had a day to remember as he hit three home runs in the New York Yankees’ huge 14-4 win against the Boston Red Sox on Saturday.
Per the Elias Sports Bureau, Rice is the first ever rookie to hit three home runs in a single game for the Yankees.
“It’s definitely a day I’ll never forget,” Rice said postgame, per MLB. “I’m just pumped that it was a big-time win for us, a good bounceback win, and over my hometown team. So it’s pretty cool.”
The 25-year-old rookie got the Yankees off to the ideal start when he launched a huge solo home run to right field at the bottom of the first inning.
“What a game and obviously in the midst of what we’re going through to come out and set the tone right away in the first inning with a homer and then put together a kind of legendary day,” New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters postgame of Rice’s big day.
“Just really big time.”
In the bottom of the fifth, Rice went even bigger with a three-run home run to give the Yankees a 10-4 lead.
Rice’s incredible display was then topped off in the seventh inning where he crushed his third home run of the day and his second three-run home run.
“He hit three in a day – something he’ll never forget and people over here probably watching will never forget,” Boone added.
After his third home run of the day, Rice was shown the way by his more experienced teammates who ushered him out of the dugout to address the cheering fans at Yankee Stadium.
Rice took off his helmet and waved at the adoring crowd looking on at their rising star as he gave a curtain call, marking his extraordinary performance in which he became just the third rookie in MLB history to hit three homers from the leadoff spot.
“Honestly, it was all happening so fast,” Rice said, per the MLB. “I think I was still just coming off the high of hitting the home run. I was just walking through the dugout and then I heard everyone yelling at me to do something. I didn’t even know what they were talking about, but as they slowly guided me toward the steps, I was like, ‘Oh, dude. A curtain call. That’s pretty cool.’”