Rays aim to end 3-game slide, play the Cubs

Tampa Bay Rays (72-75, fourth in the AL East) vs. Chicago Cubs (84-63, second in the NL Central)

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

PITCHING PROBABLES: Rays: Drew Rasmussen (10-5, 2.64 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 117 strikeouts); Cubs: Colin Rea (10-6, 4.20 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 104 strikeouts)

BOTTOM LINE: The Tampa Bay Rays, on a three-game losing streak, play the Chicago Cubs.

Chicago has an 84-63 record overall and a 45-28 record at home. Cubs pitchers have a collective 3.86 ERA, which ranks fifth in the NL.

Tampa Bay is 72-75 overall and 34-39 in road games. The Rays have the seventh-best team batting average in MLB play at .251.

The matchup Saturday is the second meeting between these teams this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Seiya Suzuki has 29 doubles, three triples and 27 home runs for the Cubs. Carson Kelly is 7 for 35 with four home runs over the past 10 games.

Junior Caminero leads the Rays with 69 extra base hits (27 doubles and 42 home runs). Josh Lowe is 7 for 31 with a double, two home runs and six RBIs over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Cubs: 6-4, .239 batting average, 3.80 ERA, outscored opponents by five runs

Rays: 4-6, .257 batting average, 4.14 ERA, outscored by six 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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