TORONTO (AP) — Cedric Mullins, Victor Mesa Jr. and Nick Fortes hit solo homers, Nick Martinez pitched six innings of one-run ball and the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays beat the struggling Toronto Blue Jays 7-1 on Monday night.
Junior Caminero had three hits and an RBI, Yandy Díaz had two hits and scored twice, and Jonathan Aranda added an RBI single as the Rays snapped a five-game losing streak.
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Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Nick Martinez throws to a Toronto Blue Jays batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, July 20, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Dylan Cease throws to a Tampa Bay Rays batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, July 20, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho is unable to catch a home run off the bat of Tampa Bay Rays' Victor Mesa Jr. during the second inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, July 20, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)
Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Nick Martinez throws to a Toronto Blue Jays batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, July 20, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)
Tampa Bay Rays' Victor Mesa Jr. (25) runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the second inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, July 20, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)
Tampa Bay has gone 6-1 against Toronto this season.
Martinez (9-2) gave up one run and six hits, all singles, and extended his unbeaten streak to seven starts.
Cam Booser worked a 1-2-3 seventh, Casey Legumina handled the eighth and Bryan Baker finished for the Rays.
The Blue Jays made three errors in losing for the fifth time in six games. They’ve scored two runs in the past three games, all losses.
Toronto was 39-39 after beating Houston on June 22. The defending AL champions have gone 7-15 since.
The Blue Jays dropped to 13-20 in series openers.
Toronto’s Dylan Cease, the AL All-Star starter last week, allowed five runs, three earned, and seven hits in six innings. Cease (6-5) walked one and struck out seven in his first defeat since June 27, against Texas.
Mesa hit a one-out homer off Cease in the fourth, his eighth. Mullins added a leadoff homer in the sixth, his 12th.
Fortes capped the scoring with a leadoff homer against Brendon Little in the ninth, his third.
Caminero had two doubles and an RBI single among his three hits. He also reached on an intentional walk in the ninth.
Rays RHP Drew Rasmussen (7-5, 3.26 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday against Blue Jays RHP Kevin Gausman (4-8, 4.33).
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Nick Martinez throws to a Toronto Blue Jays batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, July 20, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Dylan Cease throws to a Tampa Bay Rays batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, July 20, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho is unable to catch a home run off the bat of Tampa Bay Rays' Victor Mesa Jr. during the second inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, July 20, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)
Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Nick Martinez throws to a Toronto Blue Jays batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, July 20, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)
Tampa Bay Rays' Victor Mesa Jr. (25) runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the second inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, July 20, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)
HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 21, 2026--
Houston-based Americana Partners, an independent wealth management firm with over $11.5 * billion in total client assets, today announced a new division focused on the sports and entertainment industries, tapping Associate Vice President Ben Davidson to lead the wealth management venture.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260721655004/en/
The new division will serve athletes, entertainers, creators, agents, and coaches through a team of former athletes, entertainment executives, and financial professionals with decades of industry experience. Americana is strategically positioned in the nation's premier sports and entertainment markets through its offices in Beverly Hills and Nashville, complementing its Houston headquarters. The firm will provide specialized guidance in income diversification, brand protection, intellectual property strategies, tax planning across multiple revenue streams, and investment management for rapidly growing wealth.
“The financial lives of athletes, entertainers, and creators are often more complex than people realize,” said Ben Davidson, Associate Vice President at Americana Partners. “Our goal is to support clients as they navigate important financial decisions during periods of opportunity, build a long-term financial foundation beyond their careers in the spotlight, and surround them with a trusted network of advisors, relationships, and resources.”
To launch the new division, Americana Partners hosted its inaugural Americana Cup at Congaree Golf Course in South Carolina on May 28-31, 2026. The tournament brought together Hall of Fame athletes, entertainment executives, creators, and financial leaders for a premier golf event focused on relationship-building, business development, and philanthropy. Congaree Golf Club is the world’s first philanthropic course, with the Congaree Foundation creating opportunities and fostering education for local and global youth through the game of golf.
“Our inaugural Americana Cup marks an exciting milestone as we expand our commitment to serving clients across the sports and entertainment industries,” said Jason Fertitta, Chief Executive Officer of Americana Partners. “This event reflects our approach to building meaningful relationships and understanding the unique needs of the individuals we serve. By bringing together leaders across sports, entertainment, and finance, we’re creating opportunities to connect, collaborate, and deliver greater value to our clients.”
Through its new division, Americana Partners helps athletes manage earnings throughout relatively short career windows, navigate complex contracts, and develop long-term wealth strategies that extend well beyond their playing days. Services include investment strategies that work with unique earning timelines, confidential wealth management, career transition and retirement planning, and access to investment opportunities made available through the firm’s platform, where appropriate. Entertainment professionals can expect advice on cash flow management for unpredictable income, royalty and intellectual property optimization, industry-specific tax planning, and wealth building strategies designed to support long-term financial objectives.
For content creators and digital entrepreneurs building a media business, Americana understands the importance of diversifying income sources beyond one platform, protecting and growing the value of what each client has built, creating multiple revenue streams, and helping creators develop long-term financial plans beyond periods of rapid business growth. The firm assists with income diversification, brand protection and intellectual property strategies, tax planning for multiple revenue sources, and investment guidance.
About Americana Partners
Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Houston, Americana Partners is an independent wealth advisory firm working with a select network of families and individuals to help them simplify the management of their wealth. The firm offers wealth advisory and family office services, including alternative and traditional investment solutions. Americana serves high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients across the United States, with a division serving ultra-high-net-worth Latin American clients. The company celebrated its seventh-year anniversary in April 2026, having grown rapidly since its launch in 2019 to now manage over $11.5 billion in assets. Free from most of the constraints of corporate ownership, Americana is empowered to leverage support from Dynasty Financial Partners and other industry experts.
To learn more, visit www.americanapartners.com. Follow along on LinkedIn or Instagram.
RIA is an SEC-registered investment adviser. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. This release is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
*Total Client Assets include both Regulatory Assets Under Management (RAUM), as reported in our Form ADV, and Assets Under Advisement (AUA), which are not included in RAUM.
Ben Davidson, Associate Vice President
