FINAL: Dodgers 7, Red Sox 4 - Mookie Betts sparks rally in return to Boston

WHO: Dodgers (78-48) at Red Sox (68-60) 
WHEN: 7:10 p.m. 
WHERE: Fenway Park, Boston. 
SERIES TO DATE: Series tied, 0-0. 
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Lance Lynn (9-9, 5.60 ERA) vs. RHP Kutter Crawford (6-6, 3.66 ERA) 
TV/RADIO: Apple TV+, WEEI-FM 93.7

LIVE BOX

LINEUP 

RED SOX

Verdugo RF
Devers 3B
Turner DH
Yoshida LF
Duvall CF
Casas 1B 
Story SS 
McGuire C
Reyes 2B
Crawford SP

DODGERS

Betts 2B 
Freeman 1B 
Smith C
Muncy 3B 
Peralta LF 
Hernández CF
Heyward RF
Busch DH 
Rojas SS
Lynn SP 

PRE-GAME NOTES 

OF Mookie Betts makes his return to Fenway Park tonight for the first time since the Red Sox traded him to the Dodgers on Feb. 10, 2020 alongside LHP David Price for OF Alex Verdugo, IF Jeter Downs and C Connor 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. 

"I'm not throwing anybody under the bus or anything," Betts said on Friday. "But at the beginning, I didn't want fans to think ... that I didn't want to be here or (I) wanted to leave a couple of years before I got traded or whatever. I don't know where the narrative came from or how it came about. If that's what makes y'all sleep at night, cool, but that's not even remotely close to where I was mentally. Like I said, I thought I would be (in Boston), but negotiations didn't go the way we had planned, so you just pivot." 

Cora, who managed Betts for two seasons between 2018-19, praised his contributions to the fans and city while also giving his own input into the speculation regarding his departure. Cora also praised Betts as one of the few people who consistently checked on him during his suspension in 2020. They continue to catch up several times each month. 

"I know he's happy to be back," Cora said pre-game. "We had conversations about LA and Boston. I know people are saying he's happier over there. I don't know. I think he's more relaxed over there. Not a hit to the culture over there, but he's more relaxed. I played there, I played here, I know how it works. If somebody wants to ask me, I know why it's different, but at the end of the day, they're very successful. He's part of what they're trying to accomplish or what they accomplish. The thing that I'm really enjoying now is that he's able to show people who he is and it's not about Boston or LA, I think he's a mature kid with two kids, his wife and the family, 'kind of like, you know what I'm comfortable now. I'm gonna show you who I am.' Although the podcast is not really, I mean, it's horrible to be honest with you. It's awful, especially the last one with Kiké, that was Comedy Central." 

"I'm proud of that kid. Our friendship is still there. He asked me about leadership or this and that I'm always there for you for him...but it should be a fun night for him, should be a fun night for us too, just to make sure he understands how much we love him, and then after that, like I always said, the next three days, make him miserable. Hopefully a few empty flag balls to right center and move on from, from the weekend and win the series."

Tonight also marks the first game for former Red Sox OF Kiké Hernández against his old team after the Sox traded him to Los Angeles in July, as well as for former Dodgers IF Justin Turner and RHP Kenley Jansen against the LA team they won championships with in 2020 before joining Boston last winter. 

Red Sox RHP Chris Martin pitched for the Dodgers last season, Dodgers RHP Ryan Brasier won the 2018 championship with Boston before the Sox waived him in May this year. Injured Dodgers RHP Joe Kelly and DH J.D. Martinez will not make their return to Boston tonight, also winning the 2018 title with the Sox. 

