Ben Rice ended the first half of his rookie season with a bang and aims to keep the momentum going in the second half. In Sundays series finale against the Orioles, the Yankees first baseman who went 0-for-4 with a walk in the crushed a three-run homer off Craig Kimbrel in the ninth inning, giving them a lead they hoped would secure a series sweep entering the All-Star break. Despite his heroics, the Orioles rallied with three runs in the home half of the inning . Ben Rice entered Fridays game with 19 RBIs since getting called up to the Yankees. Charles Wenzelberg Ben Rice will get plenty of chances for the Yankees with Anthony Rizzo still injured. Charles Wenzelberg You know, it was too bad we couldnt come up with a win, but it was a good feeling, Rice said before Fridays game against Tampa. Just knowing hes [Kimbrel] got a good fastball, hes going to throw it, so just be ready for it. The guys been pitching for a long time, but I felt prepared and I was able to capitalize. Called up June 18 to , the Dartmouth product Glenn Anderson Jersey a 12th-round draft pick in 2021 has become an a set for the Yankees since his debut. Explore More In just a month, Rice has not only made an impact but also etched his name in the record book as the first rookie in franchise history to , which he did during a 14-4 blowout of the Red Sox. Rice just 15 games into his career, a slumping Anthony Volpe dropping to seventh in the batting order. Manager Aaron Boone said he has no regrets about giving the 25-year-old a shot. Hes done a great job for us and shown us, so far, to be the hitter that we hoped we were bringing up, Boone said. You see a calm, patient, poised at-bat, with some confidence. Obviously, hes put together a lot of good at-bats for us. Hes taken what hes done the last couple of years in the minor leagues and its translated so far in the big leagues. In his first 24 games in pinstripes, Rice had hit six homers and notched 19 RBIs entering Friday. Go beyond the box score with the Bombers Sign up for Inside the Yankees by Greg Joyce, exclusively on Sports+. Thank you By clicking above you agree to the and . Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! He was batting .228 with a .315 on-base percentage. With veteran first baseman Rizzo making slow progre s from a fractured arm, according to Boone, it appears Rice will continue to see plenty of action. Despite his background as being a catcher in college and in the minors, the Ma sachusetts native has adapted well to a position relatively new for him. Ben Rice has homered six times since getting called up to the majors. Charles Wenzelberg For first base still being, in the grand scheme of things, a new position for him, I think hes handled himself really well, but theres a ton of more growth to go on there and hopefully some valuable experience he continues to gain out there every day, Boone said. After enjoying some R&R during the All-Star break, Rice said he is hoping the Yankees can string some wins together and make a good playoff push. Joe Kocur Jersey