93 Years Later, The Red Sox And Cubs Meet At Fenway
BOSTON (CBS) – It is a series nearly 100 years in the making.
After 93 years, the Chicago Cubs (19-23) are set to return to Fenway Park. The last time the Red Sox and Cubs played at Fenway, Boston won Game 6 of the 1918 World Series to capture their fifth World Series in franchise history.
The Red Sox (23-20) would have to wait 86 years for their next championship. The Cubs are still waiting.
No championship will be decided this weekend, but the interleague series gives fans a chance to see a team very few have ever seen take the Fenway field.
It is hard to believe, but two of the oldest teams in baseball have only met a total of nine times in the history of the game; six games back in the 1918 fall classic and a three-game series in Chicago in 2005.
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The Cubs won two of three when the Red Sox went to Wrigley. The Red Sox would like to at least return the favor this time around.
Boston has won six straight and find themselves just a game-and-a-half back of the AL East leading Tampa Bay Rays. Two of Boston's last three wins have come in walk-off fashion, with Adrian Gonzalez getting the big hit Monday against the Orioles, and Carl Crawford sending everyone home happy Thursday night against the Tigers.
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Jon Lester will open the series on Friday, in search of his sixth win of the season. The Red Sox lefty has won his last five decisions, but has given up nine runs in his last 11 1/3 innings pitched.
Lester is 7-2 with a 2.66 ERA in 13 career interleague starts.
He will be followed by a couple of rotation replacements, Alfredo Aceves on Saturday and Tim Wakefield on Sunday. Aceves and Wakefield will pitch in the spots of the injured John Lackey and Diasuke Matsuzaka, who are on the disabled list with elbow injuries.
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For Cubs first baseman Carlos Pena, Chicago's trip to Boston is another homecoming for the Haverhill native. Pena, who went to school at Northeastern, is in his first season as a Cub after four years with the Rays. Pena is hitting .237 with five home runs and 17 RBI.
The Red Sox will also see former Ray's starter Matt Garza in the series finale Sunday night. Garza is 7-4 against Boston in his career.
Pitching Matchups For Red Sox-Cubs Series
Friday 7:10 pm
- Doug Davis (0-1, 1.80 ERA) vs Jon Lester (5-1, 3.28 ERA)
Saturday 7:10 pm
- Carlos Zambrano (4-2, 4.89 ERA) vs Alfredo Aceves (1-0, 2.60 ERA)
Sunday 8:05 pm
- Matt Garza (2-4, 3.72 ERA) vs Tim Wakefield (0-1, 5.40 ERA)
