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Mullins, Aranda and Caminero homer to lead Rays over Cubs in return to Tropicana Field

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Mullins, Aranda and Caminero homer to lead Rays over Cubs in return to Tropicana Field
Sport

Sport

Mullins, Aranda and Caminero homer to lead Rays over Cubs in return to Tropicana Field

2026-04-07 13:00 Last Updated At:13:11

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla (AP) — Cedric Mullins, Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero homered and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Chicago Cubs 6-4 on Monday in their first game at Tropicana Field in 561 days.

The Rays were back in their domed stadium after playing the 2025 season across the bay in Tampa at Steinbrenner Field — the spring training home of the New York Yankees — because Hurricane Milton destroyed the Trop’s roof and caused extensive damage.

A sellout crowd of 25,114 welcomed the Rays home.

Shane McClanahan, making his first start at the Trop since July 22, 2023, allowed two runs and one hit in four innings. He struck out five and walked four.

McClanahan returned to the mound last week for the first time after a series of injuries forced him to miss two full seasons. The lefty underwent his second Tommy John surgery in August 2023 and then missed the entire 2025 season due to an inflamed nerve in his left triceps.

Kevin Kelly (1-1) pitched a perfect fifth to earn the win and Bryan Baker finished for his first save, yielding Matt Shaw’s solo shot in the ninth.

ROYALS 4, GUARDIANS 2

CLEVELAND (AP) — Carter Jensen and Jonathan India homered, Michael Wacha allowed one run in seven innings and Kansas City defeated Cleveland.

All-Star third baseman José Ramírez became Cleveland’s franchise leader in games played with 1,620. Ramírez, who went 0 for 2 with two walks, surpassed Terry Turner’s nearly 108-year-old mark.

Steven Kwan and Brayan Rocchio had solo shots for the Guardians, who have dropped two of three.

REDS 2, MARLINS 0

MIAMI (AP) — Elly De La Cruz doubled and singled, Tyler Stephenson homered and four Cincinnati pitchers combined for a shutout as the Reds beat Miami.

Brandon Williamson (1-1) scattered three hits over 6 2/3 innings. After a difficult season debut in which he gave up six runs and six hits against Pittsburgh on March 31, the 28-yeaer-old left-hander struck out four and walked one. He kept the Marlins hitless until Otto López’s two-out single in the fourth.

The Reds, who won their fourth straight, began Monday tied with San Francisco for fewest runs scored in the majors with 26. They scored nine runs in their three-game sweep at Texas over the weekend.

PADRES 5, PITATES 0

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Germán Márquez is a winner with the San Diego Padres.

The right-hander pitched five effective innings in a victory at Pittsburgh. He allowed six hits, struck out four and walked one in his second start with his new team.

The 31-year-old Márquez is trying to rebuild his career with San Diego. He won a spot in the team’s rotation after agreeing to a minor league deal in February.

Márquez dropped his first start with San Diego when he surrendered four runs and eight hits in three innings in a 9-3 loss to San Francisco last week.

He threw 92 pitches against Pittsburgh, 56 for strikes. He got some help from Gold Glove outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr., who cut down Ryan O’Hearn when he attempted to score from second on Spencer Horwitz’s single in the second.

The Pirates put a runner on third with one out in the fifth, but Márquez escaped the jam when he retired Brandon Lowe on a popup to third and Bryan Reynolds on a flyball to left.

NATIONALS 9, CARDINALS 6

WASHINGTON (AP) — James Wood, Brady House and CJ Abrams homered during a six-run eighth inning, and Washington rallied for a victory over St. Louis.

Wood tied it with a three-run shot against Ryne Stanek, House’s two-run homer off Matt Svanson (0-1) made it 8-6, and Abrams followed with a solo drive for his 500th career hit. The Nationals have scored 64 runs through their first 10 games, a franchise best and behind only the Dodgers and Brewers this season.

Wood also took away a potential homer from Nolan Gorman with a leaping catch near the right-field corner in the fourth.

Washington righty Zack Littell struck out six and allowed four hits and one run in five innings. His second-inning strikeout of Nolan Gorman was the 500th of his nine-year career.

Cionel Pérez (1-1) threw a scoreless ninth and was awarded the win after Washington relievers Ken Waldichuk and Andre Granillo combined to allow three runs in the eighth.

Ramon Urías homered and drove in three runs for the Cardinals. His two-run blast in the sixth put the Cardinals ahead 3-2, and Jordan Walker’s solo shot in the eighth made it 4-3. Urías also doubled in a run in the eighth.

