Ben Rice hit his 40th and 41st home runs Wednesday against Tampa Bay, powering the Yankees to a 9-2 win. He is the third Yankee to hit at least 40 homers within his first three major-league seasons; New York will meet Boston in a best-of-three Wild Card Series.
Now in his second full major-league season, Rice batted .333 (34-for-102) over the last month. Sixteen of his 41 home runs either tied the score or gave the Yankees the lead.
Aaron Judge has told manager Aaron Boone he expects to play in the Wild Card Series, but columnist Bob Klapisch calls that a long shot. Rice has hit 11 home runs in 194 at-bats against left-handed pitching this year, a matchup the column highlights because Boston has many left-handers.
