Ceddanne Rafaela continued his home-run barrage and the Boston Red Sox finished off a three-game road sweep over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday with an 8-4 victory.
Wilyer Abreu, Masataka Yoshida and Jarren Duran also went deep as Boston improved to 2-0 in August after going 21-4 in July to set a franchise-record winning percentage (.840) for a full month.
Rafaela hit the first of three Red Sox home runs in the third inning and delivered four homers in the series. Boston went 6-1 on a California road trip that also included a stop in West Sacramento to face the Athletics.
Andy Pages drove in three runs for the Dodgers, who went 2-4 on their homestand. Los Angeles right-hander Emmet Sheehan (4-8) lasted just 2 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on six hits.
The latest loss came hours after the Dodgers’ trade to acquire left-hander Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers was made official.
The Red Sox got to Sheehan in the opening inning, on consecutive RBI singles from Yoshida and Caleb Durbin.
The Dodgers jumped in front 3-2 in the second, getting an RBI groundout from Eliezer Alfonzo and a two-run single from Pages after Shohei Ohtani was intentionally walked to load the bases.
Alfonzo was behind the plate after Dalton Rushing was a late scratch with minor right arm irritation.
Boston charged in front in the third when Rafaela hit a leadoff home run and Abreu hit his own one pitch later for a 4-3 lead. After a Willson Contreras flyout, Yoshida took Sheehan deep for his fifth of the season.
Duran hit his 14th of the season in the sixth against right-hander Kyle Hurt for a 6-3 lead. Boston added a pair of runs in the eighth on a wild pitch from Wyatt Mills and a passed ball by Alfonzo.
Red Sox rookie left-hander Jake Bennett (7-4) gave up three runs on six hits over 5 2/3 innings with two walks and four strikeouts.
–Field Level Media
