A Strong Start for the Rays 
Well, fellow Rays fans, the game started off with a bang! In the top of the first inning, our bats came to life thanks to a fantastic solo performance from Chandler Simpson, who got us going with a single. A wild pitch advanced him to second, giving us an early opportunity. Yandy DÃaz drew a walk, setting the stage for Christopher Morel. Morel launched a three-run homer to left center, sending Simpson and DÃaz home and sending us into a 3-0 lead. Such a thrilling beginning, am I right? 
Cubs Rally Back 
Unfortunately, the joy was short-lived. The Cubs responded in the bottom of the second inning and leveled the score thanks to a series of well-timed hits and smart baserunning. Despite us getting out of the inning tied 3-3, it felt like losing some momentum. Quickly, in the third inning, the Cubs took the lead, putting us behind 4-3. Our attempt to hold them was challenged, but hope was still alive in our Rays spirit! Rays Unable to Turn the Tide 
Our hopes surged again in the fourth inning when Nick Fortes hit a single that brought Jake Mangum home to narrow it to 5-4. But the Cubs' Ian Happ came through for them in the bottom of the fourth, extending their lead with a solo homer. The rest of the game saw our bats unfortunately quiet down, despite battling through each inning. The Cubs' defense and bullpen held strong, and we just couldn't break through late in the game. The ninth inning came all too soon, and despite a valiant pinch-hit appearance by Josh Lowe, his strikeout sealed the 6-4 win for the Cubs. It wasn’t the result we wanted, but we'll keep bringing our A-game. Tomorrow’s another day, and we’ll rise again! 
Scoreboard for Rays @ Cubs (September 12th, 2025)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 0 |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 0 |