Wilyer Abreu homers twice as the Red Sox beat the Cubs 6-1 to avoid a sweep

CHICAGO (AP) — Wilyer Abreu homered twice and drove in three runs, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Chicago Cubs 6-1 on Sunday to avoid a series sweep.

Alex Bregman also connected as Boston rallied after managing just one run in its first two games after the All-Star break. Garrett Crochet (11-4) pitched six effective innings in his fourth consecutive win.

The Red Sox went ahead to stay when Trevor Story opened the seventh with a walk and Abreu hit a drive to right-center off Ryan Pressly (2-3) for his 19th homer.

Bregman broke it open with a pinch-hit shot off Drew Pomeranz for a three-run homer in the eighth. Abreu tacked on a two-out solo drive against Ethan Roberts.

It was Abreu's fourth multihomer game of the season and No. 5 for his career. He hit a total of 17 homers in his first two years in the majors.

Boston improved to 12-3 in July. It had won 10 in a row going into the series.

Chicago wasted a sharp performance by Cade Horton, who pitched 5 2/3 innings of two-hit ball. The Cubs had won five of six.

Crochet allowed eight hits in his first start since July 12. The All-Star left-hander struck out five and walked two.

Chicago scored its only run in the second. Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a leadoff double and Dansby Swanson followed with an infield single. After Crow-Armstrong was caught stealing third, Swanson raced home from second on Ian Happ's single to right.

The Cubs threatened in the fifth, loading the bases with two down. But Crochet escaped the jam when he got Carson Kelly to bounce into a fielder’s choice.

The Red Sox improved to 13-14 against the Cubs since the start of interleague play in 1997.

Red Sox: RHP Walker Buehler (6-6, 6.12 ERA) starts Monday night in the opener of a three-game series at Philadelphia. RHP Zack Wheeler (9-3, 2.36 ERA) goes for the Phillies.

Cubs: Stay at home for the opener of a three-game set against Kansas City on Monday night.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Chicago Cubs' Ian Happ watches his RBI single during the second inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Chicago Cubs starter Cade Horton delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Boston Red Sox starter Garrett Crochet delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Boston Red Sox's Wilyer Abreu celebrates with teammates in the dugout while wearing the green monster mask after hitting a solo home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A man handed an illegal prison sentence years longer than the maximum penalty for his crime has been granted clemency by Mississippi's governor, weeks after the man's brother received clemency in a similar case.

Gov. Tate Reeves announced Wednesday that he was granting clemency to Maurice Taylor. The man's brother, Marcus Taylor, received clemency earlier this month from the governor for another illegal sentence.

In February 2015, both brothers accepted plea bargains and pled guilty to conspiracy to sell a Schedule III substance.

At the time, the maximum penalty for conspiracy to sell a Schedule III substance was five years. Yet Maurice Taylor was sentenced to 20 years in prison with five years suspended, and Marcus Taylor to 15 years.

“Like his brother, Maurice Taylor received a sentence more than three times longer than allowed under Mississippi law,” Reeves wrote in his announcement. “When justice is denied to even one Mississippian, it is denied to us all.”

In May, the Mississippi Court of Appeals had ruled that Marcus Taylor’s sentence was illegal, but did not commute his sentence because Taylor had missed the deadline to apply for post-conviction relief. After rehearing that case in November, the court reversed course and ordered his release.

In Wednesday's order, Reeves wrote that Maurice Taylor's post-conviction counsel contacted his office for the first time a few weeks ago, providing legal documents in his case. Maurice Taylor must be released within five days, according to Reeves’ order.

The Associated Press was not immediately able to identify and contact Maurice Taylor's post-conviction counsel.

The brothers are the only people to receive clemency from Reeves.

FILE - Republican Gov. Tate Reeves responds to a reporter's question during a news conference Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022, in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)