Ben Rice did not stop at 40. His two homers helped the Yankees beat the Rays.

Ben Rice began Wednesday night one home run from 40. He ended it at 41, and the Yankees ended it with a 9-2 win over the Rays. MLB's final game record credits Rice with two solo home runs, three hits in four at-bats and two runs batted in.

The first drive came in the bottom of the first inning, to right field. The fourth-inning drive went to right-center. MLB's play-by-play labels them No. 40 and No. 41. This is not a projection based on a live counter: both are in the completed game's official record.

Forty is an easy milestone to circle, especially for a hitter who entered the season without a 40-homer major-league campaign. Rice reached it early enough in the game to add another before the night was over. That sequence changed the question from whether he would get there to how much further this season can go.

A round number, then another swing

It also puts his earlier development story in a new light. A 12th-round pick from Dartmouth, Rice was not a player whose draft position promised this kind of power output. His 2026 All-Star selection already showed how much the expectation had changed. Wednesday supplied a clean numerical marker for the season he has built.

The two homers should not swallow the whole score. Rice drove in two of New York's nine runs. The Yankees' other hitters and pitchers still had to do the work that turned two solo swings into a seven-run victory. His milestone and the team's win are related, not interchangeable.

The opponent adds September context. Tampa Bay had secured the American League East while New York was playing for its postseason position. Beating the division winner does not rewrite the standings, but it is a valuable result at the point when every completed game determines October's route.

Why the result matters separately

Rice's season total now stands at 41 home runs in MLB's official statistics through September 23. That is the number to carry forward. The next game may change it, but it should not make Wednesday's achievement disappear into a rolling counter.