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TAMPA – The best best team won Friday.

The Tigers went into the game with the top overall record in the majors at 48-28. The Rays have been the hottest team over the last month with a 20-8 mark.

And it wasn’t much of a contest.

The Rays did a lot of what they’ve been doing, cobbling together big innings with a versatile offense getting contributions from throughout the lineup, complemented by strong pitching and playing solid defense.

And winning, with a 14-8 final.

The Rays (42-34) have done particularly well against good teams.

By one measure, better than anyone. With Friday’s win, the Rays have a majors-best 27-18 record against teams that went into play Friday at .500 or better.

That includes last weekend, when after two straight losses to the Red Sox, they rolled into Citi Field to face a star-studded Mets team that at the time had the best record in the baseball — and crowds in excess of 40,000 each day — and swept the series.

Next they went 2-2 against an Orioles club that came into Steinbrenner Field on an 11-4 roll.

And then certainly Friday, when they tamed a Tigers team that has been playing at a very high level.

“I think what it says most is that we’re a good team,” manager Kevin Cash said. “Other than that, I don’t know how to say it. But we’re a good team, and certainly you’ve got to find ways to beat good teams. And right now I’m happy that we are.”

Yandy Diaz, whose two homers led Friday’s 16-hit attack, took it a step further.

“To me, for the past month, we’ve been the best team in baseball,” he said, via team interpreter Eddie Rodriguez. “And it says a lot about us.”

And how they handle the challenges.

“I think that we just show up against good teams,” said starter Shane Baz, who worked into the sixth inning to win his fourth straight decision and seventh overall. “We have kind of found our identity, I think, a little bit.

“(Detroit’s) a great team. They had great at-bats all night against me. They’re kind of a complete team also, and I think it just speaks to what we can do and just are going to try and keep doing.”

Plus, infielder Curtis Mead, who reached base five times, said the success they’re having now will payoff in October.

“That’s awesome,” Mead said. “I feel like we want to challenge ourselves against the best teams, because that’s ultimately who we’re going to play in the playoffs. So it’s been a pretty cool run to be a part of.”

The offense has been the driving force in the Rays’ month-long surge, with the ability to put together multi-run innings.

They did that twice Friday.

In the first inning, Diaz hit his third leadoff homer of the season and 19th of his career, then a Jake Mangum single, Jonathan Aranda walk, Mead single and a two-out double by Matt Thaiss made it 4-0 as they sent eight men to the plate against Detroit starter Jack Flaherty.

The Tigers cut the lead to 4-3 in the third when Riley Greene hit a three-run homer off Baz.

But the Rays roared right back with another four-run outburst.

Mead singled, Josh Lowe and Thaiss walked, Taylor Walls delivered a bases-clearing double (then took third on an errant throw) and Kameron Misner dropped a perfect safety squeeze bunt to score Walls.

The Tigers got within 9-5 in the sixth, and the relentless Rays answered again.

By the end of the night, all nine starters had a hit (for the fifth time this season, second most in the majors), seven scored runs and six drove at least one in. The 7-8-9 hitters (Thaiss, Walls, Misner) were 7-for-14 with eight RBIs.

“I don’t think it would even matter what order we put people in right now,” Baz said. “Everyone’s just doing so well at the plate. Just getting a lead like that is so nice. It’s just fun. It’s fun to be a part of. It takes a lot of pressure off you as a pitcher, so yeah, really grateful.”

The 14 runs were their third most of the season. They reached double digits for the seventh time in their last 25 games, and 10th overall, tied for third most in the majors. And it was the 18th game they had an inning scoring four or more runs.

“It’s fun to be a part of right now,” Mead said. “I feel like we’ve got some guys making good decisions. We’ve got some guys who can leave the yard. I think we’re pretty dynamic. It takes a pretty good approach to get all of us out.”

Though it’s still June, it is worth noting that the Rays do hold the top American League wild-card spot. More intriguing, Friday’s win moved them within 1 ½ games of the AL East-leading Yankees.

“You’re always looking to continue to improve,” Cash said. “I don’t think we’re content with where we’re at, but we’re happy with the way we’re playing. Just want to see that consistently show up night after night.”

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