ST. PETERSBURG — The Tampa Bay Rays will open upper-deck seating at Tropicana Field for Saturday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles, a move driven by surging ticket demand as the first-place club rides the best home record in baseball at 41-18.
Sections 300-312 on both the first- and third-base sides will be available for purchase after the team announced limited seating remains in the lower levels. The Rays hold a comfortable lead in the AL East and return home after a three-series road trip out West.
The high demand is fueled in part by a “Flappy Boi” T-shirt giveaway — the first 10,000 fans through the gates will receive the shirt, a voucher redeemable for a complimentary ticket to any game during the Rays’ series against the Athletics from Sept. 15-17 and an opportunity to pick up the delayed Flappy Boi bobblehead.
Country music singer Jordan Davis will perform a postgame concert Saturday, adding another draw to an already packed slate. Fans without a field access wristband can watch the show from their seats, but “an official wristband — which must be purchased with a valid game ticket — is required for field access during the concert,” the team said.
The Rays’ 41-18 mark at Tropicana Field is the strongest home clip in Major League Baseball this season. Saturday’s opener against the Orioles is the first of a weekend series in St. Petersburg.