The Red Sox moved within a half-game of the Yankees for second place in the AL East and the top wild-card position because of New York's loss in Miami.

Ben Rice hit a three-run homer in the second inning after Giancarlo Stanton blasted a two-run shot in the first as the host New York Yankees raced out to a seven-run lead and recorded a 7-4 victory over the sliding Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday afternoon in the final game before the trade deadline.

On a day that Aaron Boone described as exciting for some players and anxious for others, the Yankees took care of business on the field with the trade deadline looming over them.