BOSTON -- The Red Sox not only solidified their playoff seeding and a Wild Card Series matchup with the Yankees that starts on Tuesday in New York, but they got some of their recently missing offensive swag back in the process.
In a 4-3 victory over the Cubs in Game 1 of a split doubleheader Friday at Fenway Park, Roman Anthony was the headliner, belting two doubles and a triple as part of a three-hit day in which he reached base four times.
Connor Wong, who entered in mid-game as a substitution when Mickey Gasper exited with right biceps discomfort, drove in Anthony with a go-ahead double down the line in left in the bottom of the seventh.
For weeks, a rivalry rematch of last year’s Wild Card Series – which the Yankees won in three games – felt all but inevitable.
It took a while to come to fruition with Boston losing six of its last nine entering Friday.
The Sox snapped a streak in which they had scored three runs or fewer in five straight games.
Rookie lefty Jake Bennett, who made 19 starts for the Red Sox this season, was deployed for his first relief appearance in this one. Bennett did well in his crash course, firing 3 2/3 scoreless innings.