Ben Rice gave the Yankees exactly the kind of jolt they needed Thursday night in St. Petersburg.
Rice homered twice, drove in five runs and helped New York pound the Tampa Bay Rays 12-4 to split a four-game series between the AL’s top two teams. Austin Wells also went deep as the Yankees finally broke through against a Tampa Bay staff that had spent the first three games making life miserable for their hitters.
The result mattered for more than just the box score. New York, battered by injuries and still missing Aaron Judge, improved to 15-19 without the three-time AL MVP. Judge will have his injured right rib reimaged next week.
The Yankees had won just twice in their previous 13 games before Thursday, and the surge at the plate came at a good time. They finished with 14 hits and 12 runs, their biggest offensive output in both categories since a 12-2 win over the White Sox on June 16.
Rice was the centerpiece. His first homer came in the middle of a six-run third inning that turned the game.
After Trent Grisham’s RBI single put New York ahead 2-1, Rice followed with a two-run shot to right. Later, after Tampa Bay had already been forced to turn to the bullpen, Rice launched a towering three-run blast to right-center off Casey Legumina in the sixth to push the Yankees to 10-3.
That second homer was Rice’s 28th of the season. He now sits second in the AL behind Houston’s Yordan Alvarez, who has 29. Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber leads the majors with 32 going into Thursday night’s game at Cincinnati.
Wells added his own long ball, snapping a 23-game homerless drought with his first homer since May 22 - also against the Rays.
Junior Caminero answered for Tampa Bay with a homer of his own, a 438-foot drive to right-center in the first inning. It was his 27th of the year. Both Rice and Caminero are set to take part in the Home Run Derby in Philadelphia on Monday night.
New York’s big inning chased All-Star Drew Rasmussen, who had been dominant against the Yankees. The right-hander allowed five straight hits during the third, then exited after Jose Caballero’s RBI single. Rasmussen was charged with six runs and seven hits in 2 1/3 innings, and his ERA climbed from 2.73 to 3.26.
That outing was a sharp reversal from the numbers he brought into Thursday. Rasmussen had carried an 0.89 ERA against New York - five earned runs in 50 2/3 innings - the lowest mark for a pitcher against any opponent in major league history since earned runs became an official stat in 1913.
The Yankees pieced together the win with a bullpen game, using seven pitchers. Reliever Paul Blackburn opened and gave up one run over two innings, while Ryan Yarbrough earned the victory with a scoreless inning.
Tampa Bay still holds a four-game lead over New York in the East, but the Yankees at least left the series with momentum after getting their offense untracked.
Up next, the Yankees send left-hander Ryan Weathers (3-7, 4.29 ERA) to the mound Friday at Washington. The Rays will counter with right-hander Nick Martinez (7-2, 2.61) against Seattle.
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