Saturday April 1 - Trip from Miami to St. Petersburg - Tampa Bay Rays vs Detroit Tigers

 

Tropicana Park

We got on the bus at 8 AM for the 270-mile trip to St. Petersburg.  Once we reached that city, the bus passed by Al Lang Field where numerous spring training games were played over the years.  It also passed by Huggins-Stengel Field, another spring training site.

Tropicana Park has been maligned by some as it is quite drab compared to other stadiums.  I would concur with that.  St. Petersburg is at a distance from the more populated Tampa making it inconvenient for fans to drive over.

When I took my seat, I noticed many Detroit Tigers fans.  These people did not look like retirees, so I wondered if these people traveled from Michigan to see their favorite team.

Zack Elfin who received the largest free agent contract in Rays history, allowed only 1 run and 3 hits in 5 innings.  Yandy Díaz and Wander Franco each had three hits and three RBI for the Rays, who scored seven times in the third inning to ruin right-hander Spencer Turnbull's first major league outing for the Tigers since June 4, 2021.  The Tiger fans must have been disappointed as their team lost 12-2.

Game Recap