Rays' Orlando Pride Night Is Most-Attended Game In Ten Years

The Rays dedicated last night’s Pride Night in St. Petersburg to victims and survivors of the Pulse shooting in Orlando, and the team’s pledge to donate all proceeds to charity resulted in a paid attendance of 40,135—the most to attend a regular season game since the 2006 home opener.

Demand for tickets led the Rays to open up several thousand obstructed-view seats that are normally only sold for playoff games; the stadium’s official capacity is 31,402. The team sold all remaining tickets for $5, and fans received Orlando pride t-shirts upon entry. The Rays say more than $300,000 will be donated to the Pulse victims’ fund as a result of the event; the Orlando Rays caps worn by players (the team once had a minor league affiliate there, and the logo was revived for the event) will also later be auctioned for charity.

The Giants beat the Rays 5-1, though Orlando native Brad Miller did homer for Tampa Bay.

[ Tampa Bay Times]