WHAT'S UP 

The Red Sox have won 5 of their last 7 games...They’re 10-5 in their last 15 and 17-13 in their last 30...The Sox are 28-18 (.609) in their last 46 games since 6/30, MLB’s 6th-best record in that time (3rd in AL)...At 68-60 (.531), the Sox own MLB’s 11th-best record...The Sox tonight begin a 6-game homestand against LAD (78-48) and HOU (72-57)...Boston is 14-6 in its last 20 home games and 35-28 overall, compared to 33-32 on the road...At home, the Sox lead the majors in AVG (.286) and OBP (.351)...They also rank 3rd in SLG (.463) and OPS (.814), and 4th in runs scored per game (5.3)...The Red Sox defeated the Astros yesterday in Houston, 17-1...They set season highs in runs, hits (24), and victory margin, while their 9 XBH and 6 BB were 1 shy of their season highs... It marked the 13th time the Sox have ever recorded as many as 24 hits in a game, and just the 2nd since the start of 2006 (also 26 hits on 8/15/2015 vs. SEA)...It was the 8th time they’ve ever scored as many as 17 runs while allowing 1 or 0 (previous: 7/15/2005 vs. NYY, 17-1)...Yesterday at HOU, all 9 starters in the Red Sox’ lineup reached base multiple times and recorded at least 1 RBI...All 9 collected a hit within the first 3 innings...It was just the 3rd time in Red Sox history that all 9 batters in the starting lineup reached base multiple times and recorded an RBI, and 1st time they’ve done so on the road (also 7/14/1997 vs. DET and 6/28/1973 vs. CLE-G2)...The Red Sox have scored multiple runs in an inning at least once in each of their last 11 games (20 multi-run innings in that time)...Yesterday, Boston scored 1 run in the 1st inning, 4 in the 2nd, 6 in the 3rd, 2 in the 8th, and 4 in the 9th...They’ve scored 3+ runs in at least 1 inning in 7 of their last 8 games...Since 6/1, they are 28-3 in games when they score 3+ runs in at least 1 inning...The Red Sox have homered in each of their last 13 games (21 total HR), their longest streak since August 2019 (19 games, 8/7-30)...The Sox have homered in 20 of their 21 August games, after homering in only 16 of their previous 28 games...BOS has hit 15 HR in their last 8 games, 2nd most in MLB during that span (beginning 8/17) behind PHI (16)...Boston is 9-9 against the Dodgers since Interleague play began in 1997, including 6-3 at Fenway Park....The clubs last met in July 2019, when LAD defeated the Sox, 2-1, in a 3-game series in Boston from 7/12-14...24 of Boston’s remaining 34 games will be against teams that currently have a winning record (BAL-7, TB-5, HOU-3, TEX-3, TOR-3, LAD-3). BOS is 35-34 against teams with a current record of .500 or better, and 33-26 against teams below .500...RHP Kutter Crawford is making his 1st career appearance against the Dodgers...Earned his 6th win of the season on Saturday at NYY (6.0 IP, H, R, 2 BB, 5 SO)...Held the Yankees hitless through 5.1 innings before allowing a solo HR to Aaron Judge...Has a 3.25 ERA in his last 11 starts since 6/20 (20 ER/55.1 IP)...Owns a 2.06 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and .194 opponent AVG on the road (56.2 IP), compared to a 5.95 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and .266 opponent AVG at home (39.1 IP)...Opponents have hit .174 vs. his 4-seam fastball (20-for-115), which ranks 8th of 146 in MLB (min. 100 PA ending with 4-seam fastball)...Ranks in MLB’s 75th percentile or higher in chase rate (89th), walk rate (81st), fastball spin (90th), and expected opponent average (82nd)...

The Dodgers finished off their second doubleheader sweep of the week as they handled the Guardians, 6-1 in game one and 9-3 in the finale. With the sweep, the Dodgers improved to 4-0 in doubleheaders this season and are now four games back of the Atlanta Braves for the #1 seed in the National League playoffs...Los Angeles improved to a Major League best 27-10 in the second half of the season as they've now won seven straight series...the Dodgers are 23-14 in interleague play this season, which is the third highest winning percentage in interleague play behind the Toronto Blue Jays and Cincinnati Reds...The Dodgers 1-2 punch of Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman led the charge on Thursday afternoon, as they collected a combined 12 hits, scored four runs and drove in four in the sweep of the Guardians...(Betts) finished the series 9-for-11 with four runs scored, three RBI and two stolen bases...The Dodgers improved to 19-3 in the month of August...Betts is now slashing .407/.498/.779 with 15 homer, 42 RBI, 48 runs scored and 31 walks in his last 45 games since June 28. Betts is first in the NL in OPS (1.009) and slugging (.605), third in the NL in home runs (34) while ranking second in runs (105 and fifth in walks (72). Betts is hitting .463 (38-for-82) in the month of August...LHP Lance Lynn, in his third start for the Dodgers on Aug. 15 against the Brewers, fired seven scoreless innings, allowing four hits and one walk, while punching out three in the no decision...was traded from the White Sox alongside teammate Joe Kelly on July 28...over 25 starts, the Indiana native owns a 9-9 record with a 5.60 ERA with 169 strikeouts against 50 walks...tossed a career-high 16 strikeouts on June 18 against Seattle...notched his first win of the season on May 5 against Cincinnati...fired 6.0+ strikeouts in 14 out of 21 starts this season...will face Boston for the 10th time in his career...is 2-1 with a 2.36 ERA and 44 strikeouts against 14 walks...