The Dodgers were swept for just the second time this season after the red-hot Boston Red Sox hit four home runs, including three off embattled starter Emmet Sheehan, to take an 8-4 win on Sunday night at Dodger Stadium.
Boston hit three home runs in four at-bats in the third inning, with Sheehan giving up blasts to Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu and Masataka Yoshida as the Dodgers suffered their second three-game sweep at home in less than a month.
“Really good ball club,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said about the Red Sox before the game. “Really fundamentally sound. It’s a younger group, as far as service time. They’re hungry. Seems like they play well together. They can really defend. They’re athletic. Remind me a lot of the Brewers. They can really pitch. They don’t beat themselves. Dynamic. They put the ball in play.”
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Boston got to Sheehan early with a pair of RBI singles from Yoshida and Caleb Durbin in the first inning.
The Dodgers (69-43) responded with three runs in the second as Eliézer Alfonzo collected an RBI with a groundout against Red Sox starter Jake Bennett. Andy Pages then drove in two more runs on a single to right. He also hit an RBI double in the sixth for the Dodgers’ final run.
Sheehan (4-8), who has a 6.39 ERA over his last seven games, gave up six hits and five runs over just 2⅔ innings. Reliever Wyatt Mills also struggled, giving up two runs over two innings.
Bennett (7-4), however, settled in and threw 5⅔ innings as Boston won for the 27th time in 32 games after outscoring the Dodgers 20-10 in the three-game series.
Jarren Duran, a Cypress native, added to Boston’s lead with a 420-foot solo homer to center field off reliever Kyle Hurt in the sixth. It was Duran’s first homer since July 5 against the Angels.
Boston (60-51) closed out the scoring in the eighth, with Durbin scoring on a wild pitch from Wyatt Mills and Andruw Monasterio scoring on a ball that got past Alfonzo.
The Dodgers’ newest star arrived Sunday and was in the Dodgers’ dugout during the game, exchanging pleasantries with his new teammates and coaches.
The team also shared a video of Skubal settling in on social media.
Tarik, meet your new teammates! pic.twitter.com/BSoWUNPsJv
“We got better,” said Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz. “That’s the only thing I can say. We got … one of the best pitchers in the league, and now we have him as a teammate. So that’s a really good plus for us.”
Miguel Rojas (ankle) was available off the bench despite exiting Saturday’s game after fouling a ball off his foot.
“I felt better today, able to put some weight on it,” Rojas said, adding that his X-rays were negative. “The good thing is no break. So, I’m fine. If Doc needs me and the situation presents itself ... I need to be available every single day.”
Dalton Rushing was scratched with minor right arm irritation; Alfonzo started in his place.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.