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Red Sox Rally Past Cubs

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FENWAY – (Wire Service Report) – Boston left fielder Roman Anthony went 3-for-3 with three runs, including one on Connor Wong’s tie-breaking RBI double in the seventh inning, leading the Red Sox to a 4-3 win over the visiting Chicago Cubs in the first game of their Friday doubleheader.

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Anthony hit two doubles and walked before lining a one-out triple down the right field line off Cubs reliever Aaron Civale (6-8) to spark the Red Sox in the seventh. Wong then drove in Anthony, lining a double over third baseman Matt Shaw’s leap and into the left field corner.

Adley Rutschman was 2-for-4 with two RBIs for the Red Sox (86-74), tying the game with a two-run single in the fifth.

Greg Weissert (4-2) pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn the victory. Raymond Burgos locked down his second save of the season, striking out three of the final six batters.

Shaw and Michael Busch both had multiple hits and Miguel Amaya drove in two for the Cubs (88-72), who clinched a National League playoff berth Thursday and remain in the running to host a wild-card series.

Alex Bregman returned to Chicago’s lineup just five days after sustaining multiple facial fractures from a foul ball. He went 0-for-4 as the designated hitter.

The Cubs struck first in the opening frame. After Red Sox opener Alec Gamboa struck out leadoff hitter Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki walked and scored when Tyrone Taylor hit a two-out RBI double into the wind and off the Green Monster two batters later.

Back-to-back hits by Shaw and Busch to start the second helped Chicago extend its lead to 3-0. After Shaw was cut down on Dansby Swanson’s fielder’s choice, Amaya knocked a two-run double down the left field line.

The Red Sox wasted Anthony’s leadoff double in the first and two on with one out in the second, but cut into their deficit with a run in the third. Anthony drew a leadoff walk and reached second on Rutschman’s single to right before scoring on shortstop Swanson’s overthrow while attempting to double up Wilyer Abreu.

Rutschman’s game-tying single up the middle came after Caleb Thielbar relieved Holmes in the fifth. Setting the table, Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a leadoff single to left before Anthony doubled into the corner.

Jake Bennett pitched 3+ innings of three-hit shutout ball behind Gamboa.

Cubs starter Clay Holmes allowed three runs (two earned) in his 4 1/3-inning start.

Red Sox catcher Mickey Gasper left with right biceps discomfort after striking out in the fifth.

–Field Level Media

Cubs Visit Cold, Rainy Boston for Finale

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – As Boston braces for an extended nor’easter, the Red Sox and the visiting Chicago Cubs are looking to get ahead of the storm and make sure baseball gets played with a Friday doubleheader.

The teams will begin their final regular-season series with 1:05 and 6:05 p.m. games today. The opener originally was slated for Sunday. The clubs’ final regular-season game remains set for Saturday night, but it could be moved to another location with multiple days of continued wind and rain in the Boston-area forecast.

“There have been discussions around an alternate site. They’ve talked about a handful of different places. But at this point, nothing is concrete,” Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said before his team’s 1-0 loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday.

The Cubs (88-71) earned a 2-1 win over the Miami Marlins on Thursday afternoon, clinching their second straight postseason berth.

It was a memorable day in Chicago even before the result. Pete Crow-Armstrong became the seventh 40-homer, 40-steal player in major league history after stealing second base in the first inning. The National League MVP favorite has 45 homers to go with his 40 steals.

“You’re just part of enjoying it,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “And I think it’s the things you remember about the job, moments like that and moments that he’s provided all of us.”

Chicago’s Seiya Suzuki homered and Nico Hoerner had the deciding RBI in the playoff clincher.

The Cubs have work to do this weekend if they want to host a best-of-three wild-card series. Chicago sits in the second NL wild-card spot, one game behind the San Diego Padres (89-70) and one game up on the Philadelphia Phillies (87-72). The top wild-card team stays home through the opening round of the playoffs.

“It’s a time when things feel stronger — the end of the season with a lot on the line,” Hoerner said. “Those are also times with the greatest opportunity, too. So just really leaning into all of it.”

The Cubs are expected to start Clay Holmes (6-8, 3.25 ERA) and David Peterson (9-8, 4.96) — both midseason acquisitions from the New York Mets — in the Friday games.

