Ben Rice Hits fortieth and forty first Homers, Ryan McMahon Provides Grand Slam as Yankees Rout Rays 9-2

Ben Rice hit his fortieth and forty first house runs, Ryan McMahon added a grand slam and the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 9-2 on Wednesday night time, a day after Tampa Bay clinched the AL East.

Rice hit the primary pitch of the sport from Mason Englert (0-4) for a leadoff homer and opened the fourth with a solo shot. He completed 3 for 4 with two RBIs.

The two homers put Rice in a four-way tie for the AL lead at 41 with Pete Alonso, Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero and Houston’s Yordan Alvarez.

McMahon drove in 5 runs. He singled in a run within the second, then made it 7-0 with a two-out grand slam within the third, his eleventh homer of the season. George Lombard Jr. additionally homered within the third.

Gerrit Cole (10-9) allowed two runs on three hits over 5 2/3 innings, hanging out eight and strolling three on a season-high 105 pitches. The 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner has a 3.61 ERA and 131 strikeouts in 22 begins since coming back from Tommy John surgical procedure in May. Jonny DeLuca doubled in a run within the fourth and Cedric Mullins homered within the fifth for the Rays.

Englert allowed eight runs on 9 hits in 3 2/3 innings. He had been referred to as as much as give Rays starters further relaxation earlier than the playoffs, The Associated Press reported, and supervisor Kevin Cash mentioned left-hander Shane McClanahan will not get better in time for the Division Series. Cash mentioned left-hander Garrett Cleavinger and right-hander Tyler Wells are potentialities. All three have forearm tightness.

The Yankees (91-67) will host Boston in a best-of-three AL Wild Card Series beginning Tuesday. The winner faces the Rays (96-62) within the Division Series.

Cam Schlittler begins Thursday’s sequence finale for New York in opposition to Tampa Bay’s Ian Seymour.