Rays Win Reunion With Maddon, Beat Cubs 6-5
CHICAGO (AP) -- Tim Beckham homered, and the Tampa Bay Rays won their reunion with Joe Maddon, beating the Chicago Cubs, 6-5, on Tuesday.
Beckham's two-run drive highlighted a five-run fourth against Jon Lester (5-5). Alex Colome gave up two runs in the ninth, but the Rays won their first meeting against Maddon since he left to manage Chicago following the 2014 season.
Colome threw 38 pitches in the ninth but came away with his 22nd save in 26 chances.
He gave up a leadoff single to pinch-hitter Albert Almora Jr. and walked Jon Jay to put runners on first and second. After Kris Bryant popped out, Anthony Rizzo lined an RBI single to make it 6-4.
Ben Zobrist then bounced into a force to bring home another run. Ian Happ walked on a 3-2 pitch to put men on first and second, before Jason Heyward hit a fly to left.
Chris Archer (7-5) picked up his third win in four starts, giving up three runs and eight hits in six innings. The former Cubs prospect also had an RBI single for his first career hit.
Lester allowed up six runs — tying a season-high — and nine hits over five innings. Chicago lost for the fifth time in seven games.
Maddon led Tampa Bay to a 754-705 record, four playoff appearances, two AL East titles and the 2008 AL pennant in nine seasons. His first two years in Chicago were nothing short of spectacular, with the Cubs reaching the NLCS in 2015 and bringing home their first World Series championship since 1908 last fall.
But the Cubs have hovered around .500 all season. And on Tuesday, one big inning led to another loss.
The Rays sent nine batters to the plate in the fourth to break a 1-1 tie.
Trevor Plouffe led off with a single and Beckham drove the next pitch to the center-field basket for his 11th homer.
Archer, hitless in his first 23 career at-bats, added an RBI single. Souza's sharp grounder then ricocheted off Lester's glove, resulting in a two-run double that made it 6-1.
RBI singles by Bryant and Zobrist in the fifth cut it to 6-3.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rays: Manager Kevin Cash wasn't ready to head to the mound for pitching changes after breaking his left foot and spraining his left ankle in Baltimore on Sunday. "I hope to get to that point soon, but I'm not going to go out there now," he said. "I think I'd get the commissioner calling me for pace of play." Cash was injured Sunday when he stumbled on a railroad track while running through the streets of Baltimore and is on crutches.
Cubs: RF Heyward was activated from the 10-day DL after being sidelined since June 18 because of a laceration on his left hand.
UP NEXT
The two-game series wraps up, with RHP John Lackey (5-9, 5.24 ERA) starting for Chicago and LHP Blake Snell (0-5, 5.36 ERA).
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