CHICAGO — Instant reactions from the Red Sox’ 6-0 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Saturday:
1) Boston dropped to 53-47. The Cubs improved to 59-39.
2) The Red Sox offense has scored just one run in two games since returning from the All-Star break. Cubs starter Shota Imanaga tossed 7 scoreless innings. Boston went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.
3) The Sox fell behind 2-0 in the first inning Saturday after immediately falling behind 3-0 in the first inning Friday.
Michael Busch crushed Brayan Bello’s first pitch, a 96.3 mph sinker, into the left-center field bleachers. Kyle Tucker went back-to-back with Busch, sending a 95.9 mph four-seam fastball from Bello into the right-center field bleachers.
4) Bello eventually settled in like Lucas Giolito did after his bad first inning the night before. The 26-year-old posted his eighth straight quality start, a career high. He pitched 6 innings, giving up three runs, six hits and one walk while striking out four.
5) Connor Wong is batting .144 with one RBI and no extra-base hits this season. But manager Alex Cora did not pinch hit for the catcher with runners at the corners and two outs in the seventh.
Wong, who represented the tying run with Boston trailing 3-0, swung at the first pitch and flied out to second baseman Nico Hoerner in shallow right field.
“You’ve got to trust your players,” Cora explained. “He’s playing today for a reason. I felt like it was a good matchup — lefty against him. And it just didn’t work out.”
6) Lefty reliever Chris Murphy didn’t allow a run in his first 7 ⅔ innings this season after returning from Tommy John surgery. But he gave up three runs today on three solo homers. Matt Shaw, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ian Happ took him deep.
7) Former Red Sox reliever Ryan Brasier pitched a perfect ninth inning for the Cubs.
8) The Red Sox and Cubs will play the final game of their three-game series Sunday at 2:20 p.m. eastern. Ace Garrett Crochet (10-4, 2.23 ERA) will start for Boston opposite Cubs righty Cade Horton (3-3, 4.45 ERA).
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