Junior Caminero’s power surge finally cooled off Thursday night, but Tampa Bay kept right on rolling.
The Rays finished off a three-game sweep of the Royals with a 5-2 win at Kauffman Stadium, stretching their winning streak to eight games and continuing a run that has turned them into the hottest club in baseball. Tampa Bay has now outscored opponents 52-15 during the streak, and the surge has flipped a three-game hole in the American League East into a four-game lead over the Yankees.
The victory also gave the Rays their MLB-leading ninth sweep of the season and pushed them to 51-33.
The game’s tone was set by Ian Seymour, who followed up his strong bulk-inning relief outing in the Rays’ combined no-hitter bid against Kansas City last week with another sharp performance. Before the start, Seymour joked, “I’m probably going to give up a hit,” Seymour said Wednesday afternoon, laughing.
He did a lot better than that. The left-hander worked six innings, allowing just three hits and a walk while striking out a career-high-tying eight. The only damage came on a leadoff homer by Carter Jensen.
Seymour missed bats all night, piling up 15 swinging strikes. Seven came on his sweeper, his most-used pitch, and that breaking ball helped finish two strikeouts. He also got three strikeouts apiece with his fastball and changeup.
While Seymour handled the mound work, the Rays got plenty from the lower half of the order. Cedric Mullins kept his own surge going with a two-run homer to right off Randy Dobnak in the fifth, extending Tampa Bay’s lead to 5-1. It was Mullins’ third straight game with a home run and his seventh since June 2.
Mullins’ season has come a long way after a rough opening stretch that, by his own admission, shook his confidence. He entered the finale hitting .274/.357/.521 since June 1, and his 10th homer of the year was part of a productive night for Tampa Bay’s bottom five hitters.
Chandler Simpson added three hits and swiped his 20th base. Simpson, Taylor Walls, Richie Palacios and Hunter Feduccia all chipped in with hits during the Rays’ three-run second inning.
Walls also delivered the kind of defensive gem that reminds everyone why his glove is such a weapon. In the third inning, former Ray Kameron Misner lofted a fly ball into shallow left-center. Simpson and Mullins both came charging in, but Walls kept coming from the dirt at shortstop, ran into the outfield, tracked the ball over his shoulder and made the catch.
In Other News...
Rays May Be Eyeing The Kind Of Move Fans Have Waited For
With the Rays holding a firm division edge and another pivotal stretch in front of them, the conversation around this club has started to shift from simply staying ahead to wondering whether the front office might press for a bigger finish. ESPNs David Schoenfield floated Tampa Bay as a logical fit in a broader look at the trade market, and it is easy to see why. A frontline arm would deepen a rotation that has leaned heavily on Drew Rasmussen, Shane McClanahan and Nick Martinez, and it would give the Rays a more imposing look as the playoff chase tightens.
Tarik Skubal is the kind of name that changes the tone of those discussions, even before any actual deal is on the table. The question for Tampa Bay is whether it would be willing to part with the kind of prospect package such a move would demand, and whether Detroit would even make him available in the first place. For a fan base that has waited a long time to see the Rays chase a true splash, this is the sort of possibility that feels worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Making Room At The Trop For Evan Longoria Weekend
The Rays are turning Tropicana Field into a bigger stage for Evan Longorias Legacy Weekend, opening the upper deck for their July 10-12 series against the Mariners to handle the expected surge of fans. It will be the first time the upper level has been open since the 2023 AL Wild Card Series, a fitting sign of how much this weekend means to a fan base that watched Longoria become one of the defining players in franchise history.
Longorias Rays Hall of Fame induction is set for July 11, with his No. 3 jersey retirement coming before the July 12 game, and the club is layering in plenty of extras around the ceremonies. There will be special giveaways and branded baseballs throughout the weekend, all aimed at making the celebration feel less like a single pregame moment and more like a full-scale tribute to one of the organizations cornerstone names. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Stadium Fight Takes Another Turn As Tampa Pushes Back
Tampas long-running stadium debate picked up another wrinkle this week, with council member Bill Carlson reportedly working to trim the citys tax revenue role in the Rays project. The idea would cut Tampas contribution from $100 million to $80 million by moving responsibility for the Community Redevelopment Agency to Hillsborough County, a shift that would ease the citys bill while changing who helps steer some of the public side of the deal.
That adjustment matters because the stadium negotiations are still being finalized, and the money trail is tied to more than just bricks and mortar. If Tampa steps back, the community benefits side of the agreement could look different, with county-backed priorities taking a larger role as the city tries to reduce its exposure without derailing the project. [Read more 🡒]