Fifteen hits, and the middle of the order would not stop
July 24, 2026 – St. Petersburg – Tropicana Field turned into a track meet for everyone batting fourth through ninth.
Nick Fortes went 4-for-something close to perfect (four hits, two RBIs, two runs). Ryan Vilade and Richie Palacios went deep. Shane McClanahan (9-6) worked five workable innings. And the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 11-3, per the Associated Press.
Tampa Bay’s Nos. 4–9 hitters finished a combined 13-for-26 with 10 RBIs. That is not a quiet lineup night. That is a pile-on.
Fourth inning, then the rest of the evening
Vilade’s second-inning homer made it 2-0. Cleveland cut it to 2-1 on doubles from Chase DeLauter and Brayan Rocchio. Then the first six Rays reached in the fourth, and the lead jumped to 5-1. Fortes kept finding gaps. Palacios’s three-run shot in the eighth closed the book.
Joey Cantillo (8-6) lasted 3 2/3 and allowed five runs. Austin Hedges’ two-run homer in the ninth was cosmetic. Cleveland has now dropped three straight.
AthX Engine
AthX Engine put Tampa Bay at 22 team fantasy points, first on Friday. Fortes checked in at 8 hitting FP. McClanahan added 14 pitching FP. Loud team night, not a one-name board.
Dynamic pricing still prices the next series, not just the Tropicana final.
What comes next
The Rays sit at 60-43 and keep winning home starts with McClanahan. Cleveland needs Bibee to stop the slide Saturday. On AthX, Fortes’ five-game tear (11-for-19) is the quiet hold story under the 11-run headline.
*Sources: MLB.com schedule, CBS Sports/AP recap, CBS Sports scoreboard, AthX Engine scoring. Information only; not financial advice.*
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