Chicago Cubs vs. Boston Red Sox preview, Sunday 7/16, 1:20 CT

Sunday notes...

• HOME RUN FACTS: Saturday’s game was the Cubs’ 91st of the year. It was just the sixth in which they hit more than one homer with runners on base. All have come at home. The previous five: April 11 vs. Mariners (Mancini two-run, Velázquez grand slam), April 23 vs. Dodgers (Hoerner and Wisdom three-run), May 10 vs. Cardinals (Gomes and Wisdom two-run), May 28 vs. Reds (Wisdom three-run and two-run) and June 13 vs. Pirates (Happ and Morel three-run), The Cubs have hit multiple homers in 30 games. In 11 of those, all their homers were solo shots, including a game with five and two games with three. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• HE’S UNBELIEVABLY HOT: Cody Bellinger, last 15 games since June 27: .456/.492/.772 (26-for-57), three doubles, five home runs, 16 runs scored, only seven strikeouts.
• GIVE THIS MAN MORE PLAYING TIME: Miguel Amaya, last 10 games since June 16: .308/.438/.577 (8-for-26), four doubles, a home run, six runs scored.
• THOSE A.L. TEAMS: Saturday’s win evened up the Cubs’ interleague record again at 16-16. They have won series 2-1 over three A.L. East teams, the Rays, Orioles and Yankees, and can continue that with a win this afternoon.

Here are today’s particulars.

Cubs lineup:

Red Sox lineup:

Justin Steele, LHP vs. Kutter Crawford, RHP

Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

USA TODAY NETWORK

Justin Steele followed up his great first half with a scoreless inning in the All-Star Game. Last five starts: 2.05 ERA, 0.949 WHIP, only three walks in 26⅓ innings.

He has never faced the Red Sox and no current Red Sox hitter has more than three career PA against him. Justin Turner homered off him last year.

Kutter Crawford has pitched both as a starter and in relief for Boston this year, though has been exclusively a starter since early June. Since then, in seven starts: 4.70 ERA, 1.337 WHIP, four home runs in 30⅔ innings.

He has never faced the Cubs or anyone on the Cubs’ active roster. Today we’ll find out who has the advantage in that situation.

Statcast

Statcast

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network. You can find out if Marquee is available via a provider in your area here.

Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today..

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Red Sox site Over The Monster. If you do go there to interact with Red Sox fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2023 Game Thread procedure will be like last year’s, similar to what we’ve used for Spring Training.

You’ll find the game preview posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game, including the First Pitch Thread and the overflow thread, as well as the recap when it’s published. The recap will also live on the front page as a separate post.

You will also be able to find the preview, First Pitch Thread and the overflow thread in the box marked “Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page (you can also find them in this section link). The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

The First Pitch thread will post at five minutes before game time, then an overflow thread at 90 minutes after the scheduled game time.

Discuss amongst yourselves.