Ben Rice continued his torrid start by hitting a three-run homer in the second inning Friday night and the host New York Yankees recorded a 7-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
The Yankees won for the 11th time in their past 13 games in their return from a 7-2 road trip against the Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros and Texas Rangers.
Jose Caballero also homered and Cody Bellinger hit an RBI double as the Yankees rebounded from getting blanked for the second time this season. Aaron Judge added an RBI single in the eighth, reached base four times and scored on Bellinger’s double and Amed Rosario’s single in the seventh.
New York’s Will Warren (4-0) allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits in 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander struck out nine, walked one and won his third consecutive start.
Pete Alonso hit a tying homer in his first at-bat in New York since joining the Orioles on a five-year, $155 million contract after he was not offered a contract by the New York Mets in the offseason.
Baltimore’s Cade Povich (1-1) was tagged for five runs on seven hits in four innings. The left-hander struck out four and walked two.
In the first of seven meetings with the Yankees over the next two weeks, the Orioles were held to three hits and lost for the 10th time in 15 games. Earlier in the day, Baltimore put closer Ryan Helsley on the injured list with elbow inflammation.
Alonso forged a 1-1 tie by hitting a 1-1 sinker into the second deck in right field but the Yankees answered with a four-run second.
Caballero homered down the left field line by hitting Povich’s first-pitch fastball. Following a two-out double by Trent Grisham and a walk by Paul Goldschmidt, Rice hammered a 1-0 slider into the right field seats.
It was Rice’s 11th homer, one behind Judge for the team lead. It also was the first baseman’s seventh in the past 14 games and fifth off a left-handed pitcher this season.
Warren retired 12 straight until Alonso walked with one out in the seventh. After Samuel Bassallo singled and took second on Grisham’s error in center field, Fernando Cruz came in and allowed a run-scoring groundout to Dylan Beavers before finishing the inning.
Camilo Doval and Jake Bird pitched an inning apiece to close out the win.
