The Boston Red Sox committed two errors and couldn’t get their offense going on Saturday night, in falling for a second straight time to the Chicago Cubs 3-1 in game two of a weekend interleague series at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
The two errors for Boston proved costly and both occurred in the second inning. Patrick Wisdom led off and hit a grounder to Rafael Devers, which was a tough play for the third baseman and scored as a hit but Devers throw to first went out of a play for an error to give Wisdom second base. Nico Hoerner followed with a really good bunt that was fielded by pitcher Josh Winckowski, and again was scored a hit but then another errant throw this time by Winckowski out of play would score Wisdom and allow Hoerner to get second. After a groundout by Yan Gomes to get Hoerner to third, Narciso Crook lifted a sacrifice fly to centerfield for a 2-0 Chicago lead. The Red Sox finally got on the board in the sixth inning when Jackie Bradley Jr. doubled, and Alex Verdugo singled to put runners on first and third with no outs. Devers would follow and grounded into a double play to kill the possible big rally, with Bradley Jr. scoring from third to cut it to 2-1. The Cubs got an insurance run in the eighth inning off Tanner Houck. With one out Willson Contreras singled, and pinch runner Nelson Velazquez stole second. A wild pitch put Valazquez at third with two outs, and Wisdom drove him in with a sharp single to left under the glove of Devers at third. Jarren Duran doubled down the left field line to start the ninth for Boston against Chicago closer David Robertson. Robertson though then struckout both Devers and JD Martinez looking. Xander Bogaerts walked to put two runners on, but then Verdugo in the final chance would flyout deep to centerfielder Rafael Ortega to end it.
Duran had two hits to lead Boston, while Winckowski (3-2) took the loss on the hill allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits with one walk and six strikeouts in 6.0 innings. Ryan Brasier pitched a perfect seventh inning, while Houck pitching for the first time in almost a week allowed the one run in the eighth. Wisdom and Hoerner had two hits each for Chicago (32-46), and Mark Leiter Jr. (2-2) picked up the win in relief of starter Alec Mills. Mills left in the first inning with lower back pain after facing just two hitters. Leiter Jr. went 5.1 innings allowing just one run on three hits. Robertson got his 11th save. The Red Sox (43-35) will look to avoid the three game sweep on Sunday afternoon at 2:20 p.m. and haven’t announced a starter just yet but likely to be Connor Seabold. The Cubs go with Keegan Thompson (7-3, 3.34 ERA) on the mound. Chris Lessner and Marc Calnan were both in Chicago for the weekend and were at the game on Saturday night, and you can check out Eastern Maine Sports Media on YouTube for videos of the trip and also on our Eastern Maine Sports Facebook page.