Holmes allowed six runs in 5 1/3 innings in a Sept. 18 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, and he is 0-2 with a 9.39 ERA in three starts this month. He has faced the Red Sox 21 times in his career (one start), going 4-2 with a 3.42 ERA and four saves.

Peterson threw six innings of one-run ball while fanning seven in each of his past two outings, including Sunday against the Reds. He is 2-1 with a 2.79 ERA in five career outings (three starts) opposite Boston.

The Red Sox (85-74) have lost four of their last five, scoring no more than two runs in any contest over that span. The recent series loss to Cleveland finished a split of consecutive 1-0 games, a Red Sox win on Wednesday and a Guardians victory on Thursday.

In the series finale, Boston managed only two hits, singles by Nick Sogard and Jarren Duran, wasting a solid five-inning pitching performance from Ranger Suarez.

Andruw Monasterio snapped an 0-for-21 skid with a game-winning RBI single the previous night.

“Over these next three games, if you see some (offense) bust out, that would be great,” Tracy said. “We did have some quality plate appearances from certain guys, which was good to see.”

Tracy’s lineup on Thursday included Ceddanne Rafaela in center field. One night earlier, Rafaela exited the game due to right hamstring tightness. However, first baseman Willson Contreras sat out his sixth game in a row.

Contreras was hit in the right hand by a pitch a week ago, and he couldn’t swing a bat the past two days. Tracy hopes to have him back for postseason play on Tuesday, but the first baseman gave a disappointing update about his condition.

“It’s really frustrating when you’re doing the best you can do, you’re expecting to heal faster and it doesn’t happen,” Contreras said.

Rookie southpaw Alec Gamboa (1-0, 1.16 ERA) will pitch for the Red Sox in the Friday afternoon game. He has made 20 appearances this season, including two outings as an opener. In his past 13 outings, he has allowed just two runs, one earned, in 18 innings (0.50 ERA).

Gamboa will be facing the Cubs for the first time.

Right-hander Brayan Bello (6-7, 4.49) is slated to start the nightcap after striking out 11 Tampa Bay Rays over eight innings of one-run ball on Saturday.

In two career starts vs. the Cubs, Bello is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox and Cubs Brace for Nor’Easter

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – A major storm heading toward New England this weekend is expected to force the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox into an early end to the regular season. The upcoming three-game series, which starts Friday at Boston, is expected to have playoff seeding implications. The Boston Globe reported Wednesday that MLB does not plan to move the series to an alternate location despite a storm that will include heavy rain and wind in a regional event commonly known as a Nor’easter.

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With the worst of the weather expected to begin Saturday night, multiple outlets have reported that a Friday doubleheader is being planned, with a single game on Saturday that would end the regular season for both clubs.

The Red Sox (84-73) were locked into either the second or third wild-card spot in the American League. They entered Wednesday’s play as the second wild card with a three-game lead on the Chicago White Sox in the third spot.

The Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres all were tied for the top spot the National League wild-card standings at 87-70, with the Arizona Diamondbacks still holding a outside chance at a postseason spot, four games back.

The tight Friday-Saturday schedule would have its advantages for both teams. Both would get an extra day of rest for their pitching staffs heading into wild-card round opening games Tuesday as the remainder of the wild-card field finishes their regular-season schedule Sunday.

–Field Level Media

Sox: Two Game Losing Streak

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CHICAGO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Cubs starter Shota Imanaga threw seven scoreless innings, Michael Busch and Kyle Tucker slugged back-to-back home runs in the first, and the Chicago Cubs blanked the visiting Boston, 6-0.  It was the second straight loss for the Red Sox after winning 10 consecutive games before the MLB All-Star break.

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Imanaga (7-3) allowed just five hits, while striking out five and walking one, helping the Cubs take the weekend series and win their fourth straight game. Matt Shaw, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ian Happ each added solo homers for Chicago, which now holds the majors’ best record (59-39).

Boston starter Brayan Bello (6-4) allowed three runs on six hits in the loss, striking out four and walking one. Masataka Yoshida and Abraham Toro each tallied a pair of hits for Boston, which dropped its second straight game after posting a 10-game winning streak to end the first half.

