Ben Rice homers twice, Yankees beat Rays 12-4 to split 4-game series

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Ben Rice hit two homers and drove in five runs, Austin Wells also went deep and the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 12-4 Thursday to split a four-game series between the AL’s top two teams.

Junior Caminero connected for the Rays, who have a four-game lead over the Yankees in the East.

Both Rice and Caminero will compete in the Home Run Derby in Philadelphia on Monday night.

The injury-riddled Yankees improved to 15-19 without three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge, who will have his injured right rib reimaged next week.

The Yankees won for just the third time in 14 games. They’ve lost seven games in the standings in that span as the Rays have gone 10-4.

Tampa Bay’s pitchers had 45 strikeouts and only two walks in the first three games of the series before New York’s slumping hitters broke out with 14 hits and 12 runs.

Thursday's win had the most runs and hits in a game for the Yankees since a 12-2 victory 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 gave New York a 2-1 lead and Rice followed with a two-run drive to right.

Rasmussen then gave up consecutive infield singles and left after Jose Caballero’s RBI single. The right-hander allowed six runs and seven hits in 2 1/3 innings. His ERA rose from 2.73 to 3.26.

Rasmussen came in with an 0.89 ERA — five earned runs in 50 2/3 innings — against New York. It was the lowest for a pitcher against any opponent in major league history since earned runs became an official stat in 1913.

Reliever Paul Blackburn started for the Yankees, who used seven pitchers in a bullpen game. Blackburn gave up one run in two innings. Ryan Yarbrough (1-0) tossed a scoreless inning for the win.

Rice hit his 28th homer, a towering, three-run shot to right-center, off Casey Legumina in the sixth to extend New York’s lead to 10-3. He's 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.

Caminero hit his 27th homer 438 feet the opposite way to right-center in the first.

Wells ended a 23-game homerless streak with his first since May 22, also against the Rays.

Yankees: LHP Ryan Weathers (3-7, 4.29 ERA) starts Friday at Washington.

Rays: RHP Nick Martinez (7-2, 2.61) goes to the mound against Seattle.

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