The Yankees defeated the Tampa Bay Rays by a score of 3-2 on Tuesday afternoon. -- J.C. Escarra, likely to make the Opening Day roster as the backup catcher, blasted a 438-foot solo home run in the second inning to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead.

Mets’ top prospects Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing each had a hit. Benge’s average now stands at .367 and his OPS is .839 on the spring, while Ewing raised his average to .381 and his OPS to 1.090.

View news about the Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees game played on March 18, 2026 including player news, injury news, predictions, analysis and more.

The game in Tampa featured no projected major leaguers and didn’t even draw Red Sox manager Alex Cora and his staff.