After rough stretch, Rays look like the Rays again, cruise by Marlins

Marc Topkin, Tampa Bay Times on Jun 5, 2026

Published in Baseball

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MIAMI — The Rays got back to playing like themselves on Friday.

They pitched very well, with a dominant start by Drew Rasmussen. They scored early and often, sparked by Richie Palacios’ two-run triple in the first. They played clean on defense and on the bases.

And they shook hands and high-fived afterward, beating the Marlins, 6-0.

The Rays improved to 37-23 with the win, just their third over the last 11 games, and hung on to their American League East lead.

The only negative was speedy outfielder Chandler Simpson leaving in the third inning due to what the team said was left thumb discomfort.

Rasmussen was coming off an uncharacteristically rough last outing — having allowed more than four earned runs for the first time since April 2023 — and quickly established Friday he was back on his game.

He worked seven stellar innings, allowing just a second-inning single and no walks while striking out nine.

During their skid, the Rays had often found themselves behind early. They also addressed that Friday, scoring three runs in the first and then adding on later.

After Simpson opened the game with a groundout, the next five Rays reached base.

Junior Caminero doubled — his first of five times reaching base — and Jonathan Aranda walked. Yandy Diaz reached on a grounder that forced out Aranda at second but sent Caminero to third.

Palacios delivered the first big hit, lacing a ball to rightfield that Miami’s Owen Caissie couldn’t make a play on, scoring two. Ryan Vilade then singled in Palacios.

The Rays added single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

In the fifth, Caminero doubled and Aranda singled, snapping an 0-for-14 skid and logging his 44th RBI. In the sixth, Cedric Mullins led off with a homer, his fifth of the season. In the seventh, Caminero walked, went to second on a Diaz single, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on another single by Vilade, who posted his 22nd RBI, fourth most on the team.