A Nail-Biter at Tropicana Field
Hey, Rays Nation! Last night's game against the Cubs was an absolute rollercoaster
, right down to the last inning! Our boys fought hard, but unfortunately, we came up just short, losing 4-3.Early Innings
The first inning was a pitching duel, with both teams failing to capitalize on a couple of base hits. Jose Siri gave us hope in the second inning with a double, but we couldn't bring him home. It wasn’t until the bottom of the 3rd inning that Taylor Walls walked, stole second, and Isaac Paredes doubled to drive him in, giving us a 1-0 lead!
Trading Blows in the Middle Innings
However, Seiya Suzuki answered right back in the 4th with a solo homer to center (408 feet)
. When our very own Jose Siri launched a 435-foot bomb to left-center in the bottom half, we grabbed the lead back 2-1. We kept the Cubs quiet thanks to great pitching and defense through the 5th and 6th innings.Cubs Surge in the 7th
The 7th inning was a tough one. After a couple of base hits and a hit-by-pitch, Cody Bellinger hit a clutch 3-run homer to right-center (407 feet), putting the Cubs up 4-2. Despite this, our bullpen managed to limit further damage and keep us in the game.Late Innings Drama
We couldn't muster any runs in the 8th, but Jose Caballero gave us a fighting chance in the 9th with a solo homer to center (410 feet), cutting the deficit to one run. Ben Rortvedt followed up with a single, and with Jonny DeLuca running for him, we had the tying run on second base after a stolen base. Taylor Walls drew a walk to put runners on first and third.However, despite our late rally, Yandy Díaz and Brandon Lowe couldn't bring them home, and we fell just short.
Final Thoughts
While the 4-3 loss stings, the team showed great character and resilience, especially with those late-inning heroics
. Let’s keep this fight going and bounce back in the next game, Rays Nation! 
Keep your chin up, and let's show our support for the team!
Scoreboard for Cubs @ Rays (June 12th, 2024)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 0 |