Yandy Díaz singled four times, doubled and drove in four runs, and Steven Matz notched the victory against his former team as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the St. Louis Cardinals 11-7 to avoid a season-opening sweep. The performance marked a career-high five hits for Díaz, who capped his exceptional day with an infield RBI single in the ninth inning. The victory came at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, where the Rays finally broke through offensively after struggling in their first two games of the season.
Jonathan Aranda added three hits and two RBIs, and Cedric Mullins also drove in two as the top three in the Rays’ lineup combined for nine hits and eight RBIs. The trio’s offensive explosion provided crucial support for Matz, who was making his first start since September 2024 when he lost his spot in the Cardinals’ rotation and got moved to the bullpen. Díaz, Aranda and Mullins strung together consecutive two-out RBI doubles against Dustin May in the fourth inning to push Tampa Bay’s lead to 6-1.
Matz pitched five innings and gave up four runs on six hits, including a three-run homer by Jordan Walker. The left-hander improved to 1-0 on the season after being traded to Boston in July and then signing with the Rays in the offseason. His performance against his former team helped Tampa Bay overcome late-inning pressure when Nolan Gorman hit a solo shot and Pedro Pagés connected for a two-run drive in the eighth to cut the deficit to 9-7.
The offensive breakthrough represented a significant turnaround for Tampa Bay, which had managed only one extra-base hit in their first two games despite racking up 23 singles. That total represented the most singles for any major league team in their first two games since at least 1900, highlighting the Rays’ inability to drive in runs before Sunday’s explosion. The team tacked on three runs in the eighth off Matthew Pushard in his big league debut, providing crucial insurance runs.
Dustin May lasted only four innings in his Cardinals debut, giving up six runs on 10 hits while striking out three and walking one batter. The right-hander fell to 0-1 on the season after struggling to contain Tampa Bay’s aggressive approach at the plate. Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman and Pedro Pagés homered for St. Louis, but their efforts weren’t enough to prevent the series loss.
The Rays will look to build on this offensive momentum when RHP Nick Martinez makes his first start for his new team against the Milwaukee Brewers. Meanwhile, the Cardinals will attempt to rebound when RHP Kyle Leahy, who moved from the bullpen after starting the final game of 2025, takes the mound against the New York Mets and RHP Clay Holmes.