The Cubs struck quickly in the bottom of the first, as leadoff batter Busch sent the first pitch he saw over the wall for his 20th of the season. Tucker followed up with his 18th of the year to give Chicago an early 2-0 edge.

After Dansby Swanson walked and Nico Hoerner singled to begin the second, Vidal Brujan drove in the Cubs’ third run with a sacrifice fly to left.

Boston threatened to mount a two-out rally in the top of the seventh, as Yoshida singled to right and Toro reached on an infield single, while Yoshida advanced to third on Imanaga’s throwing error. From there it took just one pitch for the Chicago lefty to escape the jam, as Connor Wong was retired on a fly out to second.

Chris Murphy replaced Bello in the seventh, striking out Reese McGuire before allowing rookie Shaw’s third homer of the year with one out.

In relief of Imanaga, Brad Keller struck out the side in the top of the eighth.

Chicago tacked on against Murphy in the bottom of the eighth, as Crow-Armstrong and Happ clubbed consecutive solo home runs to push the Cubs’ lead to 6-0.

–Field Level Media

One Streak Ends Another

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CHICAGO – (Wire Service Report) – After beginning the second half of the season with an interleague victory, the Chicago Cubs will look to push their winning streak to four games on Saturday night against the visiting Boston Red Sox.

Seiya Suzuki — coming off an All-Star snub — propelled the Cubs to a 4-1 win on Friday with a three-run homer in the first inning. Suzuki now leads the National League with 80 RBIs, paired with his team-leading 26 home runs and .555 slugging percentage.

The Cubs’ win ended a 10-game wining streak of the Red Sox.

“Seiya is having a tremendous offensive season,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “You put men on base in front of him and good things seem to happen this year. We’ll keep trying to do that.

“Those guys at the top of the order are all swinging it good and it makes it tough to get through. You have to get through those guys four, five times a night and that’s what makes us a good offense.”

To Counsell’s point, Chicago’s 516 runs and 143 homers each rank second in the NL, trailing only the Los Angeles Dodgers.

On the mound, Shota Imanaga (6-3, 2.65 ERA) will look to prolong his stellar campaign for the Cubs on Saturday. A left hamstring strain placed the lefty on the injured list for nearly two months, but Imanaga has gone 3-1 with a 2.31 ERA in four starts since returning.

He allowed just one run in seven innings in Chicago’s first-half finale against the New York Yankees, a 4-1 Cubs’ win. In his lone career start against the Red Sox, Imanaga surrendered just one run in 6 1/3 innings in a 7-1 win in April 2024.

With the series-opening loss on Friday, Boston shelved its 10-game winning streak come to a close – the longest for the franchise since a 10-game stretch in 2018.

On a day the Red Sox produced little offense, a baserunning mistake by Abraham Toro proved crucial in the club’s first loss since July 2. With Boston trailing by two runs in the fifth, Toro was doubled out at second base by All-Star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong to stunt a Red Sox rally.

“That fifth inning, we had a rally going and I’ve got to put the blame on me,” Toro said. “Being thrown out in a double play kills rallies. Just have to learn from it and go again tomorrow.”

Brayan Bello (6-3, 3.14) is slated to make his 17th appearance (16th start) for Boston. A winner in three consecutive starts, Bello is 3-0 with a 2.21 ERA in July.

Last time out, the 26-year-old right-hander allowed one run in 6 1/3 innings in a 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. Bello has faced the Cubs once in his career, throwing six innings of three-run ball in an 8-3 win in July 2023.

Boston’s pitching staff will look to continue a stretch that’s seen it go 11 straight games of allowing four runs or fewer.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox, Cubs Anxious to Play Again

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CHICAGO – (Wire Service Report) – A pair of teams eager to resume play will kick off the second half of the regular season on Friday afternoon, when the Chicago Cubs host the Boston Red Sox.

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Chicago is on pace to finish with its most wins since its 2016 World Series championship season (103) and return to postseason play for the first time since 2020. The Cubs won eight of 12 games entering the All-Star break and sit a half-game back of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the National League’s best record.

