Mookie Betts' return to Fenway press conference
The Red Sox had that Alex Verdugo home run, the one that came off the first pitch of the bottom of the first inning and elicited perhaps the most animated celebratory trot of the season.
Other than that? It was an all-around tough look for the current iteration of the Boston Red Sox.
The Dodgers not only claimed the first of a three-game series at Fenway Park, 7-4 - wiping out an early 3-0 Red Sox lead - but also showed the hosts the kind of existence Chaim Bloom and Co. are still currently left dreaming about.
The players. The fans. The record. And, most importantly this time of year, the win. Los Angeles had it all.
For starters, there was that uncomfortable reminder everyone was anticipating: The Dodgers employ Mookie Betts. The Red Sox do not.
There was the press conference, that showed more of a confident and loose Betts than we last saw when he left town at the end of the 2019 season. Then came the ovation during his first plate appearance, eliciting mostly cheers, along with a representative tip of the helmet and salute from the All-Star.
Betts ultimately would kick off the Dodgers' game-changing, three-run sixth inning with a leadoff double off the left field wall. (It was a frame that was punctuated with Kiké Hernandez's two-out, RBI single.) He would also offer another reminder thanks to a 97 mph throw in from right field that led to a horrific baserunning out by Connor Wong and the Red Sox.
And just to add a bit of insult to injury, included in the video tribute to Betts was recognition of the pitcher the Red Sox couldn't fix but the Dodgers did, Ryan Brasier. (In case you haven't been paying attention, Brasier has allowed three earned runs in 26 1/3 innings with LA this season.)
Need another? How about Brusdar Graterol coming in to hold the Red Sox scoreless for 1 2/3 innings, throwing a series of 100 mph fastballs along the way. You remember Graterol, right? The pitcher the Red Sox chose to not take back in the Betts deal due to injury concerns, choosing Wong and Jeter Downs instead.
Then there was the crowd.
The Dodgers fan club "Pantone 294" had been planning this "Fenway Takeover" since the 2023 schedule was released. It went well ... and then some.
The presence of Dodgers extended well beyond just the organized area for the Pantone 294, with seemingly at least half the fans in attendance wearing some sort of blue and white.
The reality of this situation was that this sort of support system used to be commonplace for the Red Sox' fandom, but now doesn't approach such a commitment. This wasn't just a separation between organizations on the field, but off as well.
None of this is to say the Red Sox can't rediscover the optimism garnered in the final two games in Houston while finishing off the final two games against the Dodgers. This was all just a reminder.
It was a night allowed for an uncomfortable wake-up call. The Red Sox are a work in progress. The Dodgers are not.
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