Red Sox rally past Dodgers, cap historic July with statement win

The Red Sox closed one of the greatest months in franchise history with one of their biggest wins of the season.

After watching an early three-run lead disappear, Boston erupted for five runs in the seventh inning and got another dominant relief performance from Brayan Bello to defeat the defending World Series champion Dodgers, 9-4, Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

The victory improved the Red Sox to 58-51 and wrapped up a remarkable 21-4 July, good for a franchise-record .840 winning percentage in any month of at least 20 games. It also pulled Boston within 3 1/2 games of the Yankees for the top American League Wild Card spot.

Boston struck first in the second inning when Jarren Duran lined an RBI single to score Nick Sogard.

An inning later, a scary moment briefly overshadowed the offense.

Willson Contreras was struck on the helmet by a 95 mph fastball from Dodgers right-hander Will Klein with runners at the corners. While the ball glanced off the ear flap of his helmet and Contreras remained on his feet, he exited the game the following inning as a precaution.

The Red Sox took advantage of the opportunity.

With the bases loaded, Masataka Yoshida chopped a ground ball that Freddie Freeman couldn’t handle at first base, allowing two runs to score and extending Boston’s lead to 3-0.

Ranger Suarez looked sharp early, retiring the minimum through the first three innings. He opened the game by striking out Shohei Ohtani looking and carried the shutout into the fourth before Los Angeles mounted its comeback.

Ohtani doubled to lead off the fourth and later scored on Freeman’s RBI single before the Dodgers grabbed the lead in the fifth.

Eliezer Alfonso’s RBI single cut the deficit to 3-2, and after interim manager Chad Tracy turned to left-hander Jovani Morán to face Ohtani with two runners aboard, the four-time MVP launched a two-run homer into the right-field seats to put Los Angeles ahead 4-3.

Suarez was charged with three runs over 4 2/3 innings, allowing four hits while walking two and striking out two.

Brayan Bello inherited a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning after the Red Sox intentionally walked Max Muncy and got Alfonso to ground out, keeping Boston within a run.

Sogard opened the seventh with a single before Ceddanne Rafaela crushed the first pitch from Dodgers reliever Cole Irvin into the left-field bullpen for a go-ahead two-run homer, his latest clutch hit during Boston’s torrid stretch.

Wilyer Abreu and Yoshida followed with singles before Caleb Durbin perfectly placed a bunt single to load the bases. Andruw Monasterio continued his sizzling July by lining a two-run double down the left-field line, and Duran capped the five-run inning with an RBI groundout that deflected off Irvin.

Boston sent 10 batters to the plate, turning a 4-3 deficit into an 8-4 lead.

Jahmai Jones added a sacrifice fly in the ninth for the final run.

Bello finished the final four innings, allowing just three hits while striking out three and walking one. Since being recalled to the bullpen, Bello has allowed just one run over 13 2/3 innings while striking out 13 and walking only two.

The move to relief has transformed him. Bello now owns a microscopic 0.69 ERA across 39 bullpen innings this season, and Friday’s outing was another reminder of how valuable he’s become in that role.

The Red Sox will look to clinch their eighth consecutive series Saturday night when rookie left-hander Payton Tolle (6-6, 3.32 ERA) faces Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto (11-6, 2.72 ERA).