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Mookie, Dodgers Down Red Sox, 7-4

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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.

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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

It’s Raining on Mookie’s Return

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FENWAY – The rain might wash out Mookie Betts‘ return to Fenway Park.

In better weather, thousands of familiar faces would return to the Fens when the Los Angeles Dodgers begin a three-game series against the Red Sox tonight. The Dodgers last visited Boston in 2019 when a July weekend series marked the only other meeting between the teams since the 2018 World Series.

Highlighting the Dodgers’ returnees is star outfielder is Betts, the 2018 American League MVP who has never played in Boston as a visitor. He was traded to Los Angeles along with pitcher David Price in February 2020. The Red Sox got back three players, two are still regulars for them, outfielder Alex Verdugo and catcher Connor Wong.

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“This will be my first time going back since 2019. I’m really nervous,” Betts said on his Bleacher Report podcast this week. “It’s more just that I haven’t been back in so long. It’s where I grew up, and I don’t know what to expect. … I think it will be fun.”

Betts enters the weekend scorching hot after going 5-for-5 in the completion of a suspended game in Cleveland on Thursday and then 2-for-3 in the series finale that followed. The Dodgers won 6-1 and 9-3, respectively.

Right-hander Ryan Brasier and utility man Enrique Hernandez are two other former Red Sox players who are on the Dodgers’ active roster. Hernandez was just acquired from Boston on July 25.

“I’m sure Fenway is going to show up for (Betts),” Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale said.

The Dodgers will give the ball to 36-year-old Lance Lynn (9-9, 5.60 ERA) on Friday. Lynn is 3-0 with a 1.44 ERA in four starts (25 innings) since joining the Dodgers from the Chicago White Sox in a July 28 trade.

The right-hander, who has allowed a total of one earned run over his past three outings, scattered four hits across seven shutout innings in a no-decision on Aug. 17 against the Milwaukee Brewers. The eventual 1-0 win capped the Dodgers’ 11-game winning streak.

“I think this is kind of what we imagined at the beginning of the season with what our staff is and what it has been since I’ve been here,” Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes said. “Lance fills up hitters during the game. He’s been doing it for a long time.”

The Red Sox return home after dominating in a 17-1 win at Houston on Thursday, splitting a four-game series while earning their fifth victory in seven games.

The recent run has lifted Boston within 3 1/2 games of a playoff spot.

“A lot of people thought this season was over three days ago,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said, “but that’s not the case.”

Wilyer Abreu, Wong and Verdugo each had four hits, including a home run. For Abreu, it was the first long ball of his major league career. He made his debut on Tuesday after socking 22 homers in 86 games for Triple-A Worcester this season.

“There’s a reason he’s here,” Cora said. “(Worcester manager) Chad Tracy was very happy with the way he had been playing. He’s a good runner. He’s a good defender. He’s a good hitter.”

Boston right-hander Kutter Crawford (6-6, 3.66 ERA) is slated to make his first career appearance against the Dodgers.

Crawford pitched 5 1/3 no-hit innings before allowing a home run to the Yankees’ Aaron Judge in his latest start, on Saturday at New York. He wound up yielding just the one run and one hit while walking two and fanning five in six innings en route to an 8-1 win.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox Drub Astros, 17-1

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HOUSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Wilyer Abreu clubbed his first big-league home run and was one of eight Red Sox batters to record multiple hits as the visiting Sox cruised to a 17-1 drubbing of the Houston Astros on Thursday afternoon.

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Abreu went 4-for-5 with four RBIs, two runs and a walk. Connor Wong and Alex Verdugo – the duao acquired in the Sox trade for Mookie Betts years ago – also had four hits and five other players had two apiece for the Red Sox, who earned a split of the four-game series.

All nine batters in Boston’s starting lineup recorded at least one RBI and at least one of the club’s season-high 24 hits. The offensive showcase provided more than enough run support for Red Sox starter Brayan Bello (10-7), who gave up one run on nine hits in seven innings.

Alex Bregman drove in Houston’s lone run with a single. Mauricio Dubon doubled twice for the Astros, who went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base. The 16-run deficit is tied for the largest in Astros history.

