Seiya Suzuki homers as Cubs end Red Sox' 10-game win streak with 4-1 victory
Seiya Suzuki hit a three-run homer, and the Chicago Cubs stopped Boston's 10-game win streak with a 4-1 victory over the Red Sox on Friday.
Colin Rea pitched five effective innings for Chicago in the majors' first game after the All-Star break. Working around a season-high four walks, the right-hander allowed one run and four hits in his fourth consecutive win.
Boston had won 12 of 13 to surge into contention in the rugged AL East. But Lucas Giolito got off to shaky start and the Red Sox left eight runners on base in the opener of a challenging six-game trip.
Pitching for the first time since July 9, Giolito (6-2) walked his first two batters of the game. Suzuki then drove a four-seam fastball deep to center for his 26th homer, delighting the crowd of 41,011 on a picturesque afternoon at Wrigley Field.
Nico Hoerner tacked on an RBI single for the NL Central leaders in the sixth.
Giolito was charged with four runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings in his first loss since May 6. The right-hander went 5-0 with a sparkling 0.70 ERA in his previous six starts.
Boston scored its only run on Roman Anthony's two-out RBI double in the third. Anthony's hit put runners on second and third, but Rea (8-3) escaped the jam by striking out Carlos Narváez.
Brad Keller pitched a perfect eighth for Chicago before Daniel Palencia handled the ninth for his 13th save in 14 opportunities.
Boston had a chance to rally in the fifth, but Abraham Toro committed a costly mistake. With two runners on and no outs, Toro on Alex Bregman's liner to center.
The Cubs improved to 40-7 when they score first.
Brayan Bello (6-3, 3.14 ERA) pitches for Boston on Saturday, and left-hander Shota Imanaga (6-3, 2.65) takes the mound for Chicago.
