Rays' Trop streak ends in extras as Marlins break it open with big 10th

Marc Topkin, Tampa Bay Times on May 16, 2026

Published in Baseball

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Rays scrambled in the ninth inning Saturday evening to score the tying run off former closer Pete Fairbanks and force extra innings against the Marlins.

And then Hunter Bigge let it all go to waste.

The right-handed reliever, who hadn’t allowed a run over his previous six appearances, gave up eight in the 10th inning in a brutal performance as the Rays’ 11-game win streak at Tropicana Field ended with an ugly 10-5 loss.

Bigge was in trouble from the start, allowing a single and a walk in addition to the placed runner at second to load the bases.

He then allowed the Marlins to pile on — a two-run single by Liam Hicks, a sacrifice fly by Otto Lopez, an RBI single by Connor Norby, a three-run double by Javier Sanoja and a run-scoring single by Esteury Ruiz.

The Rays did get three back in the bottom of the 10th on a two-run double by Junior Caminero and an RBI double by Jonathan Aranda.

The Marlins took a 2-1 lead in the top of the ninth.

Jakob Marsee reached on a two-out bloop single off Bryan Baker, and Sanoja delivered the go-ahead run with a two-out double.

But the Rays came back in the bottom of the inning.

Cedric Mullins drew a one-out walk, stole second as Jonny DeLuca struck out and advanced to third on the errant throw from catcher Joe Mack.

Nick Fortes, acquired in July from the Marlins, then laced a 105.2-mph grounder that went off Sanoja’s glove at third, scoring the tying run.

The loss, the Rays’ first at home since April 21, dropped their American League-leading record to 29-15. They went into the game having won 11 of their last 13, 17 of 20 and 24 of 31.

The Rays took a 1-0 lead in the third with a little help from the Marlins.

Taylor Walls popped a one-out bunt over the mound that second baseman Xavier Edwards tried to make a barehanded play on but instead flipped the ball wide of first.

Walls took a second to realize where the ball was, then raced to second, sliding in headfirst and just ahead of the throw.

That paid off, as Chandler Simpson worked an eight pitch at-bat vs. Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara and slapped a ground ball between shortstop and third base for an RBI single.

The Rays had a prime chance to add on in the sixth with back-to-back, one-out singles by 29th birthday boy Richie Palacios and Mullins.

As Mullins broke for second, Mack faked a throw to second. Palacios took a couple of aggressive steps toward home and got thrown out. It wound up being an inning-ending double play, as DeLuca — who tried bunting earlier in the at-bat — took a called third strike that was confirmed by the Automated Ball-Strike challenge system.

Nick Martinez gave the Rays another strong start, scattering five hits and a walk over six scoreless innings but was lifted after 77 pitches.

Garrett Cleavinger took over in the seventh, and the Rays lost the lead. Cleavinger got two quick outs but allowed a first-pitch homer to Heriberto Hernandez, a one-time Rays prospect.

The Rays turned a couple of key defensive plays to protect the early lead.

Caminero, whose inconsistent play at third has become a point of conversation, made a tremendous play to save a run. Diving to his right to snare Sanoja’s two-out, 103.1-mph grounder he then scrambled to his feet to make the throw to first.

The Marlins had Otto Lopez on third with two outs in the sixth, but Palacios raced back and made the grab on a Connor Norby fly to shallow right-center field.