Biggest Surprise From Rays' Opening Day Loss

What was the biggest surprise from the Tampa Bay Rays' Opening Day loss?

Mar 26, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen (57) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the fifth inning at Busch Stadium. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Rays started up the 2026 campaign on what looked like a very positive note. However, things went south in the later part of the game, and they lost their season-opener on the road. 

With expectations being mixed about what this team could be this year, the Rays undoubtedly wanted to get off to a strong start to the season against the St. Louis Cardinals. This is a franchise that is very clearly rebuilding, and the playoffs feel like a long shot for them. 

However, the young group looked like a team that had some grit, and they were able to erase a 7-1 lead in the blink of an eye to win the game 9-7. While it would have been ideal to win their opener, there were some positives for Tampa Bay. 

Starter Drew Rasmussen put together a really strong performance for his first start, totaling five innings, while allowing just one run on four hits. The right-hander only threw 73 pitches, which is in line with the plan for him. It looked like he did enough to get the win in the game, but the bullpen was unable to hold it for him. 

Bullpen Implodes

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Ian Seymour | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

The sixth inning is certainly one to forget and will likely go down as one of the worst innings of the season for the Rays. Ian Seymour was the first man out of the bullpen, and he couldn’t get an out. Overall, five runs were allowed by the relief pitcher, and the lead quickly evaporated. 

Kevin Cash tried to let Seymour work through some of the struggles, but ultimately turned to two of his best relief pitchers in Garrett Clevinger and Griffin Jax. While they did end up getting out of the inning, three more runs were allowed by the two, all of which were earned. 

Seeing eight runs put up in one inning is certainly far from ideal, especially when the bullpen was considered to be a strength of the team. Not being able to hold a 7-1 lead is definitely a concern, but it is just Opening Day. 

While it might just be one loss, this is a game that the Rays might look back on with a lot of regret. Scoring seven runs is a great accomplishment, and that is certainly a major positive. However, with the American League East expected to be one of the best divisions in baseball, every game is going to matter.