Cubs 9, Rays 2: Assad, Bregman, and Crow-Armstrong Power Chicago Past Tampa Bay

The Chicago Cubs snapped a two-game losing streak with a 9-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday, fueled by standout performances from Javier Assad, Alex Bregman, and Pete Crow-Armstrong. The victory came at a crucial time with the team reeling from recent injuries and a 4-6 start to the season.

Javier Assad made his 2026 debut in a major way, delivering 5 2/3 scoreless innings of one-hit ball. The right-hander threw a first-pitch strike to 10 of the first 12 batters he faced and recorded three strikeouts. His performance was so strong that he took a perfect game into the fifth inning, earning a standing ovation from the Tropicana Field crowd.

Assad was called up after Matthew Boyd was placed on the injured list with a biceps strain. His strong start provided much-needed stability to a Cubs rotation that has been hit hard by injuries, including the recent season-ending elbow surgery for Cade Horton. “I can’t say enough about the start that we got from Javy,” said Alex Bregman. Crow-Armstrong was even more vocal: “That was [expletive] sick.”

On the offensive side, Bregman had a breakout game after struggling through a 3-for-27 slump to start the season. He went 3-for-5 with a double, a run scored, and two RBI. His three hits matched his total from the previous nine games. Bregman said he’s been working on adjusting his bat path to hit more fly balls and reduce grounders, which had been a career-high 44.1% coming into Tuesday.

The Cubs offense exploded for 16 hits, the most they’ve had in a game since May 20, 2025. Seven players recorded multiple hits, led by Crow-Armstrong, who went 3-for-5 with three runs and a stolen base. The center fielder also hit his first home run of the season in the seventh inning, giving him a new sense of optimism. “If I were to look back at the last five years of my professional playing career, it's been a slow start for the first two weeks of every single year that I've played,” he said.

Manager Craig Counsell was pleased with the team’s offensive production and the overall shift in momentum. “Just a lot of guys having good nights, and I think some guys needed a night like that, for sure.” With the win, the Cubs improved to 5-6 on the season, while the Rays fell to 5-5.

The Cubs will look to build on this win when they return to Wrigley Field for a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers, starting on Wednesday.