Yankees Rally Past Rays 12-4 Behind Rice's Two Homers

Turning Point in the Sixth

The New York Yankees transformed a tight contest into a decisive victory thanks to a massive offensive surge in the sixth inning. Ben Rice provided the spark with a three-run home run to center field, measuring 422 feet. The blast extended New York’s lead to 10-3 and effectively sealed the outcome against the Tampa Bay Rays. Rice had already put the Yankees ahead early in the game with a solo shot in the third inning.

Scoring Breakdown

Tampa Bay took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning when Wander Franco Caminero homered to right-center field, a 438-foot drive. However, the Yankees responded immediately in the bottom of the third. A double by Ryan McMahon and a single by Jake Grisham tied the game at 1-1 before Rice’s first home run gave New York a 3-1 advantage.

The Yankees continued to pile on runs in the third inning. Aaron Judge drove in a run with a single, and Chisholm Jr. added another on a sacrifice fly. The Rays managed to score two more runs in the frame on a ground-rule double by Mesa Jr. and a run scored on a groundout, making the score 6-3 before the fourth inning.

In the fourth, Wells homered to right field, extending the Yankees’ lead to 7-3. The sixth inning proved to be the knockout blow. Following Rice’s three-run homer, Williamson singled to left, scoring Simpson to make it 11-4. McMahon doubled in Schuemann in the seventh, and Bellinger singled in Rice in the eighth to finalize the 12-4 score.

Pitching Performances

New York’s bullpen was dominant after the early innings. Paul Blackburn started for the Yankees, pitching two innings and allowing one earned run. Jake Bird struggled in relief, giving up two earned runs in 0.2 innings. Ryan Yarbrough earned the win with a perfect inning of relief. Camilo Doval, Brent Headrick, Angel Chivilli, and Tim Hill combined to shut down the Rays’ offense over the final 4.2 innings, allowing just one more run.

For Tampa Bay, Drew Rasmussen took the loss after allowing six earned runs on seven hits in 2.1 innings. Cam Booser, Casey Legumina, Craig Kimbrel, Chris Roycroft, and Ben Williamson attempted to contain the Yankees’ lineup but could not stop the late-inning scoring. Kimbrel allowed one earned run in his appearance.

Final Details

The game was played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, with an attendance of 18,255. The victory improved the New York Yankees’ record to 51-42. The Tampa Bay Rays fell to 54-37 following the defeat.

Sources

https://www.espn.com/mlb/game/_/gameId/401816087