Duvall Leads Red Sox to Split

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HOUSTON – (Staff and wire Service Report) – After fouling a pitch directly off his left foot in the top of the 10th inning on Wednesday, Boston Red Sox center fielder Adam Duvall needed more than a couple of minutes to recover from the searing pain.

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His decision to stay in the fight paid immediate dividends for Boston. Duvall clubbed a tiebreaking, three-run home run on the next pitch of his at-bat to carry the Red Sox to a 7-5 victory over the host Houston Astros, a win that keeps Boston squarely in the American League wild-card picture.

Duvall has homered in each of the first three games of this four-game series, which concludes Thursday afternoon. His 14th long ball of the season was the biggest by far.

“He’s made some adjustments,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Duvall. “He’s catching up with the fastball and he’s pulling the ball. He mentioned a few weeks ago that he was missing that, and so far here he’s put three great swings. That was huge for us.”

Brayan Bello (9-7, 3.70 ERA) will start for the Red Sox on Thursday as Boston attempts to gain a series split.

The right-hander allowed one run on six hits and one walk with four strikeouts over six innings on Friday against the New York Yankees in an 8-3 victory. That lowered his ERA to 5.03 in seven starts since the All-Star break, a contrast to his last 12 starts before the break, when he compiled a 2.35 ERA. Bello leads the Red Sox in starts (21) and innings (119 1/3) this season.

Bello has faced the Astros once previously, recording two strikeouts while allowing two hits in two-thirds of an innings of relief in a no-decision on Aug. 3, 2022.

Rookie right-hander J.P. France (9-4, 2.75 ERA) has the starting assignment for the Astros on Thursday.

He recorded his 12th quality start on Friday against the Seattle Mariners, allowing two runs on seven hits and one walk with seven strikeouts over six innings in a 2-0 loss. France is among rookie leaders in quality starts, wins, opponents’ OPS (.675), innings (108) and WHIP (1.21). His ERA is the lowest in franchise history through the first 18 career appearances (minimum six starts).

France will face the Red Sox for the first time in his career.

The Astros are in desperate need of length from France, who has logged seven innings in four of his previous six starts. The last Astros starter to record at least 21 outs was Framber Valdez on Aug. 14 against the Miami Marlins, a game in which the Astros used only one relief pitcher.

In the eight games since, the Astros have used at least four relievers six times.

France and Justin Verlander, who tossed six scoreless innings on Tuesday, are the only starters to log at least six innings during that stretch, with Houston having to overwork its bullpen to cover for shortened outings from Cristian Javier (4 2/3 innings on Aug. 15 at Miami), Hunter Brown (2 2/3 innings on Sunday against Seattle) and Jose Urquidy, who recorded only 14 outs Wednesday.

“We need it,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said of an extended outing from France to spare the bullpen. “We were upside down (Wednesday). We got upside down early in the 13-game streak (of games played on consecutive days) and we had a couple short outings, which put pressure on the bullpen. We’re at the drawing board now trying to figure out what we’re going to do.”

Turner Breaks Tie and Yanks

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Justin Turner hit a tiebreaking double in the ninth inning and the Boston Red Sox beat the host New York Yankees 6-5 on Sunday afternoon to send their longtime rival to an eighth straight loss for the first time since 1995.

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Boston got its seventh straight win over the Yankees when Turner hit an 0-1 sinker from Clay Holmes (4-4) to the warning track in right field to easily score Pablo Reyes, who hit a leadoff single.

Before Turner’s hit, the Yankees appeared to take the lead in the eighth when Isiah Kiner-Falefa scored from first on rookie Anthony Volpe’s single.

The Red Sox challenged the play for obstruction and Kiner-Falefa’s run was overturned. The Yankees then were unsuccessful in challenging that catcher Connor Wong blocked the plate.

The Yankees are on their first eight-game skid since Aug. 19-26, 1995, when they went from 53-50 to 53-58 before finishing 26-7 to get the first wild-card spot.

Boston reliever Chris Martin (4-1) got the win and Kenley Jansen struck out two and stranded two in the ninth for his 29th save.

Turner drove in four runs and gave the Red Sox a 5-2 lead in the seventh with a three-run homer off Michael King one pitch after slugger Rafael Devers was intentionally walked.

