​ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Ben Rice belted two homers and drove in five runs, while Austin Wells also went deep, as the New York Yankees defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 12-4 on Thursday to split a four-game series between the American League’s leading teams. The Rays, who currently hold a four-game edge over New York in the division, were helped by Junior Caminero’s solo shot.
Both Rice and Caminero are set to participate in Monday’s Home Run Derby in Philadelphia. The Yankees, hampered by injuries, improved to 15-19 without three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge, who will undergo a rib reimaging next week. The win marked just the third victory for New York in 14 games, a stretch in which they have fallen seven games in the standings as the Rays have gone 10-4.
Tampa Bay’s pitchers had generated 45 strikeouts and only two walks through the first three games of the series, but New York’s slumping hitters finally found their stride, tallying 14 hits and 12 runs. Thursday’s performance produced the Yankees’ most runs and hits in a game since a 12-2 win over the White Sox on June 16.
The Yankees chased All-Star Drew Rasmussen (7-5) with five straight hits during a six-run third inning. Trent Grisham’s RBI single put New York ahead 2-1, followed by Rice’s two-run homer to right. Rasmussen then surrendered consecutive infield hits and departed after Jose Caballero’s RBI single. Rasmussen gave up six runs and seven hits in just 2 1/3 innings, lifting his ERA from 2.73 to 3.26. The right-hander entered the game with an 0.89 ERA against New York, five earned runs in 50 2/3 innings—the lowest opponent ERA in major league history since earned runs became official in 1913.
Reliever Paul Blackburn started for the Yankees, who used seven pitchers in a bullpen game. Blackburn yielded one run over two innings. Ryan Yarbrough (1-0) pitched a scoreless inning for the win.
Rice added a 28th homer in the sixth, a towering three-run shot to right-center off Casey Legumina that extended the lead to 10-3. Caminero’s 27th homer came in the first, a 438-foot blast to the opposite field, also to right-center.
Upcoming starters: LHP Ryan Weathers (3-7, 4.29 ERA) will start for the Yankees on Friday at Washington, while RHP Nick Martinez (7-2, 2.61) will pitch for the Rays against Seattle.
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