It was the second lineup in a row that featured young slugger Ben Rice at the catcher spot, with Austin Wells increasingly pushed to the side amid a slump at the plate.

The New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays are playing a two-game series this week at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla.

Boone and the Yankees can only hope that Wells’ two-homer night is a sign of things to come, especially entering this weekend’s four-game set with the Boston Red Sox. Their current five-game winning streak and an 8-2 stretch have the Yankees only four games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East.