Devers homered and had hits in his first three at-bats. He also scored Boston’s second run on a throwing error by shortstop Volpe in the sixth.

Kyle Higashioka and Gleyber Torres hit tying homers in the third and sixth off bulk reliever Nick Pivetta. Volpe hit a tying three-run homer off John Schreiber in the seventh before pinch hitter Giancarlo Stanton faced left-hander Brennan Bernardino and flew out with two on to end the inning.

Six days after allowing eight runs in Atlanta, New York starter Clarke Schmidt allowed two runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings.

After opener Josh Winckowski pitched the first, Pivetta allowed two runs and three hits in five innings.

–Field Level Media

Batting Practice in the Bronx

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NEW YORK – Boston rookie OF Masataka Yoshida hit a three-run homer four batters in, starting pitcher Brayan Bello tossed six effective innings and the Boston Red Sox recorded an 8-3 victory over the slumping, last place New York Yankees on Friday night in the Bronx.

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The Red Sox beat the Yankees for the sixth time in seven meetings this season and won their fifth straight over New York.

Justin Turner hit singles in each of his first three at-bats and produced a pair of RBI singles. Rafael Devers also had two RBIs, one of which was an RBI single to start Boston’s three-run second that followed a fielding error by New York second baseman Gleyber Torres.

NY slugger Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer in the eighth as the Yankees lost their sixth straight. It is their longest slide since dropping seven straight Sept 4-10, 2021.

The Red Sox took a 4-0 lead 19 pitches in against rookie Jhony Brito (4-6) when Yoshida hit a changeup into the right-center field seats.

Boston opened with four straight hits and Turner preceded Yoshida’s 13th homer with an RBI base hit after Verdugo and Rafael Devers poked hits. Yoshida homered after the Yankees were charged with consecutive mound visits to go over signs after Brito encountered trouble because the PitchCom device was not working for both teams.

Yoshida capped the second with a base hit to make it 7-0 and Devers contributed another RBI single in the ninth.

Bello (9-7) allowed one run and six hits to win for the third time in four starts. He struck out four, walked one and beat the Yankees for the second time this season.

After Garrett Whitlock allowed Judge’s 23rd homer, he ended the eighth by striking out Giancarlo Stanton. Brennan Bernardino allowed two hits in the ninth before Chris Martin finished it.

The Yankees avoided being shutout in three straight games when Anthony Volpe doubled and scored on DJ LeMahieu’s groundout in the third.

Brito allowed seven runs (six earned) and nine hits in 2 1/3 innings.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox Face Struggling NY Yankees

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BRONX – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The New York Yankees are looking forward to returning home even if the fans’ reaction might turn hostile.

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The Boston Red Sox are in contention for a wild-card spot and can bolster their postseason hopes while burying their rival even further. (Betting Odds)

Under .500 this late in the season for the first time since 1995, the Yankees host the Red Sox in the opener of a three-game series on Friday night.

New York returns home for the first time since splitting a four-game series with the Houston Astros on Aug. 6. The Yankees went 2-7 on a road trip against the Chicago White Sox, Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves and are 6 1/2 games behind Toronto for the final American League wild-card spot.

Rob Refsnyder walked and Devers followed with his 27th homer of the season, a shot into the second deck in right center that pulled the Red Sox within 9-7.

Garrett’s RBI single in the eighth made it 10-7.

Casas gave the Red Sox a 1-0 lead when he homered leading off the third.

The Nationals quickly tied it in the bottom of the third. Jeter Downs walked, stole second and went to third on a throwing error by catcher Wong. Downs scored when third baseman Devers misplayed a Meneses grounder.

Red Sox Drop Another to Nationals

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WASH DC – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Washington’s first baseman Joey Meneses had two hits and drove in five runs, SP Patrick Corbin pitched six strong innings and the host Nationals held on to beat the Boston Red Sox 10-7 in the rubber game of their series on Thursday.

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Keibert Ruiz had three hits and Stone Garrett had two hits and three RBIs for the Nationals, who are 5-1 on their homestand and have won 10 of 14.

Corbin (8-11) allowed one run on four hits. He struck out six without a walk.

