Cedric Mullins -- General News

The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-7 in 13 innings on a rain-soaked Saturday night, with Cedric Mullins providing the decisive blow. Mullins led off the 13th with a two-run home run to right field off Yohan Ramirez, scoring automatic runner Jonny DeLuca. The first pitch was moved up 30 minutes to avoid rain, but play was ultimately stopped for 2 hours 27 minutes with the Pirates leading 4-0.

After the rain delay, the Rays stormed back, scoring five runs in the fifth inning to take a 5-4 lead. Junior Caminero doubled in the first run and scored on Jonathan Aranda's single, followed by pinch-hitter Jonny DeLuca's two-run single and Mullins' go-ahead single. Pittsburgh tied the game 5-5 in the eighth on Nick Yorke's RBI single. Pirates ace Paul Skenes pitched four scoreless innings before not returning after the weather delay.

The game went to extras with both teams scoring in the 11th inning. The Rays' Taylor Walls scored on a wild pickoff throw by Ramirez, while Pittsburgh answered with Griffin's run-scoring fielder's choice. In the bottom of the 13th, Yoendrys Gomez struck out Joey Bart with runners on second and third to secure the victory. Mullins, who signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent in the offseason, had been hitting just .129 entering the game.

Cedric Mullins, who spent parts of eight seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the Tampa Bay Rays in December 2025. The 31-year-old was traded to the New York Mets at the deadline during a disappointing 2025 Orioles season before joining Tampa Bay. Mullins explained that his decision hinged on the opportunity to play everyday baseball and center field, which the Rays provided. The Rays will visit Baltimore May 25-27 and Aug. 21-23, giving Mullins his first chance to face his former team as an opponent—a moment he acknowledged will feel unusual.

Drafted by Baltimore in the 13th round of the 2015 MLB Draft, Mullins became one of the franchise's most recognizable players. Across 784 career games with the Orioles, he compiled a .250/.318/.426 slash line with 686 hits, 101 home runs, 327 RBIs, and 139 stolen bases. Mullins expressed gratitude for his time in Baltimore and acknowledged the difficulty of the transition, noting that relocating his family after the mid-season trade was challenging. He expressed regret that the competitive Orioles teams he was part of never won a World Series, though he remained proud of his contributions to rebuilding the franchise into a postseason contender.