The Chicago Cubs (5-6) defeated the Tampa Bay Rays (5-6) 9-2 on Tuesday night at Tropicana Field. The Rays and Cubs are now even in the three-game series at a game apiece headed into the rubber game on Sunday.
Mason Englert (0-1, 9.45) got the start in place of Drew Rasmussen, whose wife is expecting a baby. The Cubs got to him for four runs - three of them earned - on seven hits in three and two-third innings of work. After Chicago got two runs in both the second and third off of him, they added single runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth inning to pull away, before adding two in the ninth to make it a 9-2 final score.
The Rays two runs came in the eighth inning from a RBI double from Jonathan Aranda, followed by a RBI single from Ryan Vilde. Aranda finished 2-for-four with a RBI on the night - Chandler Simpson also had two hits for Tampa Bay.
The Rays and Cubs will now meet in the rubber game of the three-game series on Wednesday night. Joe Boyle (0-0, 3.18) is scheduled to start for the Rays and face Colin Rea (0-0, 4.26) for the Cubs. First pitch on Wednesday is scheduled for 6:40 PM at Tropicana Field - pregame coverage begins with Ronnie Lane hosting Inside Pitch at 5:30 PM on 95.7 WDAE & AM 620, your Home of Rays Baseball.
COVER PHOTO COURTESY GETTY IMAGES