FINAL: Red Sox 8, Cubs 3 - Sox (6 HRs), Devers (2 HRs) start second half with gusto
WHO: Red Sox (48-43) at Chicago Cubs (42-47)
WHEN: 8:05 p.m.
WHERE: Wrigley Field, Chicago.
SERIES TO DATE: First meeting. The Cubs took two of three from Boston in Chicago last July 1-3.
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Brayan Bello (6-5, 3.04) vs. RHP Kyle Hendricks (3-3, 3.04)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI-FM 93.7
LINEUP
RED SOX
Duran LF
Yoshida DH
Turner 2B
Devers 3B
Verdugo RF
Duvall CF
Casas 1B
Wong C
Chang SS
SP Bello
CUBS
Tauchman DH
Hoerner SS
Happ LF
Suzuki RF
Bellinger CF
Morel 2B
Young 1B
Mastrobuoni 3B
Barnhart C
SP Hendricks SP
WHAT’S UP
The Red Sox are on a 5-game winning streak, tied with BAL for the longest active streak in MLB. The Sox have won 8 of their last 9 games. They own the MLB’s best record since June 30 (8-1) and the AL’s best since June 14 (15-8)...At 48-43 (.527), Boston entered today with MLB’s 15th-best record. ... The Sox have scored 5 or more runs in 6 of their last 9 games (54 total runs), following a season-long streak of 8 straight games with 4 runs or fewer (15 runs). ... The Red Sox are 3-0 so far in their stretch of 12-straight games against teams that currently own a sub-.500 record (3-game series vs. OAK, at CHC, at OAK, vs. NYM). 7 of their 11 series from 7/7-8/17 are against teams that entered today with record of .500 or lower. ... Bello is making his 1st career start against the Cubs is 3-1 with a 1.82 ERA, .185 opponent AVG, and 0.87 WHIP in his last 5 starts (34.2 IP, 7 R, 23-for-124, 7 BB, 24 SO, HB).... The Sox are 9-5 in his starts this season. Has made 5 consecutive starts with more than 6.0 IP and 2 R or fewer allowed...Is the 1st Red Sox pitcher to do so prior to turning 25 years old since Roger Clemens in 1986. ...
The Cubs finished the "first half" last Sunday with a 7-4 come-from-behind victory in a rubber match against the Yankees in New York, erasing a 4-1 deficit with a three-run seventh, a two-run eighth and one run in the ninth ... that put a bow on a 4-3 road trip through Milwaukee (2-2) and New York (2-1). ... Chicago finished the "first half" with a 42-47 record ... the team was 35-57 in the "first half" of 2022. ... The Cubs are 5-9 in their last 14 games since June 25 following a stretch in which it went 11-2 in 13 contests from June 9-24. .... The Cubs are the only N.L. Central Division club with a positive run differential (+26) ... Pittsburgh is at -46, St. Louis -33, Milwaukee -13 and Cincinnati -9. ... Hendricks is 3-1 with a 2.61 ERA (11 ER/38.0 IP) in his last six starts since June 10, having walked five and striking out 20 to go along with a 0.87 WHIP. ... Since making his big league debut in 2014, Hendricks has a 3.35 interleague ERA (77 ER/207.0 IP) in 36 starts ... that's the sixth-lowest interleague ERA in that span (min. 35 GS). ... Cody Bellinger in 21 games since being reinstated from the injured list on June 15 (left knee contusion) has batted .351 (26-for-74) with 15 runs, four doubles, two home runs, nine RBI and an .876 OPS.
UP NEXT
Sat., 7/15 at CHC 2:20 p.m. LHP James Paxton (5-1, 2.73) RHP Marcus Stroman (9-6, 2.96) NESN
Sun., 7/16 at CHC 2:20 p.m. RHP Kutter Crawford (3-4, 4.11) LHP Justin Steele (9-2, 2.56) NESN