All eyes were on Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet ahead of Sunday’s finale, but Cade Horton outdueled the American League Cy Young candidate as the Cubs’ rookie tossed 5 2/3 innings of scoreless ball.

The rookie was excellent Sunday, showing he can be part of the Cubs' starting-pitching answer as the team eyes October. But North Side relievers allowed three late home runs in a loss to the Red Sox.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/cubs as Cubs Rise in Standings Backed by Best Point Differential in Majors. Point differential is calculated simply by the difference between runs scored and runs against. Teams definitely want to be in the positive and the higher the better.

3) Alex Bregman broke the game open with a pinch-hit three-run home run in the eighth inning, making it 5-1 Boston. Bregman pinch hit for Masataka Yoshida against lefty Drew Pomeranz. He connected on an 83.4 mph knuckle-curve and sent it 402 feet to left field.

The All-Star break has seemingly cooled the red-hot Red Sox, who won 10 straight games before the season intermission and have lost two in a row coming out of the break.

The Chicago Cubs have started up the second half of the season and are seeking to build upon what was a strong first half.

Matt Shaw headed up the first-base line, his bat held skyward in his right hand as he watched the ball travel to deep center field. The Cubs rookie then flipped the bat away following his sacrifice fly,

Wilyer Abreu homered twice and Alex Bregman delivered a huge pinch hit bomb to help the Red Sox beat the Cubs to avoid a three-game sweep.

Ceddanne Rafaela is playing second base and batting in a new spot in the Red Sox lineup for the first time in his career.

This is how Cade Horton arrived, safe and sound, in the major leagues. Horton, the Chicago Cubs’ heralded 23-year-old right-hander, won his debut over the Mets 6-5 by outsmarting the great Juan ...