All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' win over the Cubs, with BSJ insight and analysis:
HEADLINES
Except for one hiccup, pitching comes through: Connor Seabold's second start this season was better than his first, even if it lasted just four innings. He allowed just one hit and pitched through some traffic on the bases. That left a lot of outs for the bullpen which, by and large, did the job. Hirokazu Sawamura chipped in with two big innings in relief of Seabold and John Schreiber continued his amazing run with a scoreless seventh. Tanner Houck and Jake Diekman gave the Sox three scoreless frames to get them to the finish line. The one issue was a game-tying homer allowed by Matt Strahm in the eighth, leading the Sox to have to play extra innings to get their win. Still, seven innings of relief and one run allowed is something the Sox would take just about every time.
Little offense: The Red Sox might have gotten a win and had 11 hits for the afternoon, but this was hardly some offensive explosion on their part. Two of the four runs they scored were unearned thanks to a throwing error, and of the 11 hits they collected, an incredible seven (!) were infield hits. Part of the ongoing problem for the lineup is the near absence of any significant contributions from the Big Three. J.D. Martinez, who's hitting .211 since the beginning of June, was given the day off. Xander Bogaerts was 0-for-3 before coming out of the game with an injury, and while Rafael Devers had two hits, one was a slow chopper to third base and the other was a roller to short. In six plate appearances, Devers got the ball into the outfield just once -- in the 11th, when he flew out to center. As team, the Sox stranded 14 baserunners and were an abysmal 2-for-19 with runners in scoring position.
Injuries take a toll: It was bad enough that the Red Sox lost Bogaerts to a thigh laceration in the bottom of the seventh inning as he got spiked by Willson Contreras on a stolen base attempt. Bogaerts required seven stitches postgame to sew up the wound, and is listed as day-to-day. It seems likely he'll need at least another game to recover. But the Sox also revealed after the game that Monday's scheduled starter, Michael Wacha, is experiencing a "heavy arm,'' and may not start the first game of the homestand. The Worcester Red Sox scratched Kutter Crawford, making him available to start if the Sox need to plug in someone to replace Wacha.
TURNING POINT
In the top of the 11th, the Red Sox hadn't scored since the second inning and had stranded a boatload of baserunners along the way. Finally, they caught a break with a huge error committed by the Cubs that handed them the win. With two on and two out, Trevor Story hit a squibber in front of the mound. Cubs pitcher Rowan Wick fielded the ball and went to make the throw to first, but instead, air-mailed it down the right field line, allowing both Bobby Dalbec and Christian Arroyo to cross the plate.
TWO UP:
Hirokazu Sawamura: Sawamura provided the Sox with bulk -- two innings when they needed them in the middle of the game -- and with quality, allowing just two hits while recording two strikeouts.
Christian Vazquez: Vazquez had two hits, scored a run and also made a huge throw to cut down a would-be base stealer in a complete game for the catcher.
TWO DOWN
Bobby Dalbec: Although he managed a base hit in the fourth when the Sox scored two of their runs, he also struck out in three consecutive plate appearances and hit into an inning-ending double play.
Rob Refsnyder: Before being replaced for defensive purposes, Refnsyder struggled, fanning three times in four hitless at-bats.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"Today was about grinding and trying to win a game and we found a way.'' Alex Cora.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* The Red Sox improved to 3-4 in extra-innings on the road.
* The blown save by Matt Strahm was the 18th this season for the Red Sox, second-most in baseball.
* Alex Verdugo had an infield single to extend his hitting streak to 13 straight games, one shy of his career high.
* With the win over the Cubs, the Red Sox are now 100-50 in interleague games since the start of 2015.
UP NEXT: The Red Sox return home to start a big seven-game homestand and host the Rays in a holiday matinee at 1:35, with RHP Michael Wacha (6-1, 2.69) vs. TBA.