The Tampa Bay Rays had no solution for outfielder Aaron Hicks Thursday night at Yankee Stadium.
Hicks, playing Thursday because Brett Gardner was shaken up Wednesday, hit a pair of home runs and drove in all three runs for New York, as the Yankees capped a three-game sweep of the Rays 3-2.
Hicks jumped on a Matt Andriese offering in the bottom of the first inning, giving New York an early 1-0 lead with a solo shot, his first home run of the season.
Tampa Bay answered immediately off Yankees starter Luis Severino, as Logan Morrison drew a one-out walk and went to second on a two-out infield single by Mallex Smith. Jesus Sucre then singled to plate Morrison, but Smith was taged out after pulling up with tightness in his right hamstring. He had to be replaced by Peter Bourjos.
Bourjos broke the tie in the fifth in his first at-bat, taking Severino deep to left for his first home run as a member of the Rays, a solo shot that made it 2-1.
Andriese would leave after six innings with the lead, but the bullpen would once again falter, as Erasmo Ramirez allowed an infield single to Ronal Torreyes, and after Xavier Cedeno (1-1) got Jacoby Ellsbury to ground into a fielder's choice, erasing Torreyes, Hicks came up and homered again, this time from the right side, for his second homer of the night and the season, giving New York the lead.
Tampa Bay had a golden opportunity in the eighth, as Sucre walked and Dickerson singled the catcher to third, but Kevin Kiermaier and Evan Longoria each struck out looking and Brad Miller grounded back to the reliever to thwart the rally.
After starting the season 5-2, Tampa Bay is now back at .500 after the sweep. They head to Fenway Park to begin a four-game series with the Boston red Sox starting Friday night, when Chris Archer (1-0, 2.45 ERA) takes on Rick Porcello (1-0, 4.38 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 7:10, with coverage on WDAE starting at 6:00 with The Inside Pitch, presented by Sykes Lakeland.