Boston put runners on second and third with no outs against Kyle Finnegan in the ninth, but Finnegan retired the next three batters without allowing a run for his 19th save.

Luis Urias hit a grand slam for Boston, Rafael Devers hit a two-run homer and Triston Casas smacked a solo shot.

Chris Sale (5-3) allowed three runs — two earned — in 4 1/3 innings.

Boston trailed 9-1 entering the seventh. Adam Duvall led off with a single against reliever Robert Garcia. With one out, Pablo Reyes singled and Casas walked. After Connor Wong struck out, Urias hit a grand slam to center.

Red Sox Take Nationals, 5-4

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WASH DC – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Alex Verdugo opened the game with a homer, Triston Casas had two hits and two RBIs and the Red Sox defeated the Washington Nationals 5-4 on Tuesday night.

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Pablo Reyes added two hits for Boston, which has won five of six.

Four Boston relievers tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings to end the game. John Schreiber (2-1) pitched one inning for the win, and Kenley Jansen worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 28th save.

Keibert Ruiz and Stone Garrett had two-run doubles for Washington, which had won three straight.

Washington starter Josiah Gray (7-10) was charged with five runs on five hits over three-plus innings, his shortest start of the season. Gray has allowed 14 runs in 11 1/3 innings over his past three starts as his ERA has climbed from 3.27 to 3.96.

Verdugo gave the Red Sox and early 1-0 lead when he led off the game with his ninth homer of the season, a shot to right-center.

Boston’s Reese McGuire opened the third inning with a single and stole second. With two outs, Rafael Devers and Trevor Story walked to load the bases. Casas then lined a 3-2 Gray pitch to right, driving in two runs.

Washington rallied in its half of the third. Blake Rutherford led off with a single, and Lane Thomas and Joey Meneses drew one-out walks. Ruiz followed with double into the corner in right, scoring Rutherford and Thomas. After Dominic Smith struck out, Garrett doubled to right, knocking in Meneses and Ruiz scored to give the Nationals a 4-3 lead.

Gray couldn’t hold the edge, Jarren Duran singled and Reyes doubled to open the fourth, prompting the Nationals to bring in reliever Robert Garcia. McGuire reached on catcher’s interference to load the bases.

When Verdugo flied to deep center, Duran scored and Reyes raced to third, but McGuire was thrown out at second. Reyes scored on a wild pitch to give the Red Sox a 5-4 edge.

Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta was lifted after 4 1/3 innings, having given up four runs on five hits and three walks. He struck out seven.

–Field Level Media

Sox Go Deep for “W”

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BOSTON – (Staff and Write Service Report) – Boston’s Adam Duvall homered and drove in four runs and Trevor Story had four hits to lead the Red Sox to a 6-3 victory over the visiting Detroit Tigers on Sunday afternoon.

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Sox DH Justin Turner, who was playing in his 1,500th major league game, also went deep for the Red Sox. It was his 19th home run of the season and his second in as many games.

Duvall and Turner each had two of Boston’s 12 hits.

Akil Baddoo launched a solo home run in the fifth inning for the Tigers, who lost twice in the three-game series.

Garrett Whitlock, who was activated from the injured list Sunday, earned the win after pitching two innings of relief. Whitlock (5-3) allowed one (unearned) run and struck out three without surrendering a hit.

Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless ninth to collect his 27th save.

Detroit’s Eduardo Rodriguez (8-6) took the loss after he allowed six runs on 10 hits in five innings. He struck out eight and walked one.

Miguel Cabrera’s groundout drove in Spencer Torkelson from third base to stake Detroit to a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Torkelson reached base when he was hit by a pitch.

Boston pulled even in its half of the second after Triston Casas drew a two-out walk and scored on Connor Wong’s triple.

The Red Sox took a 2-1 lead on Turner’s homer in the third. They stretched the advantage to 3-1 later in that inning after Story reached on an infield single, stole second and third and scored on Duvall’s single.

Baddoo’s homer sliced Boston’s lead to 3-2 in the fifth before Duvall went deep with a three-run shot in the bottom of the fifth

Detroit got a run back when Matt Vierling scored on Torkelson’s groundout in the sixth inning.

–Field Level Media