Ben Rice of the New York Yankees runs to the first base after hitting a home run in the seventh inning of a game against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium in New York City, July 6, 2024. /AP
First baseman Ben Rice of the New York Yankees hit three home runs in their 14-4 win over the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium in New York City on Saturday, becoming the first rookie in franchise history to do so.
Rice smashed his first homer against Josh Winckowski in the first inning and then blasted off Chase Anderson twice in the fifth and seventh innings. The Yankees outscored their American League East Division rivals 12-1 over three innings.
"Definitely a day I'll never forget," Rice said. He was only promoted to the Major League club less than four weeks ago.
"You see the calm at-bats he takes," Aaron Boone, manager of the Yankees, said. "He understands the strike zone. He doesn't flinch at much. Easy takes. You see the pull-side power that he has too. I just think he combines controlling the strike zone with some barrel awareness and the ability to get the ball in the air pull-side."
Jose Miranda of the Minnesota Twins hits a run batted in single in the second inning of a game against the Houston Astros at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota, July 6, 2024. /AP
On the same day, first and third baseman Jose Miranda of the Minnesota Twins grabbed a piece of history as well. He posted two hits in the home team's 9-3 win over the Houston Astros at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to tie the Major League Baseball (MLB) record of getting hits in 12 straight at-bats.
Miranda lashed Hunter Brown's first pitch in the second inning into center field for a run batted in (RBI) single and then added another single to right-center in the fourth. In the end, Hunter kept Miranda from surpassing Johnny Kling in 1902, Pinky Higgins in 1938 and Walt Dropo in 1952 by retiring him on a flyout to left field in the sixth inning.
"It felt great seeing the fans, obviously, showing me [support] with the standing ovation," Miranda said. "They are proud obviously, and I'm proud of them being there, too."
"There's no real words," Rocco Baldelli, manager of the Twins said. "You've just got to kind of stop talking and enjoy it. Never seen something like that go on, on a field, over the course of a few days, ever, anywhere."