Big day for Rea boosts Cubs' battered rotation (Hoerner helped, too!)

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Cubs’ starting rotation definitely has some questions to answer right now -- no one is debating that.

But it’s hard to argue with the recent results.

For the second straight night, the North Siders got a strong effort from a starter pushed into action because of an injury. One game after Javier Assad filled in brilliantly for the injured Matthew Boyd, Colin Rea started in place of the injured Cade Horton on Wednesday against the Rays and delivered five innings of one-run ball as part of a 6-2 win at Tropicana Field.

The win brought the Cubs back to .500 and gave them back-to-back victories for the first time this year.

“We get two great performances from guys that, as of Friday, we weren't planning on starting in this series, and they delivered 10-plus innings of one-run baseball,” manager Craig Counsell said. “That's pretty darn good.”

The Cubs’ entire starting staff -- no matter who has gotten the call -- has been pretty darn good basically all year long. Since Boyd’s Opening Day outing when he gave up six earned runs, the starters have registered a 1.93 ERA and .508 opponents’ OPS over their past 11 games. Both numbers rank as the best in MLB since March 28.

“I like that stat,” said Counsell with a smile.

Rea added to it by allowing only two hits and one hard-hit ball. He threw 51 of his 79 pitches for strikes, and only one Rays baserunner got past second base against him. The Cubs will need more performances like that from the 35-year-old with Horton getting set for season-ending right elbow surgery and with Boyd on the shelf with a left biceps strain.

“Guys are going to have to step up and fill those roles,” Rea said.

Rea got some support before he even hit the mound as Nico Hoerner led off the game with his first homer of the season. It was the second baseman’s fourth career leadoff dinger. Two of them have come against the division-rival Brewers, but the other two, oddly enough, have come against the Rays. Hoerner hit a leadoff dinger against Rays ace Shane McClanahan on May 30, 2023.

Hoerner finished a triple shy of the cycle and has 10 hits in 25 at-bats this month. Half of those hits have gone for extra bases, and while power isn’t usually Hoerner’s leading attribute, he has worked on elevating the ball more, especially to his pull side. There was evidence of that in his first-inning dinger to left. Entering Wednesday’s game, Hoerner had a low 25% ground-ball rate. Meanwhile, his pulled airball rate was a robust 31.3%; his career high was last year’s 17.5%.

“I think forcing the ball that direction is not natural for me,” Hoerner said about his pull-side prowess. “But understanding that kind of intent at least gives me a good chance to when the opportunity shows up. I was not trying to hit a home run in that swing I did today. Able to just make strong contact at a good contact point, and the ball carried.”

Chicago broke the game open with a five-run fifth inning, which tied its third inning against the Angels on April 1 as the club’s highest-scoring frame of 2026. Outfielder Michael Conforto delivered the big blow with the bases loaded as he jumped on a first-pitch fastball from Rays starter Joe Boyle and sent it to the deepest part in right-center field, a projected 414 feet away.

When you hit a ball that far, it usually leaves the yard. Conforto initially thought this one would, too. He admired his work as he walked out of the batter’s box -- only to watch Rays center fielder Jonny DeLuca almost catch the ball at the wall. Conforto jokingly said he was a little embarrassed with how he reacted considering that the ball stayed in play.

Fortunately for him, DeLuca didn’t catch the ball. Conforto’s double cleared the bases, thanks in part to a pair of Rays throwing errors. Dansby Swanson brought home the third run with a full-on headfirst dive into home plate that looked to have a bit of a rough landing.

“I loved his slide,” Conforto said of Swanson. "Hopefully we got a good video of the slide.”