FINAL: Red Sox 5 , Cubs 4 - O'Neill Walks it off in the 9th with RBI single

The Red Sox defeat the Chicago Cubs 5-4 on Sunday Night thanks to a Tyler O'Neill walk off bloop RBI single in the 9th inning. With this win, Boston takes 2 out of 3 from Chicago in the weekend series. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• I thought that Duran should have still scored even if the catch was made in shallow left field. Although, it appears he was not set to tag up in case which is awful situational base running.
• Tanner Houck had another strong outing going 6.2 innings, giving up only one run four hits and striking out nine. 
• Chris Martin blew Houck's opportunity for the win giving up back-to-back singles, leading to Mike Tauchman hitting a three-run bomb to dead centerfield to tie it at four. 

• Wilyer Abreu made a spectacular play on the warning track in right field taking away an extra base hit. 

• Rafael Devers had a good night at the plate going 2 -3. Connor Wong also went 2-4 with two RBI singles that gave Boston a 2-0 lead. 

• Wong gets us on the board early! pic.twitter.com/vtmH5eZUrD

  — Red Sox (@RedSox) April 28, 2024

• Overall, a win is a win, but Martin blowing the lead in the 8th wasn't promising. The good news is that this is the first series the Sox have won against a team over .500. 

The Red Sox will be back in action on Tuesday night when they begin a three-game series at Fenway Park with the San Francisco Giants at 7:10 p.m. 

________________________________________

WHO: Chicago Cubs (17-10) at Red Sox (15-13)
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park, Boston.
SERIES TO DATE: 1-1
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Hayden Wesneski (2-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Tanner Houck (3-2, 1.65 ERA)
TV/RADIO: ESPN, WEEI-FM 93.7
LIVE BOX
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Duran CF
Devers 3B
O'Neill LF
Abreu RF
Wong C
Yoshida DH
Valdez 2B
Dalbec 1B
Rafaela SS

SP Tanner Houck

OPPONENT
Hoerner 2B
Tauchman RF
Happ LF
Morel 3B
Busch 1B
Swanson SS
Mervis DH
Amaya C
Crow-Armstrong CF

SP Hayden Wesneski

WHAT'S UP

• The Red Sox defeated the Cubs yesterday, 17-0, setting season highs in runs and hits (21).
• The Red Sox are 6-4 in their last 10 games, beginning 4/17...They lead the AL and rank 2nd in MLB with a +29 run differential in that span (1st: PHI, +30).>>> With a win tonight, Boston would improve to 5-3-1 in series play, including 2-2-0 at home (3-1-1 on the road). 
• Yesterday’s game was the 11th the Sox have ever won by 17+ runs (previous: 25-8 win vs. FLA on 6/27/2003).
• It marked the 3rd-largest shutout victory in club history, trailing a pair of games in the 1950s against the Philadelphia Athletics (19-0 on 4/30/1950-G1 and 18-0 on 7/11/1954-G1).
•  It was the largest margin of victory in any MLB game this season, and the largest shutout win by any team since the Cubs’ 21-0 victory vs. PIT on 4/23/22.
• Tyler O’Neill has hit 9 HR, tied for 2nd in MLB with Gunnar Henderson and Marcell Ozuna (1st: Trout-10).
•  Of the 303 players with at least 50 PA this season, O’Neill ranks 1st in SLG (.758) and OPS (1.208).>>> His 9 HR tied George Scott (1966) for most by a player in their first 19 games as a member of the Red Sox. 
• Wilyer Abreu has recorded an RBI in a career-high 8 consecutive games (9 total RBI)...He’s batting .441 with a 1.239 OPS in that span (15-for-34, 5 2B, 2 HR, 3 BB).
•  He’s the first rookie in Red Sox history to record an RBI in as many as 8 consecutive games.>>> He’s the 28th Red Sox player overall to record an RBI in 8 consecutive games, the first to do so before turning 25 years old since Ted Williams in 1942.
• The Red Sox have an MLB-best 9 players with at least 10 RBI: Rafaela-17, Abreu-11, Duran-11, O’Neill-11, Wong-11, Yoshida-11, Casas-10, McGuire-10, Valdez-10.
•  Five Red Sox players own an .800+ OPS with at least 50 PA, 2nd-most in the AL (BAL-6) and tied with ATL for 3rd most in MLB (LAD-6).
• The Sox have 3 players with 5+ HR (Casas, O’Neill, Wong), tied for 3rd-most in the AL (BAL and LAD-4 each). 
• Boston acquired 1B Garrett Cooper from the Cubs for cash considerations on Saturday night. The Red Sox could use first base help with Triston Casas on the inured list with a ribs injury. 
• Cooper was designated for assignment this week due to the emergence of Michael Busch. Cooper was hitting .270 with a home run and six RBIs in 12 games. 
• Boston called up RHP Naoyuki Uwasawa from AAA and DFA'd Joely Rodriguez.