With a pair of 25-homer sluggers in Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki spearheading the powerful lineup, the Cubs appear to be on track for a special end to the summer.

“Our job is to just keep winning. It’s as simple as that,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “There’s so much season left. Just keep winning. Stack up wins and we’re going to be in a good position.”

After a six-game road trip capped the first half of the season, Chicago returns to Wrigley Field on Friday, where the club has gone 30-16.

Veteran right-hander Colin Rea (7-3, 3.91 ERA) gets the start and will look to extend his personal winning streak to four games. Since his last loss against the Seattle Mariners on June 22, Rea has allowed just four runs in 18 2/3 innings. The 35-year-old surrendered one run in seven innings last time out in an 8-1 victory over the host Minnesota Twins.

In his only career start against Boston, Rea gave up two runs in 5 2/3 innings in a 6-3 victory as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers in May 2024.

Nobody in baseball entered the break as hot as the Boston Red Sox, who have won 10 straight games and catapulted themselves into the American League postseason picture.

Following a July 2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, Boston swept the Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies and the Tampa Bay Rays to pull within three games of the AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays and just a game back of the second-place New York Yankees. A win on Friday would match the ninth-longest winning streak in franchise history, which was last accomplished in September 2016.

“We’ve still got a long way to go,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “We’re happy with this stretch, we’re happy with how we’ve been playing. I think we’ve only had one bad series the last few weeks, so we’re playing well.”

Lucas Giolito (6-1, 3.36) will make his 14th start of the season for the Red Sox on Friday. Like his counterpart in Rea, Giolito has won three consecutive starts. Since allowing seven runs in less than two innings against the Los Angeles Angels on June 4, Giolito has gone 5-0 with a 0.70 ERA and 37 strikeouts in six starts.

The 31-year-old right-hander will hope to fare better against the Cubs, as he’s 2-3 with a 7.86 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings over five career starts against the club.

–Field Level Media

12 Runs, 17 Hits, 3 Errors vs 0 Hits

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CHICAGO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Chicago’s starting pitcher Shota Imanaga threw the first seven innings of a combined no-hitter as the hometown Cubs recorded a 12-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday.

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Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge each tossed a perfect inning to complete the 18th no-hitter in franchise history.

Imanaga (12-3) struck out seven and walked two while throwing 95 pitches for the Cubs (72-68).

Chicago’s last no-hitter was another combined effort, when Zach Davies, Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin and Craig Kimbrel beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0 on June 24, 2021. The Pirates were held hitless for the first time since they were stymied by the Chicago White Sox’s Lucas Giolito on Aug. 25, 2020.

The Cubs authored the fourth no-hitter in the majors this season, the first since the San Francisco Giants’ Blake Snell no-hit the Cincinnati Reds on Aug. 2.

Hodge induced three groundouts to shortstop to end the game, the last from Oneil Cruz, to salvage the finale of a three-game series against the Pirates (65-74).

Dansby Swanson and Pete Crow-Armstrong each homered as part of a three-hit, three-RBI performance.

Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds reached on the first of three errors by third baseman Isaac Paredes before being erased on an inning-ending double play in the first. Imanaga retired the side in order in the third, fourth, fifth and seventh innings.

The Cubs wasted little time getting the early jump on the Pirates, as Reynolds’ error in left field allowed Happ to score on Seiya Suzuki’s single in the first inning.

Crow-Armstrong’s RBI double and Happ’s two-run single extended Chicago’s lead to 4-0 in the second. In the third, Swanson deposited a 0-2 curveball from Domingo German (0-1) over the wall in left field. The homer was Swanson’s 14th of the season and second in three games.

Crow-Armstrong immediately followed by sending a 1-0 curveball from German over the wall in center field to stake Chicago to a 7-0 lead. It was Crow-Armstrong’s eighth homer of the year.

German permitted seven runs (six earned) on nine hits in three innings. He struck out three and walked one.

Swanson and Crow-Armstrong each drove in a run in the fifth inning before Bellinger drilled a first-pitch fastball from Kyle Nicolas over the center field wall in the sixth. The homer was Bellinger’s 15th of the season.

