TAMPA — The Tampa Bay Rays carved their name into franchise history Thursday, though not in the way anyone at George M. Steinbrenner Field had hoped.
Playing in their temporary home while Tropicana Field undergoes repairs from Hurricane Milton damage, the Rays suffered a stunning 7-6 defeat to the Philadelphia Phillies that marked an unprecedented collapse in the team’s 28 seasons of play.
Leading 6-3 entering the ninth inning and poised to avoid a series sweep, the Rays surrendered four runs in the final frame, marking the first time in franchise history they’ve lost when leading by three or more runs in the ninth.
“That’s about as tough as they come,” said Rays manager Kevin Cash, whose team dropped to 16-21 on the season. “We put ourselves in position to win that ballgame against a really good club, and we just couldn’t finish it.”
The meltdown began when reliever Jason Adam surrendered back-to-back singles to Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber to open the ninth. After striking out Bryce Harper, Adam then yielded a double to Alec Bohm that scored two runs, cutting the lead to 6-5.
Pete Fairbanks, who had been nearly automatic this season, entered with one out and promptly allowed a game-tying single to Nick Castellanos. The crushing blow came moments later when J.T. Realmuto laced a go-ahead RBI double into the left-field corner.
“Sometimes you just have to tip your cap,” said Fairbanks, who suffered his first loss of the season. “They put together good at-bats in big moments.”
The defeat completed a three-game sweep for the Phillies, who outscored the Rays 22-10 in the series. For Philadelphia, it marked their eighth consecutive victory over Tampa Bay dating back to July 2023.
The collapse overshadowed a promising performance from Tampa Bay’s offense, which had shown signs of life after being shut out 7-0 the previous day. Yandy Díaz continued his hot streak with a solo home run in the first inning, his fourth of the season, while Brandon Lowe and Jose Caballero each drove in two runs.
“We’re doing some things better at the plate,” Cash said. “But in this game, you’ve got to put everything together, and we just didn’t execute when it mattered most.”
The Rays now face a quick turnaround as they host the Milwaukee Brewers for a weekend series starting Friday. At 16-21, Tampa Bay sits in fourth place in the AL East, already 9.5 games behind the division-leading Baltimore Orioles.
For a franchise that has prided itself on bullpen excellence during its most successful seasons, Thursday’s historic collapse represents a concerning development in what has already been a challenging 2025 campaign.
“We’ve got to have a short memory in this game,” said Lowe. “As tough as this one was, we have no choice but to move forward and try to start a winning streak tomorrow.”
The Rays have faced significant challenges this season beyond their on-field performance, including adjusting to their temporary home at Steinbrenner Field following extensive damage to Tropicana Field last October. The smaller capacity venue has created a more intimate atmosphere, but Thursday’s crowd of 10,046 witnessed a collapse that will linger in franchise lore for years to come.
“In all my years covering this team, I’ve never seen them lose this way,” said a veteran Rays reporter. “That’s definitely one for the history books, unfortunately.”