Mullins homers and has 3 singles to help AL East-leading Rays beat Marlins 7-2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Cedric Mullins homered and singled three times in four at-bats to help the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays beat the Miami Marlins 7-2 on Friday night for their 11th victory in 13 games.

Tampa Bay has won 11 straight at home.

Mullins also stole a base. He had his most hits since May 21, 2023, when he had five while with Baltimore.

After Yandy Díaz’s two-run homer in the bottom of the first, the scrappy Rays built a 4-1 lead with two second-inning hustle plays. Richie Palacios turned an elusive pop fly into a double and Mullins moved him to third by beating out a bunt.

Palacios scored on Hunter Feduccia’s sacrifice fly. Mullins, who stole second and took third on Feduccia’s out, sprinted home on Taylor Walls’ weak chopper to first.

Feduccia and the Rays were robbed of back-to-back homers in the sixth by their own ballpark. Following Mullins’ solo shot, the catcher launched Janson Junk's fastball into right center, but the hit ricocheted off the Tropicana Field catwalk and fell to the turf for a ground-rule double.

Tampa Bay opener Ian Seymour needed nine pitches in the first inning and retired the first five Marlins before Connor Norby’s second-inning homer. Jesse Scholtens (4-2) took over in the third and threw five strong innings in relief. Miami center fielder Jakob Marsee (3 for 4) gave Scholtens his only blemish, a sixth-inning homer.

The Rays, who retired the final 10 batters in order after Marsee’s home run, are 4-0 this year when using an opener.

Junk dropped to 2-4.

Marlins RHP Sandy Alcantara (3-2, 3.90 ERA) was set to start Saturday against RHP Nick Martinez (4-1, 1.70).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Tampa Bay Rays' Cedric Mullins (31) and Hunter Feduccia celebrate after scoring on a two-run double by Taylor Walls pff Miami Marlins pitcher Janson Junk during the fourth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 15, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays' Cedric Mullins drops his bat after hitting a home run off Miami Marlins pitcher Janson Junk during the sixth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 15, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays' Cedric Mullins, right, scores ahead of the throw to Miami Marlins catcher Joe Mack on a fielder's choice by Taylor Walls during the second inning of a baseball game Friday, May 15, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays' Cedric Mullins celebrates in the dugout after scoring on a fielder's choice by Taylor Walls off Miami Marlins pitcher Janson Junk during the second inning of a baseball game Friday, May 15, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Cedric Mullins celebrates with shortstop Taylor Walls (6) and second baseman Ben Williamson (15) after the team defeated the Miami Marlins during a baseball game Friday, May 15, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — San Antonio ruled starting guard De’Aaron Fox out of Monday night’s Western Conference finals opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder because of right ankle soreness, meaning adversity hit the Spurs in the much-anticipated series before it even started.

The Thunder, meanwhile, got Jalen Williams back in their lineup after he missed six games with a left hamstring strain.

And in the end, the Spurs found a way anyway — winning 122-115 in double overtime, behind a 41-point, 24-rebound night from Victor Wembanyama and a 24-point, 11-rebound, six-assist, seven-steal gem from rookie Dylan Harper, who took Fox's spot.

Fox spoke at the Spurs’ morning shootaround session Monday — “trying to test it out,” he said — and was on the court again in Oklahoma City about 90 minutes before tip-off of Game 1. That second workout obviously didn’t go as hoped, and the decision was made that he wouldn’t play.

Fox was averaging 18.8 points and 5.8 assists in a team-leading 33.3 minutes per game for the Spurs in these playoffs entering Monday. The Spurs haven’t revealed any specifics on the nature of the ankle issue, simply calling it soreness.

“It’s one of those deals where it’s not going away for as long as we’re playing, I don’t believe,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said.

The Spurs put Harper into the starting lineup in Fox's place, alongside Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie — all of them 25 or younger. The Spurs said it was the youngest starting lineup in the history of the NBA's conference finals.

Fox missed the first eight Spurs games of the season — and missed only three games since. The Spurs are now 8-3 without Fox this season.

The Thunder went with what would be considered their typical starting lineup: Williams with two-time Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein.

Williams missed 55 of the Thunder’s first 90 games this season entering Monday, including playoffs. Of those absences, 19 were for a right wrist issue and the other 36 were related to his hamstrings — the right one costing him 30 games during the regular season, the left one costing him the most recent six before Monday in this playoff run.

Ajay Mitchell filled in seamlessly during the six playoff games that Williams missed, taking the vacated starting spot and averaging 21.2 points — second-best on the team in that span, behind only Gilgeous-Alexander — on 48% shooting.

Mitchell had four points in 34 minutes on Monday.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, right, talks to guard Jalen Williams, left, before a news conference after Gilgeous-Alexander was named the NBA basketball MVP as guard Cason Wallace, back right, looks on, Sunday, May 17, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) celebrates a score with guard De'aaron Fox (4) during the first half of Game 6 of an NBA basketball second-round playoffs series in Minneapolis, Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

San Antonio Spurs guard De'aaron Fox (4) reacts after scoring against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half of Game 6 of an NBA basketball second-round playoffs series in Minneapolis, Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)