Key keywords: Cincinnati Reds, Tampa Bay Rays, 2024 MLB regular season, 12-game win streak, interleague play, Tropicana Field, NL Central leaders, MLB road trip The Cincinnati Reds are heading south to Tampa, Florida this week to kick off a three-game interleague series against the Tampa Bay Rays, bringing their red-hot 12-game win streak with them as they look to extend one of the most impressive runs in the franchise’s recent history. Following a dominant 7-2 home win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday that capped off a perfect 6-game homestand, the Reds currently sit atop the National League Central with a 43-19 record, the best mark in all of Major League Baseball halfway through the 2024 regular season. During their 12-game win streak, the Reds’ offense has been nearly unstoppable, averaging 6.8 runs per game while slugging .521 as a team, led by All-Star candidates Elly De La Cruz, who has posted 12 home runs and 28 stolen bases so far this season, and first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who has driven in 47 runs through the first 62 games of the year. The team’s pitching staff has also stepped up during the run, posting a combined 2.71 ERA over the past 12 contests, with ace Hunter Greene scheduled to take the mound for the series opener on Friday night at Tropicana Field. The Tampa Bay Rays, who currently hold the second wild card spot in the American League with a 38-25 record, are coming off a 2-1 series win over the Toronto Blue Jays and will look to end the Reds’ streak on their home turf. Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters earlier this week that the team is excited for the challenge of facing the league’s hottest squad, noting that they have scheduled left-handed ace Shane McClanahan to start the series opener opposite Greene, setting up a marquee pitching matchup for the first game of the set. Ticket sales for the series have surged over the past week, with Tropicana Field officials reporting that over 85% of available seats for all three games have already been sold, including thousands of Reds fans who are traveling from across the southeast to watch their team extend the streak. Reds manager David Bell emphasized that the team is not taking their success for granted, telling reporters, “We’re focused on playing our brand of baseball every single inning, regardless of the streak or who we’re playing. The Rays are a very well-coached, talented team, and we know we’re going to have to play our best to win this series.” The series is widely viewed as one of the most anticipated interleague matchups of the 2024 season, with playoff implications for both teams as they look to build momentum ahead of the All-Star break next month.