Red Sox’s road dominance reaches level unseen since 1939

The Boston Red Sox continued their remarkable turnaround in the 2026 season Sunday by defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-4 at Dodger Stadium, completing a three-game sweep and extending a stretch of road success the franchise has not achieved since 1939.

Boston improved to 60-51 with its fifth consecutive win and is now 23-3 since July 3. The Red Sox have also won 28 of their last 33 games and 15 of their last 16 road contests, their best 16-game road stretch since 1939. The team also recorded its sixth road series sweep of the season, the most by any team this year, while earning its first-ever sweep of Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium and its first series sweep over the Dodgers since 2010.

Boston erased an early 3-2 deficit with a power-filled third inning. Ceddanne Rafaela opened the frame with a game-tying home run before Wilyer Abreu followed with a home run on the next pitch. Masataka Yoshida later added another solo shot, giving the Red Sox a 5-3 advantage. Jarren Duran contributed Boston’s fourth homer in the sixth inning, while two more runs scored in the eighth on a wild pitch and a passed ball.

Rafaela continued his outstanding series by homering for the third consecutive game. He finished the series 7-for-14 with four home runs and five RBIs while stretching his hitting streak to eight games with four straight multi-hit performances. His four home runs also made him the first player to hit at least four homers in a series against Los Angeles since Kyle Schwarber in 2024.

Yoshida homered and drove in two runs, while rookie Jake Bennett improved to 7-4 after allowing three runs over 5 2/3 innings. Following Andy Pages’ two-run single in the second inning, Bennett retired 10 consecutive batters before exiting one out short of a quality start.

Dodgers starter Emmet Sheehan dropped to 4-8 after surrendering five runs, including three home runs, in 2 2/3 innings. Andy Pages drove in three runs for Los Angeles, while Freddie Freeman extended his hitting streak to 12 games.

Los Angeles was also forced into a late lineup change when catcher Dalton Rushing was scratched because of right arm irritation, allowing Eliezer Alfonzo to start behind the plate. Newly acquired ace Tarik Skubal was with the Dodgers after Saturday’s trade.

Boston now sits third in the American League East, ahead of the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays while trailing the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays. The Red Sox will now prepare to return home for a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox beginning Aug. 4.

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