Ben Rice hits 40th and 41st homers as Yankees beat Rays 9-2 a day after Tampa Bay clinches AL East

New York Yankees' Ben Rice achieved two milestone home runs, his 40th and 41st, as the team defeated the Tampa Bay Rays with a score of 9-2 on Wednesday night. Ryan McMahon contributed to the win by delivering a grand slam and matching his career high with five RBIs, while also scoring three runs. Gerrit Cole, the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner, pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs and three hits, striking out eight and walking three.

Rice's leadoff homer in the first inning set the tone for the game, and he added another solo home run in the fourth for his fifth career multi-homer game. George Lombard Jr. also hit a homer for the Yankees, while Cedric Mullins went deep for the Rays. The Yankees now face a best-of-three AL Wild Card Series starting on Tuesday, likely against Boston.