Tampa Bay Rays Ink $2.3 Billion Stadium Deal—New Downtown Ballpark Coming Sooner Than You Think

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Rays kept their home-field magic alive Friday night, throttling the Miami Marlins 7-2 at Tropicana Field and stretching their home winning streak to 11 games. Cedric Mullins powered the offense, finishing 4-for-4 with a solo homer, three singles, a stolen base and two runs scored. The center-fielder’s four-hit outburst was his best since 2023 and underscored how quickly he has settled into Kevin Cash’s high-octane lineup. Yandy Díaz provided instant thunder with a two-run blast in the first, while versatile newcomer Hunter Feduccia added a sacrifice fly and a catwalk-aided ground-rule double that nearly left the park. Cash again rolled out an opener—left-hander Ian Seymour—who set the tone with nine economical pitches. Long man Jesse Scholtens (4-2) followed with five innings of one-run relief, and the bullpen retired the final 10 Marlins in order. Tampa Bay is now 4-0 when it uses the opener strategy this season, a stat that will resonate with postseason projection models. The victory lifts the Rays to 29-14, the best record in the American League East, and maintains a 2-game cushion over the surging Yankees. With the offense clicking (11 wins in 13 games) and ace Nick Martinez (1.70 ERA) lined up against Sandy Alcantara for Saturday’s matinee, Tampa Bay is positioned to clinch another series and continue separating from division rivals. Key takeaways for Rays fans and fantasy managers: • Mullins’ combination of contact, speed and emerging power makes him a must-start in all formats. • Díaz’s early-inning fireworks bring his season homer total to 11, reinforcing his value as a stack anchor in DFS lineups. • Scholtens is earning streaming appeal with a 2.95 ERA over his last four outings. First pitch for Game 2 is 4:10 p.m. ET Saturday at the Trop. If the Rays extend the streak to a dozen, expect yet another sellout when the division-leading Red Sox roll in next week.