Ben Rice’s Two-Homer Barrage Powers Yankees Past Rays

The New York Yankees came to St. Petersburg Thursday night and reminded the Tampa Bay Rays why they’re supposed to be contenders in the AL East. A six-run explosion in the third inning and a relentless offensive assault throughout the game resulted in a 12-4 drubbing that was never really in doubt after the early barrage. This wasn’t a slugfest where both teams traded blows. This was the Yankees methodically dismantling a Rays team that simply had no answer for the onslaught.

Rice Steals the Show

If you’re looking for the story of this game, look no further than Ben Rice‘s two-homer, five-RBI night. The Yankees catcher turned what could have been an ordinary Thursday game into a personal showcase, crushing two fly balls that found their way over the fence and putting the game well out of reach. Rice’s second dinger in the sixth inning, a three-run blast that scored Austin Wells and Trent Grisham, was the final dagger in what had already become a one-sided affair. This is exactly what the Yankees need from their catching position: not just game management and pitch framing, but legitimate power production in the middle of the lineup.

Wells chipped in with a solo shot of his own in the fourth inning, extending the Yankees’ lead to 7-1 at that point. The combination of Rice and Wells going deep meant Tampa Bay was playing catch-up from the moment the Yankees finished their turn in the third.

Third Inning Destruction

That third inning was the gut-punch that defined this contest. The Yankees manufactured five runs before the Rays could even record two outs, turning Drew Rasmussen‘s night into a short, painful one. Rasmussen couldn’t find the strike zone, couldn’t establish a rhythm, and certainly couldn’t slow down a lineup that was determined to make him work. After just 2.1 innings and allowing six earned runs on seven hits, Rasmussen’s evening was done. The Rays brought in reinforcements, but the damage was already catastrophic.

Ryan McMahon doubled in Max Schuemann to get the party started, Trent Grisham added a single to move runners around, and then Rice’s two-run homer gave the Yankees a commanding 5-1 advantage. Jose Caballero followed with an RBI single, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. sacrificed a run home. It was textbook batting practice stuff, the kind of inning that breaks a pitcher’s confidence and a team’s spirit.

The Rays did score on Junior Caminero‘s solo blast in the first inning, a 438-foot monster that showed the kid has legitimate pop. They also got an RBI ground-rule double from Victor Mesa Jr. in the third and a single from Ben Williamson in the sixth. But these were mercy baskets, nothing more than statistical footnotes in what was a complete and total Yankees domination.

Thursday’s game at Tropicana Field was essentially decided by the time the third inning ended. The Yankees proved they can pile on runs in bunches when the pitching cooperates, and the Rays showed they’re still searching for consistency on the mound. Rice’s performance will be remembered as the highlight, but the truth is this was a team effort that exposed all the cracks in Tampa Bay’s armor. Sometimes in baseball, one team just has it and the other doesn’t. Thursday was one of those nights.