BSJ Game Report: Dodgers 7, Red Sox 4 - Mookie Betts leads comeback win in return to Boston

All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 7-4 loss to the Dodgers, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES

Mookie Betts sparks Dodgers comeback win: Betts was 1-for-4 with a double and walk in the sixth and seventh innings, and pair of runs scored that helped spark three-run frames that overcame an early 3-0 Red Sox lead. He began the night tipping his helmet to applauding fans and saluting the Boston dugout before flying out and striking out in his first two at-bats against Kutter Crawford. Alex Cora returned Crawford to the mound, who had struck out seven Dodgers and retired nine straight through 5.0 shutout innings, and Betts launched the first pitch he saw off the monster. Nick Pivetta took over after Freddie Freeman singled in the following at-bat, letting Will Smith double Betts and Freeman home before Kiké Hernández plated the game-tying run. Betts' walk against Pivetta in the seventh set up a Freeman RBI double before Max Muncy's RBI double off Pivetta scored Betts and Freeman again to build a 6-3 lead. 

"(On Betts' double), I just left that ball middle, and then I threw one of my better splitters of the night and (Freeman) put a good swing on it," Crawford said. "They're a very challenging at-bat. They don't chase too much. They seem to be locked in on every pitch, so for me, I knew I had to be on my game, I knew I had to mix my pitches up and give them different looks. Obviously, I'd like to go deeper in games. Sometimes the game situation doesn't allow me to do that, but I'm trying to go at least six innings. I couldn't do that today. I kind of let my bullpen down."  

Baserunning mistake costs Sox comeback chance: In the eighth inning, Betts moved to right field after the Dodgers pinch hit for Jason Heyward in the top half. Betts' quick throw into the infield following Alex Verdugo's single cut off Connor Wong turning toward third, who had been pinch running after Reese McGuire's single, with Triston Casas holding at third. The blunder cost a bases-loaded opportunity down 6-3 for the Sox with two outs as Rafael Devers prepared to hit. Aside from an unearned Devers run in the seventh on Max Muncy's throwing error, Boston didn't score over the final seven innings, leaving eight runners on base while hitting 9-for-21. Justin Turner (0-5) and Adam Duvall (1-4) struck out alongside Masataka Yoshida's ground out (1-5) to end the game in the ninth. Alex Verdugo and Trevor Story had given the Sox a 3-0 lead with home runs in the first and second. 

THREE UP

Alex Verdugo: Swung on the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the first to put the Sox ahead 1-0, taking Lance Lynn 391 feet to right on a 90-mile-per-hour fastball over the plate. Verdugo hit leadoff again, facing his former team for the first time since landing in Boston in the Mookie Betts trade and finished 3-5 with a pair of singles in the seventh and eighth innings after the Sox tried rallying back. Since moving back to the leadoff spot, Verdugo is hitting 15-for-37 (.405) over his last eight games, including two home runs and four doubles while Boston scored four runs or more in all but one of them. 

"He's in a good place," Cora said. "Even the ball he hit the other way, even though he was a little in front, there was intention. He's not loopy, he's straight to the baseball. He's comfortable now, even the last at-bat, he took the first pitch and then he went after it. I love the fact that he's being aggressive. In that first pitch of the game, that's something we always talk about, it's not easy to hit down in the count. A lot of teams were going right after him. He understands what he needs to do ... we'll take that at-bat with one pitch. He's feeling good, he's moving well, he's into it, which is great. We were joking today with him, we always find ways to push him, we were like, 'you were the throw-in to the (Betts) trade,' and he started laughing." 

Kutter Crawford: Crawford pitched five fantastic shutout innings against a tough Dodgers lineup, striking out seven, before allowing a Betts double and Freeman single that ended his night awkwardly in the sixth inning. Cora tried to push Crawford into the third rotation through the Dodgers order, blaming wear-and-tear on the bullpen, while planning to use Nick Pivetta in relief tonight. Given Pivetta's ability to stretch longer in games, it's worth wondering why Cora didn't simply give Pivetta a clean inning to start with. Will Smith's double and Muncy's ground out sent Betts and Freeman home, two runs charged to Crawford in his no decision. Crawford retired nine Dodgers in a row at one point, striking out Betts, Freeman and Smith in the third. He finished throwing 65% of his pitches for strikes, using his splitter, sweeper and fastball to strike out Los Angeles hitters. His ERA remained 3.65. Solid. 

"We had to push him today, because of where we're at," Cora said. "But effort-wise he was great, it was one of those that, we're trying to push Kutter to give us a little more so we can bridge the game and get to the ninth inning. There's a balance, right? We always talk about the 80 pitches. First pitch to Mookie, I don't think it was bad. They're such great hitters. Obviously, they put pressure on us right away and we couldn't stop it ... like fast break offense ... when they get going, it's tough to stop them."

