Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (7/18/25): Cubs 4, Red Sox 1 – Suzuki Homer Leads to Win
The Cubs began the second half of the season against the Red Sox at a bright and sunny Wrigley Field Friday afternoon. Chicago went in front early and pitched a great game to earn a win.
The North Siders applied immediate pressure to Boston starter Lucas Giolito with two walks to begin the bottom of the 1st. Seiya Suzuki made those free passes really hurt, hitting a three-run homer that cut through the wind to give the home team a 3-0 lead.
Colin Rea gave up a fair amount of traffic on the bases but only allowed an RBI double to Roman Anthony in the 3rd that got the Red Sox within 3-1. Nico Hoerner hit a run-scoring single off of Greg Weissert to give the Cubs a 4-1 advantage in the bottom of the 6th.
Chicago’s bullpen handled things from there with Daniel Palencia closing out the 4-1 victory in the 9th. (Box score)
Key Moment
The wind was knocking down every high fly ball on Friday, so it was very impressive that Suzuki’s homer managed to clear the wall in left.
Why the Cubs Won
The bullpen did an outstanding job keeping a very dangerous Red Sox lineup in check throughout the game.
Stats That Matter
- Rea had some control issues, but managed to get away with it: 5 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 5 K, 4 BB.
- Suzuki was the only Cubs batter with more than one hit on Friday.
Bottom Line
That was a nice start to the second half for Chicago against a very good team that came in winners of 10 straight. The Cubs could always use more help in the ‘pen, but they have a pretty solid group of relievers on the current roster. Suzuki is one of the best hitters in the National League no matter what All-Star voters say.
On Deck
Game two of the series is Saturday night at 6:15pm CT. Shōta Imanaga takes the hill against Brayan Bello in a contest broadcast exclusively on FOX with a radio feed on 670 The Score.
