Rays drop fifth straight series against an NL Central opponent

The NL Central has surprisingly become one of the strongest divisions in baseball at the onset of this young season, but Rays' fans could argue that this phenomenon couldn't have come without a little help from Tampa Bay. Unfortunately in five series against this talented division, the Rays have lost each one going 4-10 in those contests. There's still one more game against the division-leading Reds, but the damage has certainly been done.

Opening series - Rays @ Cardinals (1-2)

The opening series of the season gave Rays' fans high hopes as they were facing off against a rebuilding team from St. Louis. However, this scrappy young club led by top prospect JJ Wetherholt scored a total of 22 runs that series, winning two of the three games. The Rays' offense also performed well as they scored 23 runs, but the bullpen faltered throughout the series which allowed St. Louis to prevail. The Cardinals have shown that their early success was no fluke as they currently hold a 14-9 record which is good for fifth best in the National League.

Rays @ Brewers (1-2)

The next series of the season saw the Rays face a very talented Brewers club that finished the 2025 campaign with the best record in the MLB. Milwaukee displayed their impressive skills as they handled the Rays in the second and third games by outscoring them 14-4. However, the Rays did come away with one victory after a heroic go-ahead double by Nick Fortes in 9th inning off of electric closer Trevor Megill.

Cubs @ Rays (1-2)

The opening game of this first Tropicana Field homestand since 2024 couldn't have gone much better as the Rays electrified the crowd with three home runs and the pitching did their job to complete a 6-4 win. However, the Chicago bats woke up overnight as they scored 15 runs on 24 hits and took the series rather easily.

Rays @ Pirates (1-2)

This was a fun series that brought back some old memories as the Rays' former franchise second baseman Brandon Lowe and 2025 fan-favorite Jake Mangum squared off against their former team in Pittsburgh. Those talented players didn't hold up at all as they were each instrumental to the two wins collected by the Pirates. Brandon Lowe showed up in game one with a 3-hit day and two key RBIs. Game three was Mangum's day as he got two base hits and came around to score once in a 6-3 victory. The middle game was a miraculous 13th inning rain delay win for the Rays capped off by a go-ahead homer for Cedric Mullins.

Reds @ Rays (0-2 so far)

This series has been all Cincinnati. One of the hottest clubs on the planet has scored 18 runs in the first two contests, allowing the Rays no chance for any comebacks. The most impressive part of their production is their six home runs, five of which came in their 12-6 rout last night. The Rays are very thankful that this will be their last game against an NL Central team in 2026, and they hope to at least salvage one and avoid their first sweep of the season.

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