Red Sox Notes: Dodgers’ ‘Fast-Break Offense’ Too Much For Boston

BOSTON — The Red Sox failed to spoil Mookie Betts’ return to Fenway Park on Friday night, instead enduring a rude awakening from the Dodgers offense.

Despite out-hitting Los Angeles, 14-10, Boston wasn’t nearly as efficient, going just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position while stranding 10 men on base.

Meanwhile, as the Dodgers trailed the Red Sox, 3-0, heading into the sixth inning, Los Angeles flipped the switch. As soon as Boston’s Nick Pivetta entered the contest to pitch in relief, the Dodgers charged, showing why they’re one of the most dangerous lineups in Major League Baseball.

And the Red Sox had no response.

“They’re such good hitters,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said after Boston’s 7-4 loss. “Obviously they put pressure on us right away and we just couldn’t stop them. We talk about Houston and Toronto, Atlanta, it’s kind of like fast-break offense, when they get going it’s hard to stop them.”

Boston right-hander Kutter Crawford has undergone the season-long challenge of adapting to a full-time starter role, but on Friday, the Dodgers boosted that. Crawford faced Betts and Freddie Freeman, two of the best hitters in the National League, three times — setting them down three times in six combined at-bats with two strikeouts.

“They’re a very challenging at-bat,” Crawford explained. “They don’t chase too much, they seem to be locked in on every pitch so for me out there, I knew I had to be on my game. I knew I had to mix my pitches up and give them different looks.”

Of course, Crawford still has work to do, noting that he intends to push himself into reaching the sixth inning on a consistent basis.

“That outing, that sixth inning, the way it unfolded, it just leaves a bad taste in your mouth, especially my mouth,” Crawford said. “You know, I can’t overlook what I did through the first five innings. I kind of gotta take the good stuff I did and go with it and make the adjustments on those pitches there in the sixth.”

Here are more notes from Friday’s Red Sox-Dodgers game:

— Boston dropped to 3 1/2 games back in the American League Wild Card race with 33 games left to play.

— Alex Verdugo and Trevor Story each homered to put together a three-run rally in the first two innings against Los Angeles starter Lance Lynn. That marked 14 straight games in which Boston has homered, totaling 23 and marking its longest streak since August of 2019.

“I love the fact that (Verdugo has) been aggressive in that first pitch of the game. That’s something we always talk about,” Cora said. “It’s not easy to hit down in the count and a lot of teams were going right after him. And he understands what he needs to do to give that at-bat for the team.”

— Betts, who hadn’t played at Fenway Park in four years, underwent an “emotional” experience stepping foot in the place where his MLB journey began.

“I thank the fans definitely for the ovation,” Betts told Apple TV’s Heidi Watney on the field. “You know, I got a little emotional there but I had to try to lock it back it in. It was super cool.”

— Boston has lost three of its last five games.

— The Red Sox and Dodgers will continue their three-game series Saturday. First pitch from Fenway Park is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET, and you can watch the game, plus an hour of pregame coverage, live on NESN.