Yankees Beat Rays 7-4 Behind Stanton & Rice Homers

Thursday, July 31st, 2025

NEW YORK — Giancarlo Stanton and Ben Rice homered in the first two innings as the New York Yankees defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 7-4 in a game delayed by rain for nearly three hours on Thursday, July 31, 2025.

The Yankees highlighted a busy trade-deadline day by agreeing to acquire reliever David Bednar from Pittsburgh in a deal they were working to finalize.

Stanton hit his eighth home run since returning from tendinitis in both elbows last month, leading to a 3-0 lead against Tampa Bay starter Ryan Pepiot (6-9) just four batters into the game. Rice then hit a three-run homer into the Yankees’ bullpen in right-center, extending the lead to 6-0.

New York starter Marcus Stroman (3-3) allowed four runs and six hits over five innings to earn the win.

Cody Bellinger hit an RBI single ahead of Stanton’s homer. Yankees newcomer Austin Slater added an RBI groundout in the third for New York, which has now won four of their last five games since placing Aaron Judge on the injured list.

Stroman did not allow a hit until the fourth inning, when the Rays scored all four of their runs. Jonathan Aranda and Jonny DeLuca hit RBI singles, Taylor Walls had an RBI double, and Junior Caminero lifted a sacrifice fly.

Aranda was the third Tampa Bay starter to exit the game, holding his left wrist after a collision at first base with Stanton. Yandy Díaz exited earlier with a bruised right forearm after being hit by a pitch in the first inning, and rookie Chandler Simpson departed with a sprained left index finger in the third.

Pepiot was tagged for seven runs and six hits in four innings for the Rays.

Key Moment

Stanton homered after a popup was lost in the wind, dropping behind in shallow left field for a double, setting the stage for the Yankees' early offensive explosion.

Key Stats

Ben Rice has now hit seven home runs in 21 starts as a leadoff hitter.

Up Next

New York LHP Carlos Rodón (11-7, 3.18 ERA) is scheduled to open a three-game series in Miami against the Marlins on Friday.

Tampa Bay RHP Shane Baz (8-7, 4.61 ERA) is set to face LHP Clayton Kershaw (4-2, 3.62) in the opener of a three-game series against the visiting Dodgers on Friday.

In summary

The New York Yankees defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 7-4 in an MLB game on July 31, 2025, which experienced a significant rain delay. Key to the Yankees' victory were early home runs from Giancarlo Stanton and Ben Rice, along with RBIs from Cody Bellinger and Austin Slater. Pitcher Marcus Stroman secured the win despite the Rays' four-run fourth inning. The game also saw the Yankees working to finalize a trade for reliever David Bednar. The Rays were plagued by multiple injuries to key players, including Jonathan Aranda, Yandy Díaz, and Chandler Simpson. This outcome further solidifies the Yankees' strong performance following Aaron Judge's absence, while the Rays will look to bounce back in their upcoming series against the Dodgers.

Related Links

• Tampa Bay Rays News & Updates
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• New York Yankees News & Updates
• New York Yankees Schedule & Scores
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