Chicago Cubs vs Boston Red Sox – Series Preview (July 18-20): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4

The Cubs (57-39) are back from the four-day All-Star break, ready to resume their push for a National League Central championship. Before the break, Chicago took two out of three from the Yankees in New York to stay a game ahead of surging Milwaukee and match a season-high 18 games above the .500 mark. Now they begin the second half at Wrigley Field with three against a suddenly very dangerous Boston squad.

The Red Sox (53-45) have ripped off 10 consecutive victories to put themselves into prime playoff position. The offense has not missed a beat since the trade of star infielder Rafael Devers to the Giants last month, driving a .759 team OPS that is the fifth-best in MLB.

Right fielder Wilyer Abreu has been Boston’s best hitter of late with 18 homers and a .822 OPS. Trevor Story has hit 15 dingers after missing most of 2024 with a shoulder injury. The biggest development for the lineup is the return of Alex Bregman, who was off to a great start before missing over a month with a quad strain.

Boston’s pitching staff has been a little more pedestrian with a team ERA of 3.79 that ranks 12th in MLB. The top of the rotation has been very good, headlined by former White Sox hurler Garrett Crochet and his 2.23 ERA with a very impressive 160 strikeouts. The bullpen has been more effective with a 3.44 ERA that ranks fourth in MLB. Former Cubs closer Aroldis Chapman is having a vintage season with a 1.18 ERA and 17 saves in the first half.

The North Siders would have been catching Boston at a bad time if this series started a week ago, but they’re very good at Wrigley Field and the break may have cooled the Sox. Despite not playing their best baseball, Chicago has still been winning games and improving their record. Craig Counsell has a reputation for getting big second-half performances out of his teams, so we’re about to find out whether that’s in the cards for 2025.

Game Time and Broadcast Info

  • Friday, July 18 at 1:20pm CT on MLB Network and Marquee.
  • Saturday, July 19 at 6:15pm CT on FOX.
  • Sunday, July 20 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee.

Starting Pitchers

Date Pitcher Age T ERA W/L FIP K/BB
7/18 Colin Rea 35 R 3.91 7-3 4.78 2.83
Lucas Giolito 31 R 3.36 6-1 3.62 3.05
7/19 Shōta Imanaga 31 L 2.65 6-3 4.52 3.00
Brayan Bello 26 R 3.14 6-3 4.21 2.06
7/20 TBA
Garrett Crochet 26 L 2.23 10–4 2.40 4.71

What to Watch For

  • Rea has allowed just four runs over his last three starts in 18.2 innings pitched.
  • Ian Happ had three hits in his last two games after going through a 3-53 slump.
  • The Cubs have not named a starter for Sunday’s game.