Giancarlo Stanton and Ben Rice homered in the first two innings and the Yankees beat the Rays 7-4 in a game delayed by rain for nearly three hours Thursday.

Yankees: Marcus Stroman (2-2, 6.09 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, 23 strikeouts) BOTTOM LINE: The New York Yankees host the Tampa Bay Rays with a 2-1 series lead. New York has a 33-22 record in home games and a 59-49 record overall.

First, the Yankees brought thunder. Then, they endured the rain. The Yankees rode an early offensive eruption to a 7-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday afternoon, though they had to wait through a nearly three-hour weather delay to finish off the series-clinching victory in the Bronx.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. scored on a single by newcomer Ryan McMahon in the 11th inning as the New York Yankees outlasted the visiting Tampa Bay Rays with a 5-4 victory on Wednesday night.