BREWERS 8, RED SOX 6

BOSTON (AP) — Garrett Mitchell lined a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning and Milwaukee beat Boston, sending them to their eighth loss in nine games.

Christian Yelich had three hits and an RBI for the red-hot Brewers (8-2).

Willson Contreras hit a solo homer and reached base five times for the Red Sox (2-8).

Garrett Whitlock (0-1) walked two batters before Mitchell’s go-ahead hit. Left fielder Roman Anthony threw wildly to the plate, allowing a second run to score that made it 7-5.

Aaron Ashby (3-0) got four outs and Angel Zerpa worked the ninth for his first career save.

DODGERS 14, BLUE JAYS 2

TORONTO (AP) — Dalton Rushing hit two solo home runs for his first career multihomer game and Los Angeles went deep five times to rout Toronto in a rematch of the 2025 World Series.

Teoscar Hernández and Freddie Freeman both hit two-run home runs and Shohei Ohtani added a solo blast.

After scoring 31 runs in a three game sweep at Washington, the Dodgers piled up 17 hits against the slumping Blue Jays. Rushing went 4 for 4 and also scored after he was hit by a pitch.

Rushing connected on Tommy Nance’s first pitch of the seventh, then went deep again off Spencer Miles in the eighth.

Hernández went 2 for 5 with a walk and drove in four while Freeman was 2 for 4 with a walk and three RBIs. Kyle Tucker had a hit, walked and scored three times, and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Andy Pages had two hits, including a two-run double.

Blue Jays catcher Tyler Heineman came on to pitch the ninth and retired the side in order, Toronto’s only 1-2-3 inning of the game.

ORIOLES 2, WHITE SOX 1

CHICAGO (AP) — Spot starter Brandon Young pitched five scoreless innings, Gunnar Henderson homered and Baltimore beat Chicago to stop a three-game skid.

Ryan Helsley worked out of a jam in the ninth for his third save. He walked the first two batters, and pinch-hitter Lenyn Sota’s one-out grounder made it 2-1. After an infield single by Andrew Benintendi, Helsley struck out Edgar Quero on a 99 mph fastball to end it.

Tyler O’Neill hit a flyball that fell for an RBI single in the fourth inning when White Sox left fielder Austin Hays pulled up with a right hamstring injury, which forced him to leave the game. Henderson homered in the sixth off Erick Fedde (0-2), who worked six innings after opener Grant Taylor pitched the first.

Chicago lost at home for the first time this season as its three-game winning streak was snapped.

TWINS 7, TIGERS 7

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Luke Keaschall hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning and four Minnesota relievers combined for four scoreless innings as the Twins beat Detroit.

Keaschall’s first home run of the season helped Joe Ryan earn his first win of the year. Anthony Banda, Eric Orze, Kody Funderburk and Cody Laweryson provided shutout relief for the Twins. Laweryson pitched the final 1 2/3 innings for his first save.

The temperature at first pitch was 37 degrees and continued to drop, with players wearing full sleeves and many wearing head coverings.

RANGERS 2, MARINERS 1

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jake Burger hit a tie-breaking RBI double over the outstretched glove of left fielder Randy Arozarena in the sixth inning, Jacob deGrom and five Texas relievers combined for a two-hitter and the Rangers beat Seattle.

The Rangers snapped a four-game losing streak and won for the first time in four home games.

The Mariners have lost three consecutive games and five of their last six.

Burger’s fly to deep left scored Corey Seager, who singled and advanced to second base on a wild pitch by Logan Gilbert (0-2).

Jalen Beeks (1-0) pitched a scoreless sixth inning as the first Rangers reliever following deGrom. Jakob Junis earned his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth.

Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, who led the major leagues last season with 60 home runs, hit his first of the season in the first inning capping a 12-pitch at-bat during which he fouled off six pitches with two strikes. His longest drought last season was eight games.

ROCKIES 9, ASTROS 7

DENVER (AP) — Troy Johnston hit a solo homer, a double and a single and Colorado rode an eight-run fifth inning to a victory over Houston.

Edouard Julien, TJ Rumfield, and Willi Castro also had multi-hit games as the Rockies banged out 12 hits.

Julien had a two-run single in the fifth inning that started the eight-run outburst. Rumfield had a two-run triple — the first triple of his career — during the scoring outburst. He has reached base safely in all but one game since making his big league debut on March 27.

Johnston added an insurance run with a 407-foot homer in the sixth.

Ryan Feltner (1-0) allowed seven hits and four earned runs while striking out one in 5 1/3 innings for the win. Juan Mejia earned his first save of the season after a hitless 1 2/3 innings to finish the game.

