Two of the most storied franchises in baseball will square off in the second of a three-game series Saturday as the Boston Red Sox (43-34) take on the Chicago Cubs (31-46). The Cubs will host this one at Wrigley Field, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:15 pm ET.
In Friday’s opening game, the Cubs were able to prevail 6-5. Brandon Hughes picked up the win in relief, while David Robertson picked up his 10th save of the year for Chicago.
Offensively, Christopher Morel went just one for five, but he did hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning and had three runs batted in on the day. Ian Happ added three hits for the Cubs.
Rich Hill lasted just 4.2 innings for Boston, giving up three runs on three hits and four walks.
Jarren Duran went two for five with his first home run of the season. Every starter for the Red Sox had a hit, but they still couldn’t keep pace with the Cubs.
The Red Sox are the favorites on Saturday despite playing on the road. They are -146 to win while the Cubs’ moneyline sits at +124.
Red Sox Try To Get Back On Track
The Boston Red Sox have been one of the hottest teams in baseball as they went 20-6 in the month of June and have won seven of their last 10. Still, they will look to bounce back on Saturday after a rare loss in the opener Friday.
At 43-34, the Red Sox have the fourth-best record in the American League, but they sit third in the AL East. Despite being 13 games back of the Yankees, the Red Sox would be in the playoffs if the season ended today.
Taking the mound in Saturday’s game is 24-year-old righty Josh Winckowski. In four games, he is 3-1 with a 3.60 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, and has 13 strikeouts in 20 innings of work.
Winckowski has won three straight games and has given up just four earned runs in a combined 17 innings. In that span, he has allowed 17 hits and struck out nine.
Offensively, Rafael Devers has led the way for the Red Sox. In 304 at bats, he is hitting .326/.384/.586 with a team-leading 17 home runs and 56 runs batted in. He also has 45 runs batted in.
Cubs Trying To Maintain Respect In NL Central
After moving stars Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Javier Baez last season, the Cubs knew that they would be in a bit of a rebuilding phase. At 31-46, the Cubs sit in fourth in the NL Central, 13 games behind the first-place Brewers.
Despite their struggles, the Cubs have won six of their last ten and will look to maintain some level of respectability in the division while trying to take down the Red Sox.
Cubs’ manager David Ross will give the ball to righty Alec Mills on Saturday. In six games this season, Mills is 0-1 with a 9.87 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, and has just ten strikeouts in 17.1 innings.
Mills has been roughed up in his last three games, giving up five runs in each of them. In fact, in his last 8.1 innings combined, he has given up 15 earned runs and 19 hits and has struck out just three.
A likely trade candidate, Willson Contreras, has performed well this season. He is hitting .280/.400/.516 with 13 home runs, 34 runs batted in, and 46 runs scored.
Despite hitting just .229/.316/.469, third baseman Patrick Wisdom has also produced as he has 16 home runs, 43 runs batted in, and 41 runs scored.
Take Boston To Win On The Road
The Red Sox have a lot of trends in their favor in this one. They are 13-5 in their last 18 road games, and they are 14-6 in their last 20 interleague games. Unfortunately, when facing the Cubs, they are just 2-7 in their last nine.
Still, with a struggling Alec Mills on the mound, this seems like a nice bounce-back game for the Red Sox. Josh Winckowski has performed well in a small sample, and with Boston’s offense, which ranks sixth in runs averaging 4.79 per game, the Red Sox should be able to take care of business Saturday.
Take the Red Sox -146.
