BSJ Game Report: Red Sox 8, Dodgers 5 - Adam Duvall's home run powers comeback win

All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 8-5 win over the Dodgers, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES

Adam Duvall three-run home run drives comeback win: James Paxton allowed four runs in 4.1 innings, surrendering a two-run homer to Max Muncy that put the Red Sox behind 4-2 in the fifth. Josh Wincowski and Brennan Bernardino escaped a pair of baserunners in the sixth, before Justin Turner and Rob Refsnyder doubled and singled, setting up a three-run Adam Duvall home run into the front row of the monster on an 0-2 cutter over the middle that proved the game-winner. Trevor Story kept the sixth inning going with a walk and steal, Dodgers starer Jose Urias was allowed to stay for 91 pitches and allowed an RBI single to Reese McGuire that increased Boston's lead to 6-4. Connor Wong scored in the seventh after moving from first to third on a steal attempt, Turner providing the RBI single, then Mookie Betts dropped a ground ball in the eighth through the middle after moving to second off Luis Urías' bat with the bases loaded to go up 8-5.

Mookie Betts leaves bases loaded down three in the 9th: The Dodgers blew three leads, allowing a third straight Alex Verdugo leadoff home run in the first ahead by 1-0, a Turner blast in the fourth up 2-1, then squandering Muncy's fifth inning home run by allowing one to Duvall. Betts hit 3-6, doubling to begin the game then scoring on Amed Rosario's single. Garrett Whitlock worked around a baserunner in the seventh, but let the Dodgers pull within 7-5 on a Betts RBI single. Freddie Freeman walked, the eighth free pass by Red Sox pitching, loading the bases before Will Smith to flew out, then Chris Martin struck out Muncy looking to end the eighth, who threw his bat and got ejected alongside manager Dave Roberts.

"I might have gotten a little help there," Martin joked post-game. 

In the ninth, John Schreiber loaded the bases with two outs, setting up Betts to hit as the go-ahead runner. Betts flew out to Duvall in deep center to end the game on a 1-0 sinker.

THREE UP

Adam Duvall: Won the game with his three-run homer one day after Alex Cora praised his acclimation to center field with Jarren Duran hurt. He finished 2-4, doubling in the eighth inning to help load the bases before Betts' error and extended his hitting streak to six games. Since Aug. 21, he's hitting 12-25 with four home runs and 11 RBI as a mainstay in the middle of Boston's order. His OPS improved to .885 for the season and he hasn't committed an error in the outfield all year. 

Justin Turner: Nice to see him look like himself after hitting 0-5 on Friday, Cora praising his arrival from the Dodgers and the boost it provided Boston's clubhouse. His presence in the lineup remains a near necessity too, hitting a game-tying home run after nine straight Sox got out following Verdugo's leadoff homer. He finished 3-4 with two RBI and returned to first base, reaching for a short throw by Rafael Devers that ended the fourth inning with a runner on third before his homer. 

In the sixth, he doubled off Urias to help set up Duvall's game-winning blast and singled Wong home on a first pitch slider in the seventh. Turner is hitting 19-62 (.307) since his heel injury with four home runs, remaining the heart of the team. 

"I haven't seen a guy, even when I played, that has made an impact, not only on the field, but off the field so quick," Cora said on Friday. "He's so consistent at what he does, forget the baseball part of it, but as a person, what he brings to the equation on a daily basis to his teammates ... the guy is great." 

Alex Verdugo: Hit another leadoff home run, his third in a row after doing so against the Dodgers on Friday and in the 17-1 win on Thursday over the Astros. Only Brady Anderson (1996) and Ronald Acuña Jr. (2018) pulled off that feat prior in MLB history. Verudgo finished 1-5 after his 9-17 (.529) run over the past three games, turning on Urias' slow curve over the middle on the second pitch he saw. Cora kept Verdugo in the leadoff spot after mostly using Rob Refsnyder there against left-handed starters.

"Playoff baseball is a little more from pitch one," Verdugo said. "Every pitch, the fans are on alert, but for us, our mindset is playoff baseball. Honestly, get a good pitch to hit and put a swing on it. It's weird to think that it's been three games in a row with a (leadoff home run), but at the end of the day, I'm just trying to handle my business, get ready for the game the best I can, do my scouting reports on the pitchers and put myself in a good position to succeed...the last two days, I've been aggressive in the leadoff spot. The one in Houston, I took the first two pitches and then hit the third one out. Really, for me, it's just calming myself down, not trying to do too much." 

THREE DOWN 

James Paxton: Another brutal outing, walking five and allowing four runs on four hits while facing three jams across 4.1 innings. Betts' double and Freeman's four-pitch walk put him behind immediately on Rosario's RBI single. Paxton retired 6-of-7 in the second and third inning with two strikeouts. Another walk in the fourth cost him when Rosario stole second, advancing to third and scoring on a pair of Dodgers ground outs. He missed high to walk Smith in the fifth, then threw three uncompetitive pitches against Muncy before he took Paxton deep to right center. His no decision marked his third start over his last six allowing four or more earned runs, with walks becoming a theme as his ERA rose to 3.99. Skipping him in the rotation could be due after two ugly starts following four days of rest. 

Garrett Whitlock: Appeared to pitch the seventh and eighth innings as the freshest arm after pitching a clean sixth and seventh on Wednesday. Pitching more like the previous two appearances where he allowed six runs, Whitlock loaded the bases with one out in the eight, giving up hits to Chris Taylor, David Peralta and Betts, sending Taylor home to pull LA within 7-5. He walked Freeman on a 3-2 pitch that flew far inside, avoiding further damage by forcing Smith to fly out to right, but Cora called on Chris Martin to record the third out against Muncy. Whitlock's ERA remained at 5.52 with 1.34 WHIP. 

Chaim Bloom: A day after he said the Sox win when they field well, Boston didn't commit any errors, but Pablo Reyes' elbow injury moved Wong to second base, Luis Urías to third and Rafael Devers to shortstop in the sixth inning to bring Reese McGuire into the game at catcher. A double switch returned Wong to catcher and Devers to third, pulling Trevor Story from DH to shortstop on what should've been his off day from the field. Triston Casas walked in place of Martin in the eighth, forcing John Schreiber to close with a three-run lead in the ninth. It all worked out, so I'll save Cora the blame here after his awkward handoff between Kutter Crawford and Nick Pivetta cost Boston the game on Friday due to bullpen fatigue. One day after Betts' breakout proved equally important in downing the Sox, seeing such a cluster in the field wasn't a good look for Bloom. 

"We're comfortable with (Urías) at third and (Devers) has played short in the shift," Cora said when asked why Urías didn't simply take over at shortstop. "For that moment, we felt that was the best alignment." 

NOTABLE 

IF Pablo Reyes hyperextended his left elbow and left the game in a lot of pain, Cora said, following his fifth inning strikeout. 

IF Rafael Devers stayed in the game after Bryan Hudson hit him in the right hand with a 91 mile-per-hour fastball in the eighth inning. 

RHP Kenley Jansen (hamstring) could return on Sunday, according to Cora. The closer left Wednesday's win against the Astros after three pitches, threw long toss on Friday and a bullpen session on Saturday ahead of a potential appearance in the series finale.

UP NEXT 

Sunday vs. Dodgers at 1:35 p.m., TBD vs. RHP Tanner Houck (3-7, 5.08 ERA)