–Field Level Media

Cubs Look to Win (Again) at Fenway

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Chicago Cubs will look to win the first series they have played at Fenway Park since 2017 and extend their winning streak to five games in a Saturday rematch against the Boston Red Sox.

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However, with Kyle Hendricks and Justin Steele both injured, the Cubs did not name a starter for Saturday’s game until manager Craig Counsell gave the nod to rookie right-hander Ben Brown (0-0, 3.72 ERA) following the series opener.

Hendricks officially was sidelined on Monday due to a lower back strain.

“What’s clear for me in this stretch is that we’re going to have to push our starting pitching a little farther in games,” Counsell said after Hendricks was shelved. “I think we’re equipped to do that and in a good spot to do that, but it’s definitely going to be part of the next two weeks.”

Shota Imanaga helped the Cubs achieve that goal in Friday’s series opener in Boston, tossing 6 1/3 solid innings on 88 pitches in a 7-1 win.

A 14-hit attack supported Imanaga. Michael Busch was 3-for-4 with a double, and Pete Crow-Armstrong was 2-for-3 and drove in two RBIs for the second consecutive game following an 0-for-16 streak to begin his career.

“It’s kind of even hard to put into words,” shortstop Dansby Swanson said of Crow-Armstrong. “He cares so much. He works so hard. He wants to do so well and has got a great heart.”

Two of Brown’s six appearances have been starts, and he has allowed just one run on four hits over a combined 10 2/3 innings in those games.

Brown, who made his MLB debut on March 30, has thrown three scoreless frames in two relief outings since his last start on April 15 at Arizona.

The Red Sox are 3-8 this season at Fenway, where they have lost four straight series openers and allowed opponents to score seven or more runs six times.

On Friday, Tyler O’Neill’s solo home run in the fourth inning produced Boston’s only run against Imanaga.

O’Neill, however, has not hit any of his eight home runs this season with a runner on base.

“Us as a unit, where we’re at right now, we have to be better … understanding what we have to do to have traffic for the big boys,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “That’s the bottom line.”

Along with O’Neill, Rafael Devers is 7-for-13 over his last three games following a five-game injury absence. Cora expects him to return defensively to third base on Saturday.

Boston right-hander Josh Winckowski (1-1, 4.20 ERA) will make his second start of the season and only his third since the beginning of 2023. He dealt 3 1/3 innings of one-run ball last Sunday at Pittsburgh but did not factor into the decision.

Winckowski has been pressed into a starting role with Brayan Bello, Garrett Whitlock and Nick Pivetta on the 15-day injured list.

Winckowski, 25, is excited for another opportunity to prove himself out of a Red Sox rotation that has the best starters’ ERA in the American League (2.15).

“Specifically, people were saying we needed help in the rotation and that the rotation (stunk). So I’m really happy for all the guys to be proving everyone wrong,” Winckowski said. “I think the team definitely carries a chip on its shoulder to go win as many games as we can.”

–Field Level Media

Sox, Cubs: Rubber Game at Wrigley

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CHICAGO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Chicago Cubs host the Boston Red Sox on Sunday in the rubber match of both teams’ first series since the All-Star break.

Following an 8-3 loss on Friday in which five different Boston batters homered, Chicago evened the series on Saturday with a 10-4 romp.

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Cody Bellinger hit a third-inning grand slam that gave the Cubs a 6-0 lead. The gap never dipped below five runs the rest of the way.

“He’s been more than expected since he’s been here,” Chicago manager David Ross said of Bellinger. “He’s the total package, right? The defense, the clubhouse presence, the at-bat. And the power is showing up.”

Bellinger homered twice in Friday’s loss and is hitting .476 (20-for-42) in the month of July.

Every Chicago batter connected for at least one hit in Saturday’s win. Five drove in runs, led by Bellinger, who had the four RBIs thanks to his eighth career grand slam. Patrick Wisdom drove in two with a fourth-inning home run, and Nico Hoerner, Christopher Morel and Miguel Amaya each had one RBI.

Cubs All-Star left-hander Justin Steele (9-2, 2.56 ERA) looks to pitch Chicago to the series win on Sunday. Steele has won in each of his last three starts in which he earned a decision, though his most recent outing — a six-inning appearance on July 5 at National League Central rival Milwaukee — was a no-decision.

