CHICAGO — Slugger Wilyer Abreu tried to bunt Trevor Story over to second base with no outs and the Red Sox down 1-0 to the Cubs in the seventh inning Sunday.

“We didn’t have a runner in scoring position the whole game so I was trying to get things going,” Abreu said through translator Carlos Villoria Benítez.

Abreu missed a 93.5 mph sinker below the strike zone from Cubs reliever Ryan Pressly on his first-pitch bunt attempt. He then ripped the next pitch into the right field bleachers to give Boston its first lead of the three-game series after 24 innings either tied or trailing (mostly trailing).

The Red Sox won 6-1 over the Cubs at Wrigley Field to salvage the final game.

“As soon as I missed that pitch, I moved away from it. I was trying to look for a pitch to drive and I was able to get it,” Abreu said.

Abreu connected on a 94.8 mph fastball from Pressly. He hit it 406 feet and 108.8 mph off his bat for his 19th homer.

Abreu was not only looking to advance Story into scoring position after Story led off the seventh with a walk; he also was trying to bunt for a hit.

“He was trying to get on base because the third baseman was playing in the shortstop position (in the shift),” manager Alex Cora said. “We like it. We don’t like it. It doesn’t matter. He was trying to get on base. That’s it. And then he got a good pitch to hit and pulled it in the air.”

Abreu showed some frustration after his first at-bat when he grounded out to shortstop in the second inning.

“I wasn’t able to contribute the whole series to my team so I was annoyed for a bit,” said Abreu, who went 0-for-5 while the Red Sox scored just one run in the first 24 innings of this series. “But then I turned the page and I found a way to help the team win.”

Abreu flipped his bat and glared into the Red Sox dugout to celebrate with his teammates as he jogged to first.

“Obviously a big home run, a big moment for us … to start a new (winning streak),” he said

Abreu added his 20th homer in the eighth inning to put Boston ahead 6-1. He leads the Red Sox in home runs.

“It’s the evolution of the player,” Cora said. “We’ve seen it throughout the league. José Ramírez used to hit 50 doubles. And now he hits 35, 40 homers. I’m not saying Wilyer is going to do that. But he’s a good hitter. He controls the strike zone. It’s a compact swing. There’s a few things he’s still working on, trying to get better.”

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