CHICAGO -- Nico Hoerner threw his head back and let out a celebratory howl before he even reached second base. As the Cubs’ second baseman stepped onto the base, the second run had scored on his clutch go-ahead double and the Wrigley Field crowd was roaring with him.

Hoerner’s seventh-inning hit off Rays reliever Edwin Uceta sparked a 4-3 win for the Cubs, who picked up the series victory in the process. While some of Chicago’s other stars have endured second-half lulls in the batter’s box, Hoerner has quietly and steadily been a catalyst for the lineup for several weeks.

After Michael Busch opened the first inning with a double, Hoerner followed with an RBI single to left field. With two outs in the seventh, Hoerner ripped Uceta’s pitch into the left-field corner, plating Willi Cast

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