Astros starter Cody Bolton and Ryan Weiss (0-1) combined to allow 11 hits and eight runs.

ANGELS 6, BRAVES 2

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — José Soriano pitched eight dominant innings and the Los Angeles got home runs from Zach Neto and Jo Adell in a victory over Atlanta.

Neto launched a leadoff shot on Chris Sale’s first pitch, and Soriano (3-0) struck out 10 as the Angels won their third consecutive game. The right-hander allowed one run and three hits without issuing a walk, throwing 69 of his 96 pitches for strikes.

Soriano gave up a solo homer to Drake Baldwin and a single to Matt Olson in the first, then retired 19 straight batters before Mike Yastrzemski led off the eighth with a single.

Mauricio Dubón homered off Angels reliever Chase Silseth in the ninth. Atlanta put two on with two outs before Jordan Romano replaced Silseth and got Yastrzemski to fly out for his fourth save.

PHILLIES 6, GIANTS 4

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Alec Bohm hit a go-ahead double in the seventh inning after Bryce Harper’s two-run single tied it, and Philadelphia rallied past the San Francisco for a win.

Jonathan Bowlan (1-0) pitched the sixth for the win, receiving another run of support on a sacrifice fly by Brandon Marsh in the decisive inning.

Giants right-hander Adrian Houser looked strong pitching into the seventh in his home debut before Justin Crawford’s leadoff single got the Phillies going on the way to their fifth victory in six games. Ryan Borucki (0-1) relieved and took the loss.

Matt Chapman hit a two-run triple in the third, one night after his baserunning blunder cost San Francisco, and Heliot Ramos added an RBI single against Phillies rookie Andrew Painter. Luis Arraez contributed a sacrifice fly in the fourth, but the Giants couldn’t protect a four-run lead.

Tampa Bay Rays' Jonathan Aranda celebrates his two-run home run off Chicago Cubs pitcher Phil Maton during the seventh inning of a baseball game Monday, April 6, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays' Jonathan Aranda celebrates his two-run home run off Chicago Cubs pitcher Phil Maton during the seventh inning of a baseball game Monday, April 6, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Michigan's new Fab Five threw style points out the door and brought home a prize not even the school's most famous team could capture.

The five fabulous transfers who make up coach Dusty May's starting lineup got down and dirty with the rest of the Wolverines — coming out with the national title trophy Monday night after muscling their way to a 69-63 victory over stingy, stubborn UConn.

Michigan only made two 3-pointers all night.

The Final Four's most outstanding player, Elliot Cadeau, led the Wolverines with 19 points, including the team’s first 3, which came 7:04 into the second half. The second 3, from freshman Trey McKenney, came with 1:50 left and felt like a dagger, giving May's team — which had scored 90 points in five straight March Madness games leading to the final — a nine-point lead.

To no one’s surprise, UConn fought to the finish. Solo Ball banked in a 3 to cut the deficit to four with 37 seconds left — and after two missed free throws, UConn’s Alex Karaban (17 points) barely grazed the rim on a 3 that would’ve cut the deficit to one with 17 seconds left.

Not until McKenney sank two free throws to bring Michigan’s shooting from the line to 25 for 28 for the night could the Wolverines (37-3) kick off the celebration for the program’s second title — the other coming in 1989, a few years before the Fab Five arrived and made two trips to the championship game, but never won a title.

“HAIL TO VICTORS!!!!” Jalen Rose, one of the Fab Five stars, posted on social media. “NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!!”

It was the first men's hoops title for the Big Ten since Michigan State in 2000. Including UCLA's win in the women's NCAA Tournament Sunday, the conference swept the football (Indiana) and basketball titles this year.

Michigan won this one with defense, holding UConn to 30.9% shooting — the fourth straight game the Wolverines held their opponent to a season-low field-goal percentage.

“These guys have done it all year,” May said. “When one side of the ball has let us down, the other side has picked it up. Our togetherness defensively ultimately got us over the hump.”

Michigan had to fight for everything. The Wolverines missed their first 11 shots from 3, finished 2 for 15 beyond the arc and won despite the struggles of their best player, Yaxel Lendeborg. Ailing with a hurt knee and foot that kept him from elevating, the graduate transfer from UAB finished with 13 points on 4-of-13 shooting.

“If you’d told me we would shoot it this poorly and (be) dominated on the glass and still find a way to win, I don’t know if I would have believed you,” May said. “This team just found a way all season.”

The two 3-pointers were tied for second fewest by a winning team in the title game, according to Sportradar. Michigan also got outrebounded 22-12 on the offensive glass by a UConn team that would not go away.

