Red Sox 7, Cubs 4

CHICAGO -- Ryan Kalish, called up from the minor leagues earlier in the day, singled in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning and scored on a squeeze bunt to help the Boston Red Sox beat the Chicago Cubs 7-4 Sunday night at Wrigley Field.

With the victory, the Red Sox took two of three from the Cubs and returned to .500 (33-33). The Cubs dropped to 22-44.

Kalish started in center field, replacing Ryan Sweeney, who went on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his left big toe.

The Red Sox also got a solid starting pitching performance from left-hander Franklin Morales, making his first start of the season. Morales, a reliever who started in place of the injured Josh Beckett, struck out a career-best nine over five innings. He gave up four hits and two runs.

Cubs left-hander Paul Maholm worked six innings, giving up six hits and three runs while walking one and striking out six.

Matt Albers (2-0) blew a sixth-inning lead but emerged as the winning pitcher. Alfredo Aceves, the sixth Boston pitcher, gave up a run in the ninth in a non-save situation.

Boston scored three runs in the seventh against Cubs relievers Shawn Camp and James Russell. Darnell McDonald led off against Camp (2-4) with a double to left-center. Pinch hitter Jarrod Saltalamacchia followed with a single to right, with McDonald advancing to third base and Saltalamacchia taking second on the throw to the infield.

Kalish, called up from Class AAA Pawtucket, singled to center field off Russell to score McDonald. Pinch hitter Will Middlebrooks hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Saltalamacchia, with Kalish taking third base on a throwing error by catcher Welington Castillo, who threw the ball into center field trying to get Kalish.

Daniel Nava then laid down a suicide squeeze bunt toward Russell, who slipped coming off the mound and had to throw to first base for the out.

The Red Sox jumped on Maholm for a pair of runs in the first inning. Scott Podsednik led off the game with a single to center field and scored on Dustin Pedroia's double to the gap in left-center.

Kevin Youkilis flied out to right, advancing Pedroia, and David Ortiz grounded an RBI single into right field.

The Cubs came back with a run in the bottom of the first. Reed Johnson doubled to lead off against Morales. After Darwin Barney popped out, Starlin Castro tripled to right-center.

In the bottom of the third, the Cubs got a two-out single by Barney. Castro's pop fly in short right field was dropped by second baseman Pedroia. Castro was credited with an RBI double.

Ortiz broke the 2-2 tie in the top of the fourth with a home run to the left of dead center. It was Ortiz's 16th homer of the season.

NOTES: Including Sweeney, five Boston outfielders are currently on the disabled list. ... Adrian Gonzalez had started all 65 Red Sox games until Sunday, when he struck out as a pinch hitter. Gonzalez went 3-for-19 (.158) on Boston's road trip. ... Podsednik left the game in the fifth inning with what was described as left groin discomfort. ... The Cubs expect to activate catcher Geovany Soto from the DL on Monday. Soto has been out since mid-May, when he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. He has been rehabbing at Class AAA Iowa. When Soto returns, it's likely the Cubs will keep three catchers: Soto, Castillo and Steve Clevenger. The Cubs like Clevenger's left-handed bat and the fact that he can play first base.