Red Sox 7, Cubs 4
David Ortiz hit his 16th home run and Ryan Kalish drove in the go-ahead run in his season debut as visiting Boston took the rubber game at Wrigley Field.
Dustin Pedroia added two hits, an RBI and a run and Jarrod Saltalamacchia drove in a run and scored one for the Red Sox, who have won back-to-back series to pull back to .500 at 33-33.
After Chicago had taken advantage of some poor Boston defense to knot it 3-3 in the sixth inning, the Red Sox returned the favor in a three-run seventh. Kalish got the tie-breaking hit, reaching out for a pitch on the outside part of the plate and dumping a single into left to score Darnell McDonald.
Kalish eventually advanced all the way to third on a sacrifice fly and an error and made it 6-3 when he raced home on Daniel Nava’s suicide squeeze bunt. Shawn Camp (2-4) took the loss.
Franklin Morales pitched five strong innings in a spot start for the Red Sox in place of Josh Beckett (shoulder), allowing two runs and striking out a career-high nine. Matt Albers (2-0) picked up the win in relief after allowing the unearned run that tied it in the sixth.
Pedroia and Ortiz each drove in a run in the first inning as Boston jumped on top. The Cubs fought back with runs in the first and third to tie it and Ortiz gave the Red Sox a 3-2 lead in the fourth with a solo blast to center field.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Starlin Castro drove in two runs for Chicago and went 3-for-4. … Kalish got the call to join the Red Sox around midnight on Saturday and flew to Chicago from Buffalo. The 24-year-old played 53 games for Boston in 2010 but lost the last year and a half due to shoulder injuries. … Red Sox OF Scott Podsednik left Sunday’s game in the fifth with a mild groin strain. Podsednik is batting .387.