NEW YORK - Leading into this elimination Wild Card Series Game 3 against the Red Sox , the big question confronting Yankees manager Aaron Boone was about Ben Rice's status.

With the Sox going with rookie starter Connelly Early, a lefty...

Do you start Rice at first base over right-handed hitting Paul Goldschmidt, with a .981 OPS vs. lefties this year?

Do you start Rice at catcher over Austin Wells, who drove in the go-ahead run late in the Yankees' Game 2 win?

Do you keep Rice on the bench, as Boone did in Game 1, and wait for an optimal pinch-hitting spot? Expert MLB daily picks: Unique MLB betting insights only at USA TODAY

Here's how Boone decided to go in this all-or-nothing game, first pitch a little after 8 p.m., at Yankee Stadium:

Yankees lineup vs Red Sox today in Game 3

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