Longest Winning Streaks in Tampa Bay Rays History

The Tampa Bay Rays' record-setting 13-game winning streak to start the season came to an end on Friday night when they lost at Toronto 6-3. They tied the mark set by the 1987 Milwaukee Brewers and 1982 Atlanta Braves, and it's the longest streak at any time in team history, breaking the mark set in 2004. Here are the details on the longest streaks in Rays history, and some great old-time nuggets.

Updated April 15, 2023, 5:05 a.m. ET

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays finally lost a game on Friday night. Their record-setting 13-game winning streak to start the season ended when they lost to the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 north of the border at the Rogers Center.

The Rays tied the modern record with 13 straight wins on Thursday when they beat the Boston Red Sox 9-3 at Tropicana Field. It's Tampa Bay's best start ever, by far, and the best in baseball since the Milwaukee Brewers won 13 games to start the season in 1987. The 1982 Atlanta Braves also won 13 straight. The Rays had never won more than three games in a row to start a season during their 25-plus years of existence. 

This also is the longest winning streak AT ANY TIME in Rays history. The prior  longest streak was 12 games, set in 2004, and they also won 11 games in 2021.

The Rays had won 11 of their 13 games by four runs or more to start the season. with the only close game a 1-0 win on Monday night and a 9-7 win on Wednesday.

Their first nine blowouts had  never been done in American League history and hadn't been done in pro ball since the 1884 St. Louis Maroons of the Union Association did it 13 times to open what was the first and only year of the UA, partly because of the Maroons' dominance. They went 94-19 that year and won the league by 21 games. They opened the season with 20 straight wins, which was in the news in 2015 when the NBA's Golden State Warriors opened the season with 24 straight wins.

St. Louis joined the National League the following season, but struggled to contend and lasted there until 1886. They were sold and moved to Indianapolis, and were the Indianapolis Hoosiers in the National League for three years before folding. The Hoosiers played three seasons in the NL from 1887 to 1889 and finished last in 1887 with a 37–89, and finished seventh the next two years, going 50–85 and 59–75, respectively.

The American League didn't even begin until 1901, so the Rays are setting a new AL standard with this start. 

The Rays have outscored their opponents 101-30 and their plus-71 run differential is by far the best in baseball. They will look to continue the winning streak on Friday night in Toronto.

Here are the longest winning streaks in Rays history:

1. Rays win 13 in a row in 2023

• Games won in a row: 13
• Dates: From March 30 through Thursday, April 13. 
• Teams beaten: Detroit Tigers (3), Washington Nationals (3), Oakland Athletics (3), Boston Red Sox (4).
• Streak ended: Lost to Toronto 6-3 on Friday night at Toronto.
• The skinny: The Rays opened the 2023 season with a scorching start that includes 13 straight wins, all but two by four runs or more. They hit 32 home runs in the 13 games, the third-most in baseball history for a 13-game stretch. They had a run differential of plus-71, outscoring opponents 101-30. They were first baseball in BOTH runs scored and runs allowed. Here are the results from the streak:

1. March 30 — Tampa Bay 4, Detroit 0
2. April 1 — Tampa Bay 12, Detroit 2
3. April 2— Tampa Bay 5, Detroit 1
4. April 3 — Tampa Bay 6, @ Washington 2
5. April 4 — Tampa Bay 10, @ Washington 6
6. April 5— Tampa Bay 7, @ Washington 2
7. April 7 — Tampa Bay 9, Oakland 5
8. April 8 — Tampa Bay 11, Oakland 0
9. April 9— Tampa Bay 11, Oakland 0
   
10. April 10 — Tampa Bay 1, Boston 0
11. April 11 — Tampa Bay 7, Boston 2
12. April 12— Tampa Bay 9, Boston 7
13. April 13— Tampa Bay 9, Boston 3

2. Rays win 12 in a row in 2004

• Games won in a row: 12
• Dates: From June 9 to June 22
• Teams beaten: San Francisco Giants (2), Colorado Rockies (3), Arizona Diamondbacks (3), San Diego Padres (3), Toronto Blue Jays (1).
• Streak ended: Lost to Toronto 2-1 in 10 innings on June 23. 
• The skinny: The longest streak in Rays history might have been the weirdest, because they really weren't very good in 2004. They were just 21-34 when the streak started and finished the season 70-91. They also had a 12-game LOSING streak that season, from Aug. 27 to Sept. 10. The finished in fourth place in the AL East that season, three games ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays. It was the first time in their seven-year history that they didn't finish last.

3. Rays win 11 in a row in 2021

• Games won in a row: 11
• Dates: From May 13 to May 24
• Teams beaten: New York Yankees (1), New York Mets (3), Baltimore Orioles (3), Toronto Blue Jays (4).
• Streak ended: Lost to Kansas City 2-1 on May 25.
• The skinny: The Rays won their next five games after the loss, and had a nine-game winning streak later in the year. They finished with a franchise record 100 wins that season, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Boston Red Sox. Kevin Cash was the manager.

4. (tie) Rays win 9 in a row in 2021 

• Games won in a row: 9
• Dates: From Aug. 21 to Aug. 31 in 2021. 
• Teams beaten: Chicago White Sox (2), Philadelphia Phillies (2), Baltimore Orioles (3), Boston Red Sox (2).
• Streak ended: Lost to Boston 3-2 on Sept. 1.
• The skinny: The Rays had won 11 in a row earlier in the year and they were hot at the end, too. It's the only time in franchise history that they've won at least nine games more than once in a season.

4. (tie) Rays win 9 in a row in 2014

• Games won in a row: 9
• Dates: From July 12 to July 26
• Teams beaten: Toronto Blue Jays (2), Minnesota Twins (3), St. Louis Cardinals (2), Boston Red Sox (2), Toronto (4).
• Streak ended: Lost to Boston 3-2 on July 27.
• The skinny: The Rays weren't good early in the year, losing 10 in a row and 14 of 15 at one stretch to fall 18 games under .500 at 24-42. But the nine-game streak got them going for a while and they got back to .500 at 61-61. They finished the season with a 77-85 record. It was manager Joe Maddon's final season with Tampa Bay.

Other Rays winning streaks

• 8 games five times, twice in 2018, and in 2013 and 2012, plus the end of 2011 and into 2012.
• 7 games six times, in 2013, 2012, twice in 2010, 2009 and 2008.
• 6 games 23 times.

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