The Red Sox win streak was always going to end at some point, but the club no doubt would have preferred a better showing in its first game out of the All-Star break.
Playing for the first time since Sunday, the Red Sox saw their 10-game winning streak snapped after losing 4-1 to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon.
Boston fell behind almost immediately after Seiya Suzuki hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning, and the Red Sox shot themselves in the foot with several missed opportunities with runners in scoring position, one of which came after Abraham Toro was caught off the second base bag on a lineout and doubled up in the top of the fifth.
“I think we had chances and then we made that baserunning mistake,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters in Chicago. “We put pressure on them, not enough, first inning two walks, we can talk about the homer but the two walks before put us in a bad spot.”
Lucas Giolito, who had allowed just three earned runs over 38.2 innings in his last six starts entering the break, gave up three right away after walking a pair and serving up the homer to Suzuki, who was a notable All-Star snub despite now having 26 home runs and 80 RBI.
“That’s a bad way to start the series and the second half. I’ve got to be a tone setter and I didn’t do that,” Giolito said. “Two walks and a home run, three runs in the first inning, that puts us on our heels so I’ve got to be better than that.”
Giolito hadn’t pitched since July 9 thanks to the All-Star break, but he and Cora both said the long layoff wasn’t an excuse.
“There’s no excuse with extra days off or anything, I need to be ready to go,” Giolito said.
“He just didn’t make pitches and then there was a pitch up in the zone and (Suzuki) covered it,” Cora said. “That was a good swing.”
Giolito settled down afterwards and didn’t allow another run until the bottom of the sixth, but the Red Sox offense didn’t do much to lift him up.
Boston got a run back in the top of the third on an RBI double by Roman Anthony, but Carlos Narvaez struck out to strand runners at second and third to cut the rally short.
The Red Sox had another potential opportunity in the fifth fall by the wayside after Toro misread an easy Alex Bregman lineout to center field and was caught off the bag for a double play. That meant when Anthony subsequently walked the Red Sox had two on and two out instead of the bases loaded with one out, and the Red Sox ultimately came away with nothing.
Giolito’s day came to an end after he allowed a one-out double to Ian Happ, who would later score on an RBI single by Nico Hoerner off Greg Weissert. Giolito finished with four runs allowed over 5.1 innings on five hits, two walks and six strikeouts, snapping a streak of six consecutive quality starts that dated back to June 10.
“I’m thinking what could I have done better to prepare, nothing really, I just needed to be better,” Giolito said. “Hopefully the boys pick me up tomorrow and we still win the series, but definitely not proud of that.”
The Red Sox bullpen posted 2.2 scoreless frames to keep it a three-run game, but the offense squandered its last best chance in the seventh, coming up empty-handed despite having two men on with one out and then runners at the corners with two outs.
Boston finished 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position while stranding eight men total. Marcelo Mayer went 2 for 4 and Jarren Duran reached safely three times with a single and two walks.
Even with the loss the Red Sox (53-46) remain 11-2 in July. The club will look to bounce back on Saturday when Brayan Bello (5-3, 3.27) takes the mound against Chicago’s Shota Imanaga (5-3, 2.80), with first pitch set for 7:15 p.m. ET.
Originally Published:
