Overview
- Nico Hoerner, who went 3-for-5 Wednesday at Tropicana Field, led off with a home run and the Cubs beat the Rays 6-2.
- The game turned on a five-run fifth inning as Michael Conforto's drive skipped off the center fielder's glove, two Rays errors extended the damage, and Hoerner added an RBI double.
- Starter Colin Rea, filling Cade Horton's rotation spot, allowed one run on two hits over five innings in his first win of the season.
- Hoby Milner worked a clean sixth, Ben Brown covered two frames before a late RBI single, and Hunter Harvey closed the ninth to finish the win.
- The victory gave Chicago back-to-back wins and its first series of 2026 as the club adjusts to Horton’s torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow and planned season-ending surgery.