Tough Start at the Plate
The game started off rough for our Rays as both Yandy Díaz and Randy Arozarena had trouble making contact, with Díaz striking out swinging and Arozarena grounding out to the pitcher. The Cubs also managed to stymie our offense in the first inning with relative ease, shutting us down with three up and three down.Defensive Stalemate
The second and third innings didn’t fare much better offensively for either team, as solid defensive plays kept the score locked at 0-0. Our defense showed up big time though, with pitcher and infield support getting crucial outs. Alex Jackson managed to get us our first hit in the third inning, but it didn't translate to any runs.Cubs Break Through
By the top of the 5th inning, the Cubs managed to capitalize on an error, and soon enough, Michael Busch and Nico Hoerner crossed home plate, putting the Cubs up 2-0. It stung to see a mistake cost us like that, but there's always faith in our boys to make a comeback.Rays Respond in the 7th Inning 
The bottom of the 7th was where the magic happened! Amed Rosario reached on an infield single and advanced to second on a throwing error. Jose Siri drew a walk, and then Josh Lowe singled to left, bringing Rosario home and putting the Rays on the board. Ben Rortvedt, hitting for Alex Jackson, grounded out to second, but it was enough to score Siri and even up the game at 2-2. Then, Yandy Díaz singled to center, scoring Josh Lowe and giving us the lead at 3-2. Taylor Walls replaced Díaz and stole second, but we couldn't stretch the lead further.Locked Down Defense to Seal the Win 
As we moved into the final innings, our bullpen locked it down. Colin Poche got three quick outs in the 8th, and then Pete Fairbanks came in and closed the deal in the 9th. Despite a walk to Busch, Hoerner grounded into a double play, sealing the 3-2 victory for the Rays!Great effort by the team to overcome early struggles and a clutch performance by our bullpen to finalize the win. Way to go, Rays!
Scoreboard for Cubs @ Rays (June 13th, 2024)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 |