“How are you disappointed at all in your group?” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “These guys have 22 offensive rebounds versus that group of ‘mon-stars’ out there. So, proud of the guys.”

Truth be told, it wasn’t anyone’s prettiest night.

UConn’s hopes of becoming the first team since John Wooden’s UCLA dynasty to win three titles in four seasons came up short, done in by massive foul trouble and its own terrible shooting.

Hurley’s team missed its first 11 shots from 3 in the second half.

Braylon Mullins, the hero of the Duke win that put UConn in the Final Four, finished 4 of 17, though he made a pair of late 3s that kept the game in reach. Tarris Reed Jr., the transfer from Michigan, finished with 13 points and 14 rebounds but never took control.

UConn (34-6) covered the 6 1/2-point spread, and Hurley kept his players out on the court to watch the podium get set up for the victors.

About the only consolation: The Huskies clogged things up, slowed things down and made Michigan beat them at their game.

“It’s complicated, because everyone’s crushed,” Hurley said. “We came here to be out there, doing what those guys are doing right now.”

Nobody did it quite like the Wolverines this year. They came into the title game shooting freely and winning big. In each of their five tournament games, they broke 90 and won by 13 or more.

In this one, they didn’t hit 70 and had to battle to the buzzer. It was ugly — the opposite of an instant classic. And yet, in almost every way, it was the prettiest of them all for Michigan — the one that gives the school what the Fab Five couldn’t manage — namely, a natty.

“Nobody cared about stats the whole season,” Cadeau said. “Nobody cared about nothing but winning. I’m just glad to be part of that.”

Style points aside, this was a championship built from outside — the best team money could buy.

All five Wolverines starters played college ball elsewhere, and all but Nimari Burnett came to Ann Arbor this season. That’s a product of the transfer portal that May has shown no reluctance to use since he arrived from Florida Atlantic two seasons ago.

His ability to form a makeshift group into a winner shows the value of a coach and a culture.

“They might be still calling us mercenaries but we’re the hardest-working team,” Lendenborg said. “We’re the best in college basketball and we’ll be one of the greatest ever.”

Pretty much everyone in the maize and blue would second that.

“Go BLUE. …champions!!! Respect- Love!” was the social media post from another Fab Five icon, Chris Webber.

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg celebrates after defeating UConn in the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg celebrates after defeating UConn in the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Michigan head coach Dusty May celebrates by cutting down the net after defeating UConn in the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Michigan head coach Dusty May celebrates by cutting down the net after defeating UConn in the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Members of Michigan celebrate after defeating UConn in the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Members of Michigan celebrate after defeating UConn in the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Michigan celebrates after defeating UConn in the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Michigan celebrates after defeating UConn in the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Members of Michigan celebrate after defeating UConn in the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Members of Michigan celebrate after defeating UConn in the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Michigan's Nimari Burnett (4) and Morez Johnson Jr. celebrate after defeating UConn in the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Michigan's Nimari Burnett (4) and Morez Johnson Jr. celebrate after defeating UConn in the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg walks to his bench during a time out during the second half of the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game against UConn at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg walks to his bench during a time out during the second half of the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game against UConn at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

UConn's Tarris Reed Jr. (5) grabs a rebound as Michigan's Elliot Cadeau (3) falls and UConn's Silas Demary Jr. (2) and Michigan's Morez Johnson Jr. (21) watch during the second half of the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

UConn's Tarris Reed Jr. (5) grabs a rebound as Michigan's Elliot Cadeau (3) falls and UConn's Silas Demary Jr. (2) and Michigan's Morez Johnson Jr. (21) watch during the second half of the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

UConn head coach Dan Hurley reacts during the second half of the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game against Michigan at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

UConn head coach Dan Hurley reacts during the second half of the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game against Michigan at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg watches from the bench during the second half of the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game against UConn at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg watches from the bench during the second half of the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game against UConn at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Michigan's Trey McKenney, left, and Elliot Cadeau celebrate during the second half of the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game against UConn at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Michigan's Trey McKenney, left, and Elliot Cadeau celebrate during the second half of the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game against UConn at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

UConn guard Silas Demary Jr. celebrates after the second half of an NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game against Illinois at the Final Four, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

UConn guard Silas Demary Jr. celebrates after the second half of an NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game against Illinois at the Final Four, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Michigan's Aday Mara (15) reacts during the second half of an NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game against Arizona at the Final Four, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Michigan's Aday Mara (15) reacts during the second half of an NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game against Arizona at the Final Four, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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