Tampa Bay Rays vs. Chicago Cubs Series Preview

The Tampa Bay Rays (31-35) and the Chicago Cubs (32-35) will kick off their midweek series on Tuesday night. The Cubs will be looking to climb up the National League Central rankings, while the Rays look to stay afloat in the American League East division.

For the Cubs, Jameson Taillon (3-2, 3.47 ERA) is set to start. Zach Eflin (3-4, 4.14 ERA) will take the mound for the Rays.

RAYS SWEPT⚾: With Monday night's 5-2 loss to Baltimore, Tampa Bay has dropped to last place in the AL East. The Rays have lost four in a row, have dropped 13 of 17 at home and are 31-35 overall. The Rays host the Cubs for a 3-game series starting tonight. pic.twitter.com/HtXOuAcUsi

— Spectrum Bay News 9 (@BN9) June 11, 2024

Trouble at Home for Tampa Bay

After defeating the Marlins, the Rays were swept by the Orioles in a four-game series. If Tampa loses on Tuesday, it will put them one game behind Toronto in the AL East rankings, where they currently sit in last. A victory tonight would put them in a tie for fourth.

The Rays are averaging 3.89 runs per game. The team’s batting average clocks in at .233, ranking 20th in the league. Their .306 base percentage is 21st and .353 in slugging percentage is 28th.

Isaac Paredes has been one of Tampa Bay’s most reliable batters. With a batting average of .288, 10 home runs, and 37 RBI, Paredes has helped to keep an otherwise lackluster offense afloat

The Rays have struggled with their pitching in their recent action. Eflin gave up three hits and two runs through just four innings during his previous outing, but Tampa Bay still managed to defeat the Miami Marlins 5-3.

Cubs Going for the Win

Meanwhile, the Cubs ended a three-game losing skid last weekend to avoid the sweep at the hands of the Cincinnati Reds. They now sit 6.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central standings. They will look to close the gap with a win tonight.

Chicago scores 4.30 runs on average per game. With Mike Tauchman leading the way with a .299 batting average, the Cubs rank 14th in the MLB with a .311 on-base percentage and 21st with a .372 slugging percentage. Additionally, Chicago has allowed just under three runs per game. Taillon lost his previous outing against the White Sox 7-6 after giving up 10 hits and five runs through five innings.

Game 1 will take place at Tropicana Field, with first pitch set for 6:50 p.m. EDT.