Red Sox clinch fifth seed, beat Cubs 4-3
7 sourcesUpdated Sep 26, 2026
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Boston clinched the American League's No. 5 playoff seed Friday by beating the Chicago Cubs 4-3 in Game 1 of a doubleheader. Roman Anthony went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a triple and three runs. Adley Rutschman's two-run single tied it in the fifth and Connor Wong's RBI double in the seventh put the Red Sox ahead. The bullpen held Chicago hitless after the sixth. Catcher Mickey Gasper left in the sixth with right biceps discomfort. The Cubs had already secured a National League playoff berth and remained in contention to host a wild-card series. The Red Sox completed the sweep 2-0 in Game 2. Wilyer Abreu hit a two-run double in the eighth. Brayan Bello allowed four hits over four innings and took no decision.
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Bullpen came through with those scoreless innings to close it out. Anthony's three runs helped lock down that fifth seed.
Red Sox really turned it around after falling behind by three. Wong's double in the seventh was the difference maker.
