Rice in Derby form with 27th, 28th HRs in Yanks' romp at Trop

ST. PETERSBURG -- Ben Rice hasn’t given much thought to the strategy of participating in the upcoming T-Mobile Home Run Derby, saying that the best advice he’s received is to “enjoy the whole experience and all it has to offer.”

If he keeps swinging the bat like this, Rice will have a great time in Philadelphia.

Rice homered twice and drove in five runs as the Bombers outslugged the Rays, 12-4, on Thursday afternoon at Tropicana Field, securing a split of a four-game series against the American League East leaders.

The Yankees chased All-Star Drew Rasmussen in a six-run third inning, which featured Rice’s first blast of the day, a two-run shot that just cleared the right-field wall. He added a three-run shot in the sixth off Casey Legumina.

"It's big for the morale heading into the last series before the break," Rice said to YES Network after the win. "Get everyone rolling again and firing on all cylinders, it feels good."

Rice’s homers were his 27th and 28th of the season. Austin Wells also homered for the Yankees, the catcher’s fifth of the year and first since May 22.

Paul Blackburn started for New York, working two innings in a bullpen game. Junior Caminero hit a first-inning homer off the right-hander, Caminero’s 27th of the year.