ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Nico Hoerner hit a leadoff homer and then delivered an RBI double during a five-run fifth inning as the Chicago Cubs beat the sloppy Tampa Bay Rays 6-2 on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field.
Michael Conforto had a two-run double for the Cubs, who took advantage of three Tampa Bay throwing errors in the fifth to win the rubber game of the series before an announced crowd of 20,483. Colin Rea (1-0) allowed one run in five innings.
Hoerner went 3 for 5 with two RBIs and two runs, extending his on-base streak to 11 games. His leadoff shot to left field snapped a homerless streak for Rays right-hander Joe Boyle (0-1) that lasted 30 2/3 innings.
After that, Boyle retired 11 of his next 12 batters before it all unraveled in the fifth.
A leadoff double, two walks and Conforto’s bases-loaded double broke it open. Two throwing errors — one by right fielder Jake Fraley, the other by catcher Hunter Feduccia — helped the Cubs score two more runs before Boyle could escape. He gave up six runs, five earned, and four hits in 4 1/3 innings.
It was the third time this season Tampa Bay committed three errors in a game.
Rea, who attended St. Petersburg College, stepped into the rotation after Cade Horton went on the injured list with a right forearm strain and held the Rays to two hits.
Hoby Milner, Ben Brown (two innings) and Hunter Harvey finished the five-hitter.
Tampa Bay's first run came in the third on Jonathan Aranda’s sacrifice fly. Aranda scored in the eighth on Jake Fraley’s single.
Cubs LHP Shota Imanaga (0-1, 4.50 ERA) faces Pirates RHP Carmen Mlodzinski (0-0, 4.00) on Friday at Wrigley Field.
Rays LHP Steven Matz (2-0, 4.09 ERA) starts Friday night at home against the New York Yankees.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb