The Los Angeles Dodgers received contributions throughout their lineup to snap a four-game losing streak by returning the favor with an 11-2 rout of the Boston Red Sox. The win is the Dodgers’ second all-time at Fenway Park (eight game played).
Although Chris Sale struck out the side in the first inning and had five strikeouts through two frames, he and the Red Sox faced an early deficit. Chris Taylor’s leadoff walk and Cody Bellinger’s two-out infield single led to a run when A.J. Pollock lined a base hit into right field.
The Dodgers struck again in the third inning when Justin Turner ambushed Sale’s first pitch for a solo home run that cleared the Green Monster. The homer was Turner’s fourth in his past 12 games, and marked the start of a big night.
With the Dodgers’ lead trimmed to 2-1, Turner pulled an RBI double inside the bag at third base in the fifth. David Freese followed with a two-run double, and Sale failed to make it through the inning as he was removed after retiring Bellinger.
Sale collected seven strikeouts but allowed five runs in a third consecutive start for the first time in his career.
Joe Kelly took the mound in the sixth inning with a 5-1 lead and had some command issues, which led to the Red Sox scoring a run and putting their former teammate under some duress. Christian Vazquez represented the tying run at the plate but struck out swinging on a high fastball.
Heading into the weekend series, Kelly said he was mindful of needing to keep his emotions under control. The Red Sox greeted him with a tribute video between innings on Friday night.
Bellinger and Pollock provided insurance in the seventh inning by connecting on back-to-back home runs off knuckleballer Steven Wright. Bellinger’s 31st home run of the season came on his 24th birthday and tied with Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich for the MLB lead.
With the Red Sox in a shift, Max Muncy took second on a chopper back to the box and kept running as the out was recorded at first. Boston’s hast to cover third base resulted in a throwing error that allowed Muncy to continue on home.
Austin Barnes added a two-out RBI triple in the eighth inning, and Muncy clubbed a solo home run in the ninth.
Prior to the Dodgers breaking the game open, Ross Stripling went five innings for the first time since being moved back into the starting rotation in the wake of Rich Hill suffering a flexor strain.
Stripling surrendered a solo home run to Xander Bogearts in the fourth inning but nothing else. He limited the Red Sox to four hits and matched Sale’s seven strikeouts.
Julio Urias followed Kelly with two scoreless innings but was denied of a third three-inning save this season as JT Chargois was called on to pitch the ninth.