Steele gave up three earned runs and nine hits in that contest, a 4-3 Cubs win. Both were the most Steele has allowed since giving up 10 hits and five earned runs on May 26 against Cincinnati.

The appearance against Cincinnati was Steele’s most recent loss. Sunday marks Steele’s first time facing the Red Sox.

Right-hander Kutter Crawford (3-4, 4.11) will take the mound for Boston for his first career appearance against the Cubs.

Crawford last pitched on July 6, giving up three runs and seven hits over four innings in a no-decision against Texas.

The right-hander has struck out 58 over 61 1/3 innings on the season and recorded two of his three wins in 2023 over his last four starts prior to the All-Star break.

Boston aims to bounce back from its first loss since July 4. The Red Sox had won six straight games prior to Saturday’s setback.

“People make a big deal out of one game,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We’ll show up (Sunday) and play good baseball. We just didn’t make one play (Saturday), and that was it. We walked two, we hit one guy, we don’t make a play, they score six (runs).”

By scoring six runs in the third inning on Saturday, the Cubs matched the most runs scored by an opponent in a single game during Boston’s recent winning streak. The 10 total runs Chicago scored were just two fewer than Boston surrendered in its four previous games combined.

Though the Red Sox are five games above .500, Saturday’s loss dropped Boston to last place in the American League East.

–Field Level Media

Power to the Red Sox

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CHICAGO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – When the Boston Red Sox signed left fielder Masataka Yoshida to a five-year, $90 million deal this offseason, few expected him to put his name on a list with Ted Williams.

But he did just that.

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Yoshida is Boston’s first left-handed hitter to string together eight straight multi-hit games since Williams accomplished the feat in 1940. He will try to keep the hits coming on Saturday when the Red Sox play the second game of a three-game set against the host Chicago Cubs.

During his impressive run, Yoshida has gone 17-for-34 (.500) with two homers, five RBIs and eight runs. He went 2-for-5 on Friday, helping the Red Sox pick up an 8-3 victory over Chicago in the series opener.

It wasn’t just Yoshida powering Boston to its sixth straight win, though, as the Red Sox clubbed a season-high six homers. Rafael Devers hit a pair of solo shots, while Adam Duvall, Triston Casas, Justin Turner and Yu Chang also went deep.

“We’re gonna hit, we know that. It’s just a matter of staying with an approach,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “We’re playing good baseball right now. It’s a good brand of baseball, it’s fun, and hopefully we can continue (Saturday).”

Left-hander James Paxton (5-1, 2.73 ERA) will hope the lineup can produce similar results on Saturday when he makes his 11th start of the season.

Paxton has been stellar over his past seven outings, going 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA.

In his most recent start, Paxton allowed two runs on six hits in six innings during a victory against the Oakland Athletics on July 8. He walked one and struck out three.

Paxton has never faced the Cubs.

Right-hander Marcus Stroman (9-6, 2.96 ERA) will get the nod for Chicago as he attempts to get back on track.

Through his first 16 starts this season, Stroman went 9-4 with a 2.28 ERA. In three outings since then, he is 0-2 with a 7.71 ERA, most recently surrendering four runs on four hits in five innings against the Milwaukee Brewers on July 6.

Due to his recent struggles, Stroman opted to sit out of Tuesday’s All-Star Game and focus on getting ready for the second half of the season.

“It’s been a huge process,” Stroman said. “I’m very thankful for everybody who’s helped me get to this point. I’m definitely looking forward to having a little bit of a break — kind of just reset my energy, clear my mind and have a good second half.”

Stroman will be presented with a good opportunity to find his early-season form on Saturday, as the right-hander is 6-4 with a 3.65 ERA in 15 career starts against the Red Sox.

Although the Cubs have alternated wins and losses over their past six games, center fielder Cody Bellinger has been a beacon of consistency. He has hit safely in 15 of his last 16 games, going 26-for-59 (.441) with four homers, nine RBIs and 15 runs during that span.

Bellinger accounted for most of Chicago’s offense during the loss on Friday, smacking two solo home runs.

–Field Level Media