Ben Rice bashed a two-run homer in a six-run third inning, and the New York Yankees split their four-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays in a 12-4 walloping on Thursday afternoon in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Rice went 2-for-4 with two home runs, five RBIs, three runs and a walk as the Yanks scored at least six runs in a game for the first time in 21 contests. The Yankees sent 10 batters to the plate in the big frame, with seven recording hits.

Austin Wells hit a solo home run. Ryan McMahon (two doubles, two RBIs), Trent Grisham, Max Schuemann, Jasson Dominguez and Cody Bellinger had two hits apiece as the Yanks moved to four games back of the American League East leaders.

In a bullpen game, Paul Blackburn started and allowed one run on two hits with three strikeouts in two innings. Former Rays pitcher Ryan Yarbrough (1-0) pitched a scoreless inning.

Rays slugger Junior Caminero homered for the 12th time in 16 games. Chandler Simpson lashed two triples, and Ben Williamson and Jonathan Aranda each had two hits.

Tampa Bay starter Drew Rasmussen (7-5) was rocked in his worst and shortest outing so far. The right-hander surrendered six runs on seven hits in just 2 1/3 innings with two whiffs.

Caminero hit a massive home run to right-center in the first that landed near the saltwater tank full of rays, blasting Blackburn’s 86 mph 0-2 sweeper an estimated 438 feet for his 27th long ball.

In the third, McMahon won a 12-pitch at-bat against Rasmussen with an RBI double, and Grisham drove home in with a liner to right for a 2-1 lead. Rice added a towering shot to right with a 43-degree launch angle that landed in the first row to make it 4-1.

Jose Caballero’s single chased Rasmussen, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a sacrifice fly as the visitors took a 6-1 advantage after 2 1/2 innings.

In the bottom of the frame, Caminero scored one with a double-play grounder, and Victor Mesa Jr. doubled in another as Rays cut it to 6-3.

However, Wells stroked a solo shot in the fourth, and the home side stranded Simpson’s leadoff triple in the bottom half.

Rice ripped a three-run homer in the sixth, his 28th, and McMahon produced an RBI double an inning later. The Rays answered on Williamson’s run-scoring single.

Bellinger’s single made it 12-4 in the eighth.

Williamson, who started at second base, lobbed and induced three flyouts in a perfect ninth,

–Field Level Media