Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman lead the way again as Dodgers beat Red Sox – Orange County Register

BOSTON — The best 1-2 punch in baseball landed again.

In his return to Fenway Park, Mookie Betts sparked one three-run inning and Freddie Freeman had the pivotal double in another as the Dodgers came from behind to beat the Boston Red Sox, 7-4, on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series filled with reunions.

Looming largest in the cross-pollination between the two teams this weekend, Betts got the expected ovation from the fans at Fenway Park before his first at-bat as a visitor then waved to the crowd from the Dodgers’ dugout after a tribute video – dedicated to him and Ryan Brasier for their contributions to the 2018 World Series team – played on the scoreboard following the second inning.

But he was hitless in his first two at-bats – the first time he had gone hitless in consecutive at-bats since last Saturday. He wasn’t alone in being mystified by Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford. The Dodgers had just two hits but seven strikeouts in the first five innings against Crawford.

Meanwhile, Dodgers starter Lance Lynn was reminding everyone that he might be pitching better as a Dodger than he did with the Chicago White Sox – but he still gives up more home runs than anyone in baseball.

Alex Verdugo sent the first pitch Lynn threw into the right field seats for a solo home run then Trevor Story hit one into the ‘Monster Seats’ for a two-run home run in the second inning. Lynn leads the majors with 34 home runs allowed this season – 28 with the White Sox and six in five starts with the Dodgers.

Lynn kept it in the park after that and pitched into the seventh inning despite allowing hits in every inning (10 in all) and striking out only one.

The Dodgers finally got to Crawford in the sixth. Betts led off with a double – extending his hitting streak to 13 games, during which he is 26 for 48 – and went to third on a single by Freeman (one of his four hits in the game).

Will Smith drove in the first run with a double and another scored on a ground out. Another former Red Sox of more recent vintage, Kiké Hernandez came through with a two-out RBI single to tie the score.

An inning later, Miguel Rojas and Betts drew walks to put two runners on with one out against Red Sox reliever Nick Pivetta. Freeman drove in the go-ahead run with a double – his 48th double this season, a career-high, 11 more than anyone in the majors this season and four short of matching the franchise record.

Max Muncy added a two-run double.

The Red Sox got an unearned run in the seventh on a throwing error by Muncy but ran themselves out of a potential game-tying rally in the eighth.

Brusdar Graterol gave up a pair of singles to put the tying runs on base with two outs. Alex Vesia came in to face Verdugo, who lashed his third hit of the day, a single to right field. Betts charged and Red Sox third base coach Carlos Febles held the runner at third.

The message didn’t get to Connor Wong. Traded to the Red Sox in the deal that brought Betts to L.A., Wong had entered the game as a pinch-runner and got caught between second and third. He was tagged out in a rundown, ending the inning.

The Dodgers added an insurance run in the top of the ninth before Evan Phillips closed it out.

More to come on this story.