Mullins, Aranda and Caminero homer to lead Rays over Cubs 6-4 in return to Tropicana Field

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Players from the Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays are introduced before a baseball game Monday, April 6, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays' Yandy Díaz (2) steals second base as Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) can't handle the throw during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, April 6, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) — Players from the Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays are introduced before a baseball game Monday, April 6, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Audio By Carbonatix

5:30 PM on Monday, April 6

By ROB MAADDI

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla (AP) — Cedric Mullins, Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero homered and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Chicago Cubs 6-4 on Monday in their first game at Tropicana Field in 561 days.

The Rays were back in their domed stadium after playing the 2025 season across the bay in Tampa at Steinbrenner Field — the spring training home of the New York Yankees — because Hurricane Milton destroyed the Trop’s roof and caused extensive damage.

A sellout crowd of 25,114 welcomed the Rays home.

Shane McClanahan, making his first start at the Trop since July 22, 2023, allowed two runs and one hit in four innings. He struck out five and walked four.

McClanahan returned to the mound last week for the first time after a series of injuries forced him to miss two full seasons. The lefty underwent his second Tommy John surgery in August 2023 and then missed the entire 2025 season due to an inflamed nerve in his left triceps.

Kevin Kelly (1-1) pitched a perfect fifth to earn the win and Bryan Baker finished for his first save, yielding Matt Shaw's solo shot in the ninth.

Mullins lined a 3-2 changeup into the seats in right field to tie it at 2 in the bottom of the second inning against Jameson Taillon (0-1).

Taylor Walls then drove a double to left-center, and scored when shortstop Dansby Swanson made a throwing error on Yandy Diaz’s infield single.

Caminero blasted a solo shot to left, extending Tampa Bay’s lead to 4-2 in the third.

Michael Busch’s sacrifice fly in the sixth cut it to 4-3.

Aranda connected off Phil Maton in the seventh to put the Rays up 6-3.

Nico Hoerner’s two-run single with two outs in the second inning gave the Cubs a 2-0 lead.

Taillon allowed four runs — three earned — and seven hits in six innings.

Up next

RHP Javier Assad makes his season debut for the Cubs against Rays RHP Drew Rasmussen (0-0, 1.80) on Tuesday night. Assad, who has a 3.43 ERA across four seasons, is taking Matthew Boyd's spot in the rotation. Boyd was placed on the 15-day injured list with a a left biceps strain.

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