Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (7/15/23): Cubs 10, Red Sox 4 – Bellinger Mashes Maple in Cubs Win
Unlike Friday night, the Cubs were able to take advantage of the friendly hitting conditions at Wrigley Field on Saturday afternoon. Chicago exploded early against Boston starter James Paxton and coasted to an easy victory.
Paxton ran into big trouble in the 3rd inning, walking two batters and hitting another to load the bases with nobody out. A Nico Hoerner infield hit and a groundout from Seiya Suzuki put the Cubs ahead by two runs. Cody Bellinger then came up to bat with the bases loaded again and crushed a grand slam to right-center to put the home team up 6-0.
HE IS THAT GUY.@Cody_Bellinger pic.twitter.com/hx0jomCtA3
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) July 15, 2023
That was ample run support for Marcus Stroman, who allowed just one run in six quality innings of work. Patrick Wisdom finally got off the schneid with a two-run homer, his first since May, to give the North Siders an 8-1 lead in the 4th.
Triston Casas took Julian Merryweather deep in the top of the 7th inning and the Red Sox cut the deficit to 8-3. The Cubs got those two runs back in the bottom of the frame on RBI singles from Christopher Morel and Miguel Amaya.
Boston would tack on one more run but Chicago easily closed out the 10-4 win. (Box score)
Key Moment
Stroman was able to get Masataka Yoshida to ground into a double play with two on and one out in the top of the 3rd inning. The Cubs went on to score six runs in the bottom half.
Why the Cubs Won
They finally came through with the bases loaded and did major damage, which helped to take pressure off the starting pitcher.
Stats That Matter
- A very nice outing for Stroman against a tough Sox lineup: 6 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 3 K, and 1 BB.
- I think it is pretty safe to say Bellinger is the best hitter in the Cubs lineup. This recent hot streak has him up to an .893 OPS.
- Amaya had two more knocks and should definitely be getting more playing time.
- This is the 13th time Chicago has scored 10 or more runs in a game in 2023, most in the National League.
Bottom Line
The Cubs should really consider trying to keep Bellinger, who is only 28 years old and has shown the kind of offensive ability this team desperately needs from the left side. He can also provide good defense at multiple positions. It might have been obscured by the avalanche of scoring, but Stroman also came up big in a much-needed victory.
On Deck
Chicago goes for the series win Sunday at 1:20pm CT. Justin Steele takes the hill against Kutter Crawford in a contest available on Marquee and 670 The Score
