Schwarber's tiebreaking single propels Cubs past Red Sox
BOSTON -- Kyle Schwarber's go-ahead RBI single helped spark Chicago's three-run seventh inning as the Cubs rallied past the Boston Red Sox 7-4 on Saturday afternoon at Fenway Park.
Anthony Rizzo hit a two-run homer, Miguel Montero and Ben Zobrist each added solo shots and Zobrist had another RBI for Chicago (13-10), which pulled even in its three-game series with Boston after Friday's 5-4 loss.
It was the first Fenway homer for Rizzo, once a top prospect in the Red Sox's system.
Cubs right-hander John Lackey (2-3) gave up four runs and eight hits -- two homers -- and a walk with four strikeouts in six innings.
Lackey, who spent three-plus seasons with Boston, was making his first start at Fenway since being traded by the Red Sox to St. Louis in July 2014.
Chicago's Wade Davis captured his sixth save of the season with a scoreless ninth, striking out three.
Kris Bryant's second-inning double extended his hitting streak to 10 games for the Cubs.
Hanley Ramirez and Andrew Benintendi cracked homers for Boston (12-11), with Benintendi adding another RBI and Jackie Bradley Jr. also driving in a run.
Like Lackey, Red Sox right-hander Steven Wright (1-3) coughed up two homers. The knuckleballer allowed five runs, seven hits and a walk while striking out four in 6 1/3 innings.
Wright has surrendered nine homers this year after giving up only 12 last season.
Schwarber broke a 4-4 tie with his bloop single to center to open the scoring in the seventh, plating Jon Jay from second.
Rizzo followed with a dribbler to first, which Boston first baseman Mitch Moreland fired to shortstop Xander Bogaerts at second for an out.
But Bogaerts made an ill-advised throw to reliever Ben Taylor as he covered first, and the ball sailed to the Red Sox dugout fence to allow Schwarber to trot home on the error.
Zobrist padded the lead with his solo shot into the Green Monster seats in left field with two outs in the ninth.
Bradley's single to center allowed Moreland to scamper home from second with one out in the second, giving Boston a 1-0 lead.
Benintendi doubled the Red Sox's advantage on his sacrifice fly to center in the third, plating Bogaerts. Bogaerts led off the inning with a triple to right.
Ramirez capped the inning with his solo shot over the Monster, making it 3-0. The homer, his second of the season, was tracked at approximately 469 feet, the longest of the season at Fenway.
Rizzo got in on the fun in the fourth, clubbing a two-run homer -- his sixth home run of 2017 -- over the Cubs' bullpen in right to bring Chicago within 3-2.
Benintendi unloaded on a first-pitch Lackey fastball in the fifth, sending it just over the Red Sox bullpen in center for his third homer this year to restore Boston's two-run lead.
Zobrist's one-out RBI groundout to second in the sixth again brought the Cubs within a run as Bryant scored from third.
Montero tied it at 4 with his first-pitch, leadoff homer -- his second home run this year -- to open the Chicago seventh. Wright was yanked two batters later.
NOTES: Chicago had not faced a knuckleballer before Saturday since May 26, 2011 vs. Toronto's R.A. Dickey, according to Fangraphs. "It'll probably be like some of those Wiffle ball games that I played in the cul-de-sac," the Cubs' Kris Bryant told MLB.com before the game. ... Boston LHP David Price (left elbow strain) threw 30 pitches over two simulated innings Saturday in which he faced live hitters for the first time since his spring training injury. He will throw a light bullpen session Monday. ... RHP Joe Kelly's 102.1 mph fastball on a 1-1 count to Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo in Friday's seventh inning tied Daniel Bard's July 30, 2009, offering as the fastest pitch in Red Sox history, according to Pitch FX. ... Cubs RHP Kyle Hendricks (2-1, 4.50 ERA) opposes Red Sox LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (1-1, 3.12 ERA) in Sunday's series finale.