Article: Red Sox Week in Review: The Cubs Put A Screeching Halt To 10-Game Winning Streak

[Maddie Landis]

Weekly Snapshot:
Record Last Week 1-2 (Overall 54-47)
Runs Scored Last Week: 7
Runs Surrendered Last Week: 11

Standings:
3rd in the AL East
5.0 GB 1st Place
0.0 WCGB (3rd Wild Card Spot)

Scores:
Game 99 (7/18) | BOS 1, CHC 4
Game 100 (7/19) | BOS 0, CHC 6
Game 101 (7/20) | BOS 6, CHC 1

Transactions:

• 7/18/25: Red Sox signed free agent Ronaldo Hernández to a minor league contract
• 7/12/25: Red Sox placed Hunter Dobbins (right ACL tear) on the 15-day IL
• 7/12/25: Red Sox recalled Richard Fitts from Triple-A Worcester
• 7/12/25: Red Sox traded Blake Sabol to the Chicago White Sox for cash considerations

TL;DR Breakdown/Highlights
Cubs series: In the first two games of the series, the Red Sox's bats disappeared. They went 1-11 with runners in scoring position. On Friday, Lucas Giolito looked rocky in the first inning, yielding a three-run homer to Seiya Suzuki after walking the Cubs' first two batters. Unfortunately, the Red Sox couldn’t provide Giolito run support.

Saturday night, Cubs starter Shota Imanaga threw a seven-inning shutout. Brayan Bello pitched a quality start, but again, the Red Sox failed to provide their starter with much-needed run support.  Imanaga snapped Roman Anthony’s 10-game hitting streak. The Cubs hit five total home runs, three of them off Chris Murphy. 

For Sunday’s game, Alex Cora tinkered with the Red Sox’s lineup defensively and offensively. Masatake Yoshida took the field for the first time since October 1st, 2023. Ceddanne Rafaela shifted to second base and moved up to third in the batting order. Fortunately, the team’s bats woke up late in the game. Wilyer Abreu hit two home runs, marking his fourth multi-home run game of the season. Since returning from the IL, Alex Bregman was slashing .188/.188/.250 with a 12.5% strikeout rate and 0.0% batted ball rate. In the top of the eighth, he hit a home run off the bench to solidify the Red Sox’s lead. Ace Garrett Crochet limited the Cubs' explosive offense to one run over six innings.

The Red Sox continue to play tough National League teams this week. Following the Cubs series, they travel to Philadelphia for a three-game series versus the Phillies. They’ll face two of the Phillies' aces, Zach Wheeler and Cristopher Sanchez. Tuesday (TBS) and Wednesday (ESPN) games will be nationally televised. The team returns home for the weekend to play the Dodgers. Fox will cover Saturday night’s game.

Random Stats

• Since 2023, the Red Sox have held a 53-47 record through 100 games. 
• The Red Sox rank second in team hard-hit rate and fifth in team barrel rate.
• Red Sox’s starters lead the American League in first-inning runs allowed with 68.  
• Ceddanne Rafaela’s 17 DRS are the most in baseball.
• Masataka Yoshida’s hard hit rate currently stands at 50% this year. This will probably regress to the mean as he gets more at-bats.

Website Highlights

• You can catch up on the 2025 MLB Draft right here on Talk Sox! Billy and Nick wrote excellent pieces on the Red Sox’s draft picks. Read more: 
  • Red Sox 2025 Draft Overview: Focus on College Pitching Highlights A Valuable Strategy by Billy Mock
  • Red Sox Select Kyson Witherspoon 15th Overall in the 2025 MLB Draft by Billy Mock
  • Red Sox Select RHP Marcus Phillips 33rd Overall In The 2025 MLB Draft by Nick John
  • Red Sox Select RHP Anthony Eyanson 87th Overall in 2025 MLB Draft by Nick John
• Vote For Your Top Red Sox Prospects! by Brock Beauchamp
• Trade Deadline Coverage
  • The First Base Rental Market is Weak, but the Red Sox Can Still Swing a Trade by Alex Mayes
  • Like the Red Sox, Fans Should Buy Into the Idea of Carlos Santana at the Trade Deadline by Brandon Glick
  • Starting Pitcher Targets Red Sox Fans Should Familiarize Themselves With Before Trade Deadline by Maddie Landis
• Did you know? Talk Sox is part of the DiamondCentric network, which also covers the Cubs, Brewers, Blue Jays, Marlins, Padres, and Twins. Be sure to check out their new website and follow them on social media! The website’s homepage is an all-inclusive feed featuring content from their entire network. In today’s world, well-written baseball content is hard to come by, but DiamondCentric contributors are constantly posting quality pieces. 

Looking Ahead
July 21st – Red Sox (Buehler)  at Phillies (Wheeler)  – 6:45 pm EDT
June 24th – Red Sox (Fitts) at Phillies (Sanchez) – 6:45 pm EDT (TBS coverage)
June 25th – Red Sox (Giolito)  at Phillies (Luzardo probable) – 7:05 pm EDT (ESPN coverage)
June 27th  – Dodgers at Red Sox  – 7:10 pm EDT
June 28th  – Dodgers at Red Sox – 7:15 pm EDT (Fox coverage)
June 29th – Dodgers at Red Sox – 1:35 pm EDT

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[TedYazPapiMookie]

Cora can't figure it out.  He needs to lead off Duran, than Rafaela bats 2nd, Anthony bats 3rd, Bregman bats 4th, Yoshida bats 5th, Story bats 6th, Narvaez bats 7th, Toro bats 8th and Gonzalez bats 9th.  

Anthony LF, Duran CF, Rafaela RF, Bregman 3B, Story SS, Gonzalez 2B, Toro 1B, Narvaez C and Yoshida DH.  With Toro and Gonzalez playing to two weakest spots and Abreu's bat not fitting in at either position Cora has started doing foolish things forcing square pegs in round holes.  While Duran belongs in CF, wasting Rafaela at 2B when he needs to be in RF next to Duran in CF to make our outfield one of the top ones defensively in all of baseball is just stupid by Cora and it's all because Abreu has NO PLACE to play that will help the team defensively except possibly LF for Anthony.  If people are in love with Abreu play him at 1B or Yoshida at 1B and Abreu at DH since he's only acceptable against RH pitchers. 

Abreu is a huge problem for the Red Sox since he has no position.  He's not as good as Rafaela in RF, or Duran in CF and if he's better than Anthony in LF then where does Anthony play?  IB?  What about next year? 

I just don't see why an inconsistent platoon hitter is that valuable to this offense other than his HRs.  By month he's hit .295 in Mar/Apr, .212 in May, .271 in June, .256 in July.  He's hit .225 vs LH pitchers and .262 vs RH pitchers.  With 2 outs and a RISP he's hitting .139.  He won a gold glove in RF despite finishing behind both Duran and Rafaela in the overall defensive metrics in 2024. 

He's not the best RF player on the team, he's not the best CF player on the team, he can't hit lefties and if his defense in LF is better than Anthony's does he replace him in LF?  Absolutely not.  Can he DH?  Yes but Yoshida is a better hitter so why would he?  Can he be a big power bat off the bench?  Yes.  Do we need Refsnyder then?  Not really but that may be an issue during games he must play and a LH pitcher is starting.

At best, Abreu can be depth but not an everyday starter unless he learns to play 1B and beats out Casas next year. That's why he should be part of any deal to get a SP because his value is highest right now and he has no place to play going forward since his bat is barely above league average and he's the 3rd best defender at the position he won his GG.

[Bellhorn04]

Wilyer "barely above league average" Abreu has a 130 OPS+.