LOS ANGELES - Masataka Yoshida launched his 5th home run of the season as the Boston Red Sox held off the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-4 for their fifth consecutive win on Sunday.
Yoshida hit an RBI single to left field to open the scoring in the first inning and a solo shot in a three-run third.
The left-handed Japanese hitter went 2-for-4 with two RBIs at Dodger Stadium.
Teammates Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu marked back-to-back homers in the third frame. "Riding on that upbeat momentum, I was able to react well to a ball that came a bit inside," Yoshida said.
"It was not perfect, but I believed that it would become a homer if it didn't curve foul," he also said after the game.
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani singled to right field in his first at-bat, finishing 1-for-3.
Two-way player Ohtani, who has been away from the mound since July 3 due to a left knee issue, is expected to resume playing catch during the Dodgers' upcoming Chicago tour starting Monday, manager Dave Roberts said.
In other Major League Baseball action, Seiya Suzuki collected two hits despite the Chicago Cubs' 2-1 defeat to the New York Yankees.
Suzuki doubled to center field in the fourth, extending his on-base streak to 20 games, and singled to left field in the sixth to end 2-for-4 at Wrigley Field.
