CHICAGO -- As soon as he stepped on the mound, Jake Odorizzi went on the attack. And nobody could stop him. Odorizzi struck out nine in six scoreless innings and combined with two relievers on a five-hitter to lead the Tampa Bay Rays to a 4-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday. "The first at-bat itself I felt like I was throwing it where I wanted to, and once it carries over to the next batter you kind of know you have that going today," he said. Evan Longoria drove in a run and scored two. Yunel Escobar added two hits and three RBIs. Ben Zobrist had two hits and scored twice for the Rays, who improved to a major league-best 15-6 since July 12. They will try to complete the three-game sweep on Sunday. "If we keep the nose down and keep playing well, youre going to look up at some point and all of a sudden people are going to say, Hey, youre getting pretty close," manager Joe Maddon said. Odorizzi (8-9) gave up three hits and didnt walk anyone. The right-hander came within two strikeouts of his career high after getting hit hard in a loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. Chicago starter Edwin Jackson (6-12) allowed four runs -- three earned -- and five hits in six innings. He is 1-5 in his past nine starts. Cubs prized prospect Javier Baez doubled but had a tough day overall, going 1 for 4 and committing his first error. He had three strikeouts after whiffing four times Friday in his Wrigley Field debut. The second basemans error came when he dropped a throw from Luis Valbuena after the third baseman made a diving stop on a ball hit by Longoria with a runner on first in the sixth inning. Jackson then walked Matt Joyce to load the bases, and Escobar made it 4-0 with a two-run single. The Rays also scored two in the fourth when Longoria doubled in a run and came around on Escobars base hit. Kirby Yates pitched two perfect innings, striking out three. Jake McGee then gave up two hits but struck out three in a scoreless ninth. The Rays took a 2-0 lead in a fourth inning that featured some unusual plays. Zobrist led off with a ground-rule double to the right-field corner off Justin Ruggianos glove that stuck in the ivy. He moved up when centre fielder Arismendy Alcantara dove to his left to snag James Loneys liner and came around on Longorias double. Escobar added a two-out RBI single that Ruggiano pulled up on before making a flat-footed throw to the infield with the runner headed home. "It was just a mental mistake by me," he said. TRAINERS ROOM Rays: Outfielder Wil Myers (broken right wrist) was scheduled to start a rehab assignment Saturday with Triple-A Durham and serve as the designated hitter. Cubs: Manager Rick Renteria said newcomer Felix Doubront (strained left calf) "looked good" during a bullpen session but had no word on a possible rehab assignment. The left-hander was acquired from Boston on July 30. ON DECK Rays: Right-hander Alex Cobb (7-6, 3.52 ERA) looks to continue his strong stretch as the Rays wrap up their three-game series against the Cubs. He has allowed two runs or fewer in five straight starts. Cubs: Left-hander Travis Wood (7-9, 5.08) looks for his first victory in nearly two months. An All-Star last season, Wood is 0-4 with a 6.10 ERA in nine starts since a win at Philadelphia on June 15. A LITTLE EARLY MLB Advanced Media, using the Cubs Twitter account, jumped the gun a little bit when it posted the Rays beat Chicago 4-0. That turned out to be accurate, but the problem was the game was still in the ninth inning. They later Tweeted an apology. DESIGNS ON SUCCESS With the Cubs wearing throwback uniforms from 1988 on Sunday, the Rays will also go retro -- sort of. Tampa Bay will wear uniforms with light blue shirts and pants, yellow sleeves and dark blue accents suggesting what the team would have worn had it existed in the 1980s. The designer? Owner Stuart Sternberg. Sammy Sosa Jersey .C. -- Cam Newton wasnt flawless on Sunday. Rod Beck Jersey .Balotelli uploaded on Instagram a picture of the video-game character Super Mario, with whom the Italy international shares a nickname, with text around the image including jumps like a black man and grabs coins like a Jew. https://www.cheapcubs.com/2160t-robel-garcia-jersey-cubs.html . His head snapped back from the impact and hit the floor. The All-Star power forward was all right afterward, a relief for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Justin Steele Cubs Jersey . Lineup news, Fantasy tips and more in Scott Cullen’s Statistically Speaking. HEROES Blake Comeau – The Penguins winger had a hat trick in a 4-3 overtime win against Toronto. Jody Davis Jersey .Y. - Alex Smith and the Kansas City Chiefs didnt flinch in the face of adversity.MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Vikings have taken another one of their priority free agents off the market before it opens, agreeing to terms on a five-year contract with defensive end Everson Griffen that features $20 million guaranteed and a maximum value of $42.5 million. A person with direct knowledge of the deal confirmed the details to The Associated Press on Sunday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the Vikings havent announced the deal. The NFL free-agent signing period starts Tuesday. The Vikings also agreed to terms on a one-year contract with middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley, according to another person with direct knowledge of that deal who spoke to the AP on Sunday on condition of anonymity because the Vikings havent confirmed the agreement. Brinkley played for the Arizona Cardinals last season. Two days ago, the Vikings reached a two-year deal with quarterback Matt Cassel worth as much as $10 million. The 26-year-old Griffen, a fourth-round draft pick from USC in 2010, has an opening to become a full-time player with the departure of four-time All-Pro Jared Allen, who will officially become a free agent on Tuesday and wont be re-signed. Allen and Brian Robison have been the starting defensive ends for almost Griffens entire NFL career, though he has seen extensive action as a situational pass rusher and on special teams. Griffen is getting paid more for his potential at a critical position in this pass-driven league than for actual production. He had 5 1/2 sacks last season, down from eight in 2012. But he has the speed and athleticism to become a force if he can continue to develop, after making major strides in maturity in overcoming some off-the-field struggles including the sudden death of his mother in 2012. Brinkley rebounded from a serious knee injury in 2007 at South Carolina to be drafted in the fifth rouund by the Vikings in 2009.dddddddddddd After missing the entire 2011 season following major hip surgery, Brinkley bounced back again to become a first-time NFL starter in 2012. He hit free agency the next year and signed with the Cardinals. Brinkley played in 15 games last season and started when Pro Bowl pick Darryl Washington served a suspension for violating the NFLs substance abuse policy, but the Cardinals cut him last month to create more space under their salary cap. So hes used to playing under this type of prove-it circumstance. "They let me know the jobs wide open and its not going to be handed to anybody," Brinkley said. "Everybody has an equal opportunity to earn that spot." As the depth chart currently stands, prior to the actual opening of the free agent market and of course the draft, Brinkley will be in competition with Audie Cole for the starting middle linebacker spot. In the "Tampa Two" defence the Vikings used to use, linebackers had deep drops in zone pass coverage and Brinkley was sometimes exploited. Brinkleys skill set ought to better fit the scheme under new coach Mike Zimmer. "Minnesota has always been home for me. It has a significant place in my heart. I was raised on the frozen tundra," Brinkley said in a phone interview with the AP, foreshadowing the wintry conditions the Vikings could experience late this year at the University of Minnesotas outdoor stadium while their replacement for the Metrodome is under construction. From former Cincinnati cornerback Johnathan Joseph, a fellow South Carolina alumnus, Brinkley received a favourable report of Zimmer, who was Josephs defensive co-ordinator with the Bengals. "Hes a defensive guy. Hes a straight shooter. Hes going to tell you how it is. He does magical things with his defensive guys," Brinkley said. ' ' '