The big news for the Rays this week has been the progress they’ve made toward securing a long-anticipated long-term ballpark in the Tampa Bay area.
There’s a lot to like about the way they’re playing in their current home, too.
The Rays cruised to a 7-2 win over the Marlins on Friday night at Tropicana Field, continuing their winning ways inside their home dome. They have won 11 straight games at the Trop, matching the 2008 team for the third-longest home winning streak in franchise history, and they’ve outscored their opponents, 51-14, during that remarkable run in St. Petersburg.
This Rivalry Weekend matchup has been one-sided the past few years, as Tampa Bay has won 29 of the past 36 Citrus Series meetings.
Granted, the Rays are playing well against pretty much everyone lately. They’ve won 17 of their past 20 games overall and 24 of 31 since April 10 to improve to an American League-best 29-14 on the year. They haven’t lost consecutive games since a three-game skid against the Pirates and Reds from April 19-21.