ST. LOUIS \u2014 The Yankees have finally done what had seemed impossible over the past two-plus months: win back-to-back series.<\/p>\n
Even on a night when Max Fried got hit around again, the Yankees just out-slugged the Cardinals, with Ben Rice\u2019s seven RBIs leading the way to a 12-8 win on a sweltering Saturday at Busch Stadium.<\/p>\n
Rice crushed a three-run homer in the fourth inning that regained the lead for good, then clubbed a three-run double in the sixth and an RBI single in the seventh that provided some breathing room.<\/p>\n
Ben Rice reacts after hitting a double during the Yankees\u2019 12-8 road win over the Cardinals on Aug. 16, 2025. AP<\/p>\n
Aaron Judge also turned in his best game since returning from the injured list, going 2-for-3 with his 39th home run, an RBI double and two walks.<\/p>\n
Trent Grisham added a four-hit night, Jos\u00e9 Caballero scored three runs and Ryan McMahon drilled his first home run as a Yankee to help clinch a second straight series victory for the first time since late May.<\/p>\n
In between, the Yankees played 20 series and won only seven of them, never consecutively as they struggled to gain any kind of momentum to snap out of their dive in the standings.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Victor Scott II can\u2019t make a catch on Aaron Judge\u2019s home run during the Yankees\u2019 Aug. 16 win over the Cardinals. Jeff Curry-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we\u2019re in a good spot,\u201d Rice said. \u201cWe\u2019re just going to continue to take it one series at a time. It\u2019s good that we got the win, we got to get the sweep [Sunday] and keep taking that momentum into each [day].\u201d<\/p>\n
Saturday\u2019s win \u2014 their fourth in five games and sixth in nine games \u2014 allowed the Yankees (66-57) to pick up a game on the Mariners in the AL wild-card standings (they trail them and the Red Sox by 1 \u00b9\/\u2082 games) while creating some more distance ahead of the Guardians, who are 2 \u00b9\/\u2082 games back of Aaron Boone\u2019s club for the third and final spot.<\/p>\n
That was thanks in large part to Rice, who was starting at first base but has begun to take over more catching duties with his hot bat forcing the issue. <\/p>\n
Aaron Judge hits a home run during the Yankees\u2019 Aug. 16 win. Imagn Images<\/p>\n
He has hit the ball hard all season, and while that has not always turned into results, it did on Saturday, including his 18th home run of the year, a 429-foot shot off ex-Yankee Sonny Gray.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s taken [the opportunities] and turned himself into a really prominent player,\u201d manager Aaron Boone said. \u201cWe talk about unlucky and all that, he is the poster child. He\u2019s hit so many balls on the screws for outs this year. Right now, he\u2019s getting rewarded a little bit for it.<\/p>\n
The high-powered offensive attack was enough support to get by with another rocky performance from Fried, who got tagged for a career-high-tying seven earned runs on eight hits across five-plus innings. <\/p>\n
Ben Rice hits a double during the Yankees\u2019 win over the Cardinals on Aug. 16. Imagn Images<\/p>\n
The left-hander owned a 1.92 ERA through his first 17 starts, but he has pitched to a 6.80 ERA over his past eight starts since July 1.<\/p>\n
Devin Williams relieved Fried and struck out the side in the sixth inning before the Yankees added some insurance runs to give their highest-leverage relievers a break \u2014 at least until David Bednar entered to get the final out with a pair of runners on base, recording his third save as a Yankee.<\/p>\n