Simpson leads Rays against the Cubs after 4-hit game

Tampa Bay Rays (72-74, fourth in the AL East) vs. Chicago Cubs (83-63, second in the NL Central)

Chicago; Friday, 2:20 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Rays: Shane Baz (9-11, 4.94 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 164 strikeouts); Cubs: Matthew Boyd (12-8, 2.92 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 145 strikeouts)

BOTTOM LINE: The Tampa Bay Rays play the Chicago Cubs after Chandler Simpson had four hits against the White Sox on Thursday.

Chicago has an 83-63 record overall and a 44-28 record in home games. The Cubs have gone 55-10 in games when they scored five or more runs.

Tampa Bay is 72-74 overall and 34-38 in road games. Rays hitters have a collective .313 on-base percentage, the eighth-ranked percentage in the AL.

Friday’s game is the first time these teams meet this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Seiya Suzuki has 29 doubles, three triples, 27 home runs and 91 RBIs for the Cubs. Carson Kelly is 7 for 34 with four home runs over the last 10 games.

Junior Caminero has 27 doubles and 42 home runs for the Rays. Jake Mangum is 14 for 36 with two doubles over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Cubs: 5-5, .224 batting average, 4.04 ERA, outscored opponents by two runs

Rays: 5-5, .277 batting average, 3.68 ERA, outscored opponents by four runs

INJURIES: Cubs: Kyle Tucker: 10-Day IL (calf), Daniel Palencia: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Mike Soroka: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Ryan Brasier: 15-Day IL (groin), Miguel Amaya: 10-Day IL (ankle), Eli Morgan: 60-Day IL (elbow), Justin Steele: 60-Day IL (elbow)

Rays: Ryan Pepiot: day-to-day (rest), Brian Van Belle: 60-Day IL (elbow), Mason Englert: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Stuart Fairchild: 60-Day IL (oblique), Taylor Walls: 10-Day IL (groin), Jonny Deluca: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Jonathan Aranda: 10-Day IL (wrist), Manuel Rodriguez: 60-Day IL (forearm), Hunter Bigge: 60-Day IL (lat), Shane McClanahan: 60-Day IL (tricep), Alex Faedo: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Nathan Lavender: 60-Day IL (elbow)

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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