TAMPA, Fla. (AP) 鈥� The New York Yankees were winners as visitors in their spring training home for the first time.
New York was back at Steinbrenner Field for a four-game series against the displaced Tampa Bay Rays, who are using their AL East rival鈥檚 ballpark for their home games this season.
Ben Rice had his first big league four-hit game and drove in two runs, Oswaldo Cabrera hit a solo homer and .
鈥淚t was a great environment,鈥� Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. 鈥淥bviously, a ton of Yankees fans. I think the Yankees and Rays have done a great job of getting this ready but I didn鈥檛 like my seat. ... All of it was weird.鈥�
The Rays needed a rental stadium after . The ballpark couldn鈥檛 be repaired quickly and the to use their open-air 11,026-capacity spring training facility across the bay in Tampa.
鈥淚 think this was for the good of baseball, for the good of the Rays,鈥� Boone said. 鈥淚 know their organization, our organization worked very well together in making it viable and it鈥檚 just the right thing to do on all fronts. When something like that storm happens, it鈥檚 bigger than obviously we compete hard against each other, they鈥檙e one of our main rivals but to do the right thing always feels good.鈥�
The Yankees鈥� generosity meant Aaron Judge, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and the rest of New York鈥檚 roster are spending four days in a cramped clubhouse while the Rays enjoy palatial surroundings. The visiting team dining area is usually the media cafe during spring training.
鈥淭he only weird part was being on the other side of the field,鈥� said Ben Rice, who had his first four-hit game. 鈥淭he game itself is the same thing.鈥�
New York last winter completed a of the clubhouse, doubling player and staff space to 50,000 square feet. There is a two-story weight room with floor-to-ceiling windows and garage door, indoor and outdoor stretching areas, a Ping-Pong table, a barbershop, eight beds in a trainers area, massage rooms and a SwimEx along with hot and cold tubs with TVs at water level, a sauna red-light therapy and four batting cages. Each player locker has a safe along with USB and USB-C ports. There is a 70-seat meeting room, six private offices and 12 desks for additional staff.
鈥淔irst of all, it is amazing to have that as our spring training home, now is really awesome, and guys really took advantage of it this year,鈥� Boone said. 鈥淏ut your mind switches to once you leave, like we know we鈥檙e in the season, we know it was expected, so I don鈥檛 even really let myself go there.鈥�
Boone had left a note for Rays manager Kevin Cash before the Yankees went up north in March. He meant to leave a bottle of tequila with the note but forgot so he sent it over before the game.
鈥淛ust kind of my housewarming gift,鈥� Boone said.
What kind of tequila?
鈥淭he good stuff,鈥� Boone said with a smile.
However, he didn't like his view from the third-base dugout and the line of sight to third-base coach Luis Rojas.
鈥淚t kind of sucks, actually,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 got to move to a place that I'm not usually with my signs to Luis. ... I like the other side better.鈥�
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AP MLB:
Rob Maaddi, The Associated Press
