Yankees star starting to change narrative on chink in the armor

SEATTLE — A ninth-inning groundout in the Yankees ’ season-opening win was scored 6-3, shortstop Jose Caballero to first baseman Ben Rice . That’s all you get in the box score. Watch the replay and you’ll see a routine play almost messed up when Caballero charged forward to field a chopper and whipped an off-balanced throw to first that was in the dirt three feet short of Rice’s stretched left arm.

A year ago, this probably results in a throwing error because it’s been a slow process converting Rice, a catcher only through college, into just an average defensive first baseman. At Oracle Park in San Francisco last Wednesday, Rice looked like a right-handed Don Mattingly making a backhanded pick look easy. He’s scooping a lot better these days.

Same series, Rice’s athleticism was on display Saturday when the Yankees swept the Giants , first when he chased down a chopper to this right and threw a dart to second base to start a 3-6-1, inning-ending double play. Yankees moneyline is listed at -108 on FanDuel for Monday’s contest against Seattle. Our complete FanDuel Sportsbook review shows you how to navigate through their site.

Rice’s degree of difficult increased later in the game when the Yankees turned a two-on, one-out DP to get through the sixth still ahead by two runs. The 4-6-3 was tailor made until Caballero catch Jazz Chisholm’s underhand feed and made a throw that sailed far up the line. Rice found the bag with his right foot, stretched as far as he could, stuck out his glove and pulled the ball in before his momentum sent him tumbling to the ground.