Rafaela’s power, Boston pitching hold off Dodgers at Dodger Stadium
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers watched a late charge fall short Friday night as the Boston Red Sox rallied for a 3-2 victory at Dodger Stadium, paced by Ceddanne Rafaela, who hit two solo home runs, and steady work from Red Sox pitching.
Rafaela opened the scoring in the top of the first with a solo shot off Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and added a second solo homer in the third to knot the game at 2. Boston ultimately took the lead in the eighth on a run-producing double play by Connor Wong, and closer Aroldis Chapman finished the game with a save in the ninth.
- Final: Red Sox 3, Dodgers 2
- Multi-homer performance: Ceddanne Rafaela (2 homers)
- Win highlights: Connor Wong RBI double play; Aroldis Chapman recorded the save
Top 1 BOS 1 LAD 0 Result of AB Ceddanne Rafaela's solo home run (13) AB: Ceddanne Rafaela P: Yoshinobu Yamamoto
The Dodgers threatened at times. In the bottom of the second, Freddie Freeman extended his hit streak to 11 games and the inning later grew productive when Teoscar Hernández launched a two-run homer, giving Los Angeles a temporary 2-1 lead.
But Boston’s offense answered. Rafaela’s second long ball in the third pushed the Red Sox back in front, and the go-ahead run came late. The decisive moment arrived in the top of the eighth when a run-scoring double play off Yamamoto plated Boston’s third run.
| Inning | Boston | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Final | 3 | 2 |
On the mound for Boston, Yoshinobu Yamamoto spun key innings and was credited with the pitching performance that kept the Dodgers at bay. Los Angeles starter and relievers gave the home crowd chances, including a couple of highlight defensive plays: Wilyer Abreu threw out Shohei Ohtani after a challenge in the first, and Miguel Rojas made a diving stop in the sixth that prevented additional damage.
The Dodgers’ defense produced several notable plays later in the contest as well: a diving stop by Tommy Edman in the ninth and a diving play by Anthony Seigler in the seventh helped preserve scoring opportunities for Boston. In the fifth inning, Abreu also gunned down Andy Pages after a challenge, eliminating another Los Angeles threat.
Relief matchups shaped the late innings. Alex Vesia worked in the ninth for the Dodgers but could not keep Boston off the scoreboard after the eighth-inning rally. Aroldis Chapman was handed the ball to secure the win for Boston and recorded the final out to close the game.
For Dodgers fans, the game offered a mix of encouraging and concerning signs. Offensively, the club managed two runs and several extra-base threats but left the door open for Boston’s counterpunches. Defensively, the team flashed range and arm strength, but those plays were not enough to change the final outcome.
Los Angeles now turns its focus to the next game on the slate, where the pitching staff and offense will both look to bounce back at home. The loss keeps the Dodgers under pressure to find additional run production and to tighten late-inning bullpen work against teams with timely hitting.
As the summer schedule presses on through a packed July stretch, matchups like Friday’s — featuring a late lead change, a multi-homer night from an opposing batter and a tense ninth inning — underscore how small margins are shaping the standings for teams traveling to and from Los Angeles.
Notes from the game include defensive highlights by Miguel Rojas and Tommy Edman, and a two-run homer by Teoscar Hernández that briefly gave the Dodgers their advantage in the early innings.
