Red Sox cap historic month with victory over Dodgers

Jul 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Boston Red Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela (3) celebrates with teammates in the dugout after scoring a run during the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images Ceddanne Rafaela hit a two-run home run and Andruw Monasteiro added a two-run double in a five-run fifth inning as the visiting Boston Red Sox earned a 9-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday in the opener of a three-game series. Jarren Duran drove in two runs one day after he caused a stir when he gestured toward third base after Willson Contreras did not tag up from third base on his fly ball. Boston interim manager Chad Tracy continued to downplay the incident. The Red Sox saw Contreras depart for precautionary reasons in the third inning after he was hit in the side of the helmet on a 95.4 mph fastball from Dodgers right-hander Will Klein. Boston improved to 4-1 on a seven-game road trip, 12-3 since the All-Star break and 21-4 in July, their best winning percentage (.840) in any month in franchise history. Shohei Ohtani hit a two-run home run for the Dodgers one game after he sat out with left knee discomfort. Freddie Freeman and Eliezer Alfonzo each drove in a run, while new addition Cole Irvin (0-1) was tagged for six runs on eight hits over six innings in his Dodgers debut. The Red Sox took the early lead when Duran delivered an RBI single to center in the second off Klein, who was replaced by Irvin after hitting Contreras to load the bases. Masataka Yoshida hit a ground ball to first base that Freeman misplayed for an error, allowing two runs to score for a 3-0 lead. The Dodgers began to chip away in the fourth on an RBI single from Freeman. Los Angeles took a 4-3 lead in the fifth when Alfonzo had an RBI single and Ohtani followed with a two-run home run, his 24th, off reliever Jovani Moran. The Red Sox moved back in front for good at 5-4 in the seventh on Rafaela's two-run home run off Irvin. It was Rafaela's 12th of the season. Five batters later, Monasterio ripped his two-run double to left and Duran followed with an RBI groundout for an 8-4 lead. Carlos Narvaez added a sacrifice fly in the ninth. Boston left-hander Ranger Suarez was charged with three runs on four hits and two walks over 4 2/3 innings in his second start since returning from a left groin strain and an illness. Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello (3-6) pitched four scoreless innings. --Field Level Media