FINAL: Dodgers 7, Red Sox 4 - Mookie Betts homer wins series with Rafael Devers out (wrist)

WHO: Dodgers (79-49) at Red Sox (69-61) 
WHEN: 1:35 p.m. 
WHERE: Fenway Park, Boston. 
SERIES TO DATE: Series lead, 1-1. 
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Caleb Ferguson (7-3, 2.81 ERA) vs. RHP Tanner Houck (3-7, 5.08 ERA) 
TV/RADIO: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7

LIVE BOX

LINEUP

RED SOX 

Verdugo RF
Turner DH 
Duvall LF 
Casas 1B
Story SS
Reyes 2B
Abreu CF
Wong C 
Urías 3B 
Houck SP 

DODGERS 

Betts RF
Freeman 1B 
Peralta LF
Muncy 3B 
Heyward RF 
Outman CF
Busch DH
Rojas SS
Barnes C
Ferguson SP 

PRE-GAME NOTES

The Red Sox scratched 3B Rafael Devers after Dodgers pitcher Bryan Hudson hit him in the right wrist with a 91 mile-per-hour fastball. Devers looked in severe pain before taking first base and later scoring in the eighth inning, then finishing the game at third base in the ninth. Boston scratched Devers shortly after 10 a.m., and Alex Cora said pre-game Devers will undergo an X-Ray on the wrist. 

"He's sore, so (we'll) stay away from him," Cora said. "We believe it’s a day-by-day thing." 

The Red Sox have placed LHP Brennan Bernardino on the COVID-19 Related Injured List. They've recalled LHP Chris Murphy from Triple-A Worcester. Bernardino will miss at least seven days. 

IF Pablo Reyes is starting at second base after injuring his elbow in yesterday's game, Cora saying he's feeling better. IF Luis Urías starts at third. 

RHP Kenley Jansen (hamstring) is available today after leaving Wednesday's win over the Astros after only three pitches. Cora praised his bullpen options:  “Great. You'd like rainbows. It’s a rainbow today on the card. We got green. We got yellow, orange, red. We’ll be OK.” 

WHAT'S UP 

The Red Sox won last night, 8-5, after dropping the series opener on Friday, 7-4...They’re 12-7 in their last 19 games...The Sox are 29-19 (.604) in their last 48 games since 6/30...At 69-61 (.527), the Red Sox own MLB’s 11th-best record... The Red Sox have homered in each of their last 15 games (26 total HR), their longest streak since August 2019 (19 games, 8/7-30)...The Sox have homered in 23 of their 24 August games, after homering in only 16 of their previous 28 games...BOS has hit 20 HR in their last 10 games...Alex Verdugo has led off each of the Red Sox’ last 3 games with a HR, his 3rd, 4th and 5th career leadoff HR, only Brady Anderson (1996) and Ronald Acuña Jr. (2018) achieved that feat prior... He has 3+ hits in 4 of his last 9 games, batting .381 in that span (16-for-42, 9 R, 4 2B, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB)....The Red Sox have recorded at least 9 hits in 10 consecutive games, their longest streak since 2013 (14 games, 6/21-7/6)...Overall, the Sox lead MLB in doubles (284)...They’ve won their last 4 day games after losing 9 of their previous 10...The Sox are 7-5 so far in their stretch of 16 consecutive days with a game from 8/15-30...They’re in a stretch of 32 games in 34 days (7/28-8/30)....With RISP, Boston ranks 2nd in MLB in hits (325)...The Sox went 4-for-13 with RISP yesterday....In games they’ve won, the Red Sox have hit .352 with an MLB-best .998 OPS with RISP...In their losses, they’ve hit .174 with a .516 OPS with RISP...RHP Tanner Houck allowed 3 runs over 5.0 IP on Tuesday at HOU (L, 4 H, 3 BB, 2 SO) in his first appearance since June 16 (facial fracture)...Has pitched 4.0+ innings in all 14 starts...Has allowed 3 ER or fewer in 10 of them...making his first career start against the Dodgers...Owns a 5.75 home ERA and a 4.42 road ERA (27 ER/52.0 IP)...