(Photo credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images)

Ben Rice's batting average plummeted 67 points during an 18-game stretch in May in which hits were hard to come by.

Suddenly, getting Rice out is a major chore for opposing teams. The 27-year-old is fresh off his first four-hit outing of the season and third of his career as he leads the New York Yankees into Saturday night's middle contest of a three-game series against the Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif.

The Yankees have won five straight games after sailing to an 8-2 victory on Friday. New York has outscored its opponents 36-6 during the stretch.

On Friday, Rice smacked his 17th homer of the season to go with two doubles and one single.

Rice went 10-for-66 (.152) during his recent funk as his average dropped from .343 to .276. But he's 9-for-14 with a homer, six RBIs and six runs over the past three games to lift it back to .303.

'It's a lot of fun. It's super contagious,' Rice said after the team's 12-hit outing. 'We have a lot of guys who feed off of one another. It's really fun to watch when the bats are going well.'

Paul Goldschmidt hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Ryan McMahon went deep later during Friday's easy victory.

The blast was just the sixth of the season for the 38-year-old Goldschmidt, who has hit 30 or more seven times during his stellar career.

'I feel like he always goes up there and is a guaranteed quality at-bat,' Rice said of Goldschmidt. 'He's going to go up there with a plan and hit the ball hard and that was another example of that.'

Meanwhile, the Athletics have been outscored 30-6 while losing the first four contests of a six-game homestand.

A throwing error by first baseman Nick Kurtz opened the door for four runs in the first inning for New York.

That was a hole the A's were unable to recover from.

'Getting down early is tough,' Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. 'We've been down obviously this homestand, we haven't played with the lead. Those are challenging games.

'... When we had an opportunity to capitalize and get back into the game, we didn't get the hit. That's been the theme (on the homestand).'

Kurtz's solo homer and Zack Gelof's run-scoring single plated the team's runs.

Right-hander J.T. Ginn (2-3, 3.19 ERA) will take the mound for the Athletics on Saturday night.

Ginn, 27, has lost back-to-back starts despite taking a no-hitter into the ninth of the first one and not allowing a hit in the second while throwing 73 pitches.

The first outing was a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on May 18. Adam Frazier broke up the no-hitter to start the ninth and Zach Neto followed with the walk-off two-run homer.

Ginn's follow-up outing five days later was filled with wildness. He walked six in 2 1/3 innings against the San Diego Padres and took the loss while allowing two runs.

Ginn received a no-decision against the Yankees in 2024 when he allowed one run and four hits over five innings.

Left-hander Ryan Weathers (2-2, 3.14) will take the mound for New York.

Weathers, 26, gave up just four hits over seven scoreless innings against the Tampa Bay Rays last Sunday but received a no-decision in the 2-0 victory. He struck out four and walked three.

Weathers lost to the A's on April 9 despite pitching well in New York's 1-0 setback. He gave up one run and seven hits over eight innings.

Weathers is 0-2 with a 2.57 ERA in two career starts against the Athletics. Brent Rooker (1-for-4) has homered against Weathers.

--Field Level Media