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The Red Sox’ impressive 10-game winning streak entering MLB’s All-Star break came to a halt to begin the second half of the 2025 season.
The Chicago Cubs defeated Boston 4-1 in baseball’s first game back from the league’s four-day rest Friday afternoon. A rough first inning by Red Sox starting pitcher Lucas Giolito was the difference in the contest, as their offense couldn’t save the day at Wrigley Field despite out-hitting the Cubs by seven to six, respectively.
Chicago’s designated hitter, Seiya Suzuki, took Giolito deep for a three-run home run in the first frame after allowing two walks to start the game.
“It’s a bad way to start the series and the second half [of the season],”
Giolito told reporters postgame.
“I’ve gotta be a tone-setter. I didn’t do that. Two walks and a home run, three runs in the first inning puts us on our heels. So, I gotta be better than that.”
Lucas Giolito on his outing today 🎙️
“I came out the gate not locked in enough, out of sync mechanically.”
pic.twitter.com/vYRHjuWXct
Giolito was able to settle down after that, only letting up a RBI single in the sixth inning following a double and a walk leading up to Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner’s scoring knock. The 31-year-old right-hander recorded six strikeouts on the day, but took the loss in the end.
“I came out of the gate not locked in enough,” Giolito said. “I was out of sync mechanically the whole game, but I was able to grind through.”
Despite the offense behind him logging more base hits than its opponent and drawing four walks, Boston’s lineup couldn’t plate its baserunners to give Giolito a boost.
In fact, the Red Sox stranded eight of them on the day, which was the story of the end of the club’s double-digit winning streak entering the game.
“To be honest with you, I think we had chances,”
manager Alex Cora said after the game.
“We put pressure on them, [but] not enough.”
Shortstop Marcelo Mayer recorded two hits, and five of his teammates collected one of their own. Fellow rookie Roman Anthony, who was Boston’s designated hitter, drove in the team’s sole run on a RBI double in the third inning.
Anthony extended his hit streak to 10 games in the loss. The 21-year-old, who remains MLB’s No. 1 prospect, owns a .266 batting average and .788 OPS through 32 games in the big leagues. Anthony’s 10 doubles, 14 RBI, and 16 walks have given fans a glimpse of what’s to come for the foreseeable player in terms of his talent.
“He’s gonna walk, he’s gonna hit the ball hard. We know that,” Cora said of Anthony postgame. “We’re gonna push him to face lefties and righties. He’s gonna hit in the middle of the lineup.”
Ceddanne Rafaela,
who extended the Red Sox’ winning streak
to eight games in epic walkoff fashion last Friday, also lengthened his hit streak to 11 games with a seventh-inning single in Boston’s loss.
The Red Sox will look to tie the weekend series in Chicago with Brayan Bello set to face Shota Imanaga on the bump. First pitch on Saturday is scheduled for 7:15 P.M. Eastern Time (broadcast on FOX).
Kaley Brown is a sports producer for Boston.com, where she covers the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.
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