The Chicago Cubs honored Charlie Kirk by flying American flags at half-staff and holding a moment of reflection during Friday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

One of the Cubs’ trademarks early on this season was steady production throughout the entirety of the lineup. On Friday afternoon, that was on display during Chicago’s 6-4 win over Tampa Bay in the opener of a three-game set at Wrigley Field.

The Chicago Cubs made more inroads into their magic number to clinch a National League wild card playoff berth with their 6-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Fri

The Chicago Cubs lowered their magic number for a postseason spot to seven Friday with a 6-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays at Wrigley Field.

Carson Kelly had an early homer to tie the game up and added a single. Seiya Suzuki had a single, two walks and a sacrifice fly. Nico Hoerner had three singles, two stolen bases and a run scored. Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective. Billy Goat: Ian Happ (-.123). 1-5

Among Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga and Cade Horton, the Cubs should have strong options for a three-game series.

The Cubs tacked on a run in the fifth off Seiya Suzuki’s sacrifice fly, and the bullpen’s 4 2/3 shutout innings helped them secure a 3-2 win over the Braves. Turner had previously faced Sale only three times before Wednesday, all in a 2019 game, collecting two hits, including a home run.

The Chicago Cubs enter Friday’s game with the Tampa Bay Rays with a magic number of eight to clinch a playoff berth. Chicago (83-63) has been chipping away at