BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – LA’s Freddie Freeman went 4-for-5 with a go-ahead RBI double and three runs scored to lead the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers to a come-from-behind, 7-4 win over the Boston Red Sox in Friday night’s series opener.
Dodgers’ third baseman Max Muncy had two hits and three RBIs, while former Red Sox OF Mookie Betts doubled and scored twice in his first game as a visitor in Boston, helping the Dodgers to their third straight win and 20th of 23 in August games.
L.A. starter Lance Lynn (10-9) won despite working around 10 hits and three earned runs in six innings.
Evan Phillips notched his 20th save with a scoreless ninth.
Five Red Sox got multiple hits, including OF Alex Verdugo (who was traded for Betts) and SS Trevor Story who both homered.
Verdugo deposited the first pitch of the bottom of the first inning into the bullpen for his second homer in three games.
The Red Sox lead increased to 3-0 in the second as Story hit a two-run homer into the first section of Green Monster Seats. It was Story’s first this season after he missed the first 112 games (right elbow UCL repair).
After allowing a leadoff single in the third, Boston starter Kutter Crawford struck out four straight and five of the next six batters to help him complete five innings of two-run, four-hit ball.
Crawford moved through a 1-2-3 fifth before the visitors struck for three runs in the sixth. A Betts double off the Monster and Freeman’s knock to left started the rally, ending the Boston starter’s day.
With Nick Pivetta (9-7) in, Will Smith’s line double to left got L.A. on the board. Muncy’s RBI grounder made it 3-2, and former Red Sox Enrique Hernandez lined a game-tying base hit to center.
The Dodgers took the lead in the seventh when Freeman ripped a double into left-center that rolled towards the warning track. Two batters later, Muncy lined a two-out, two-run double to plate two more for a 6-3 lead.
Lynn departed with no outs and two on in the seventh, and Brusdar Graterol worked out of the jam. He allowed just one run to score caused by a Muncy throwing error on Justin Turner’s force out.
David Peralta’s sacrifice fly gave the Dodgers another insurance run in the ninth.
–Field Level Media