Trevor Story: Finally turned on an inside pitch and launched it 377 feet over the monster for his first home run of the season, his last coming in early September last season. Story hit 16 homers last year and recorded none through his first 13 games back prior to Friday, a 2-4 showing where he also singled in the sixth inning. His blast scored Triston Casas, who singled three times, while McGuire added three hits of his own in a night where Boston emerged for 14 off Dodgers pitchers, but finished 1-8 with runners in scoring position. The fielding keeps looking strong for Story too, recording two outs.

"Hands inside, good swing," Story said. "Good pitch. He looks better at the plate, more conviction, taking pitches in certain areas, so hopefully now that he's got his feet wet, he's been playing a lot here at the big league level, we can get the closest version of Trevor Story."  

THREE DOWN 

Nick Pivetta: Allowed four runs, including two charged to Crawford, in a disastrous two innings of relief where the Dodgers hit him with ease. LA walked twice to begin the seventh inning of a 3-3 game, Hernández tying the game with an RBI single the previous inning, before Freeman launched a go-ahead double, finishing 4-5. Munch ripped a 2 RBI double just over Casas' head down the right field line on a fastball over the plate. Michael Busch and Betts walked on 10 largely uncompetitive pitches and his curveball low and in to Smith allowed the Dodgers catcher to lift the ball off the green monster, just short of a home run. Pivetta posted a 5.72 ERA over his last seven appearances, with damage in both three starts and three relief appearances. 

"I knew I was ready to go today. I had previous talks with A.C. and (Dave Bush)," Pivetta said. "I just didn't have my best stuff today, was getting behind in counts and (the Dodgers) put some swings on some pitches I threw. There are no excuses ... I didn't put us in a great position to win today. 

Connor Wong: Made an unfathomable mistake emblematic of these Red Sox by turning toward third base as a pinch runner in the eighth with Casas halted at third in front of him as Betts fired a throw to Freeman, cutting it off near the mound then downing Wong in a rundown. Devers prepared to hit with the bases loaded down by three after Casas, McGuire and Verdugo all singled off Alex Vesia. Wong called the play unacceptable after the game. 

"I was just talking to Connor. As soon as (Verdugo) hit it, it's a line drive over the second baseman and he felt he had a good jump," Cora said. "Obviously, it's not a great play, but it's one you talk about it, especially in the situation we were in. His run, yeah, it means something, but we've gotta make sure we know who's in front of us and he put his head down and kept going and when he looked up, it was too late." 

Red Sox fans: Ceded Fenway Park on the most exciting night of the season, some late to arrive for Betts' introduction leading off and others giving up their seats to a sea of Dodgers fans in attendance. The crowd reached its loudest point of the night as LA rallied to take the lead midway through the game, and no real atmosphere emerged similar to some of the other highly anticipated returns by athletes to Boston. Sure, the Sox botched the trade, aren't having a great season and many fans grew irreverent after the move, but the massive visiting crowds overtaking the park began more recently than 2021. Boston just swept the Yankees, split the Astros with two big wins in a row and returned home to what effectively became another road game.

"It was fun," Crawford said. "There was a lot of energy in Fenway tonight, a lot of Dodgers fans here. They traveled well." 

NOTABLE 

Betts made his return to Fenway Park tonight for the first time since the Red Sox traded him to the Dodgers on Feb. 10, 2020 alongside David Price for Verdugo, Jeter Downs and Wong. The trade preceded Betts' free agency the following winter after Boston and Betts failed to reach a long-term extension, with various reports pointing toward both the Sox' disinterest in meeting Betts' asking price and his desire to leave Boston. Betts won the 2018 World Series and AL MVP award, made four all-star teams, won three Silver Slugger and four gold gloves with the Sox. Since joining the Dodgers, he won the 2020 World Series, made three more all-star teams while winning two more Silver Sluggers and Gold Gloves. 

Betts spoke pre-game on Friday and in multiple interviews this week, declining to discuss the contract discussion that led to his departure, but stating he wanted to remain with Boston. He said Red Sox officials, including GM Chaim Bloom and owner John Henry will tell that story, and admitted he worried about being looked at as the bad guy when the trade happened. Overall, Betts hoped to leave the trade saga in the past, now in his fourth season with LA. Betts signed a 12-year, $365 million extension with the Dodgers after expressing a desire to explore free agency, reportedly declining a 10-year, $300 million offer from the Sox. Betts refuted that offer happened in an interview with the Boston Globe this week. Bloom also looked back at the trade. 

Cora hopes RHP Kenley Jansen (hamstring) will avoid the IL after leaving Wednesday's win against the Astros after three pitches, pulling Pivetta into that game as the closer before his losing effort on Friday. The Sox will try to avoid using Jansen, who threw long toss pre-game, over the weekend. 

The Red Sox today claimed RHP Zack Weiss off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels and optioned him to Triple-A Worcester. To make room on the 40-man roster, the club transferred RHP Corey Kluber to the 60-Day Injured List. Cora said pre-game that Kluber began playing catch recently. 

UP NEXT 

Saturday vs. Dodgers at 4:10 p.m., LHP Julio Urias (11-6 4.15 ERA) vs. LHP James Paxton (7-4, 3.79 ERA)