Nico Hoerner Went Nuclear and the Cubs Just Won Their First Series of 2026
The Chicago Cubs walked into Tropicana Field on Wednesday and came out with back-to-back wins for the first time all season, thanks to a lights-out performance from second baseman Nico Hoerner that included a home run, an RBI double, and enough pressure to sink the Tampa Bay Rays' pitching staff. Final score: Cubs 6, Rays 2.
Hoerner was the story early. Leading off the game, he fouled off three straight pitches before crushing a 1-2 curveball from Rays starter Joe Boyle over the left field wall for his first home run of the season. That set the tone for everything that followed.
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The real damage happened in the fifth. The Cubs loaded the bases quickly, and that's when Michael Conforto laced a drive that caromed off the glove of Rays center fielder Jonny DeLuca. The ball rolled into the infield, and right fielder Jake Fraley's throw sailed past the cutoff man, allowing Dansby Swanson to scamper home and make it 4-1. Two batters later, Hoerner stepped up and plated Conforto with an RBI double down the right field line. Before the inning was over, a throwing error from Rays catcher Hunter Feduccia allowed Hoerner to score again. That fifth inning buried Joe Boyle, who was yanked after giving up six runs (five earned) on four hits in just 4 1/3 innings.
Pitching Held Up When It Mattered
Colin Rea took the rotation spot after Cade Horton went down with a torn ulnar collateral ligament that will require season-ending surgery. Rea allowed just one run on two hits over five innings and picked up the win. Hoby Milner and Ben Brown kept things clean in the sixth and seventh before Hunter Harvey shut the door in the ninth.
The Rays managed a sacrifice fly from Jonathan Aranda in the third to stay 1-1 for a moment, but it was never enough. Tampa Bay committed three errors in the loss and now sits at 0-5 over their last eight games.
With consecutive wins finally in the books and their first series victory locked down, the Cubs are starting to build some momentum early. The Rays, meanwhile, have work to do.
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