Rays add to Monday's celebration at Tropicana Field by beating Cubs

Marc Topkin, Tampa Bay Times on Apr 6, 2026

Published in Baseball

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

TAMPA, Fla. — Monday was about celebrating.

The repairs to hurricane damaged Tropicana Field. The return of major-league baseball to downtown St. Petersburg, Fla., its home for the previous 28 seasons. The strength and resiliency of the Tampa Bay community.

And after pregame ceremonies that included presentation of the flag by roof repairers, first responders and team staff who worked on the project; a national anthem by country star Eric Church and first pitches by St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, the Rays did their part on the field, beating the Cubs 6-4.

Cedric Mullins, Junior Caminero and Jonathan Aranda hit home runs, and relievers Kevin Kelly, Ian Seymour, Hunter Bigge and Bryan Baker combined for five one-run innings after Shane McClanahan lasted only four frames.

McClanahan put the Rays in an early hole, allowing two runs in a 32-pitch second. He opened with back-to-back walks on eight pitches, then after two strikeouts allowed a walk to load the bases and a two-run single to Nico Hoerner.

But his teammates got the runs right back.

After Chandler Simpson walked and stole his way to third, Mullins knocked a homer just over the right-field fence. The Rays made it 3-2 when Taylor Walls, activated unexpectedly from the injury list after a spring oblique injury, doubled with two outs, and scored when Yandy Diaz singled to short and Dansby Swanson made an errant throw.

The Rays extended the lead in the fourth when Caminero, after going without a homer (or RBI) for the first eight games, homered in his second straight.

The Cubs got a run in their sixth, and the Rays added two more in the seventh when Aranda went deep for his team-high third home run.

Baker gave up a solo homer in the ninth.

____