Freeman’s eighth-inning grand slam gives the Los Angeles Dodgers a 4-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox

Freddie Freeman hit a grand slam in the eighth inning to help the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 4-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.

The pivotal moment came after Miguel Vargas singled and Chris Taylor retired. Brennan Bernardino took over the pitching duties and gave up a crucial double to Shohei Ohtani in left field. Will Smith’s ensuing single loaded the bases, setting the stage for Freeman, who hit his 15th home run of the season.

“I was focused on driving those runs, that’s my priority,” Freeman said afterwards. “Walks are part of the game, part of the strategy. Sometimes it works for us, sometimes it doesn’t.”

After Freeman’s seventh career grand slam and his second of the season, Dodger Stadium erupted with chants of “Freddie! Freddie!” Fans chanted for applause, which Freeman acknowledged with a wave from the dugout steps.

The Dodgers, struggling before the All-Star break, matched their previous seven-inning hit total in the eighth inning with two hits.

Ryan Yarbrough won the game by pitching a scoreless eighth inning with just one hit, while Daniel Hudson secured his fifth save after allowing one hit in the ninth inning.

All-Star Game MVP Jarren Duran had earlier given the Red Sox a 1-0 lead with a solo home run off Gavin Stone in the fifth inning, his 11th of the season.

Nick Pivetta, starting for the Red Sox, held the Dodgers to two hits in six scoreless innings, facing just 21 batters, three over the minimum. Shohei Ohtani, who had struck out three batters earlier in the game, came through with a crucial hit in the eighth inning.

Gavin Stone, the Dodgers’ leading pitcher with nine wins before the break, allowed one run and six hits in five innings, the eighth time this season he allowed one earned run or fewer.

“I felt good. We had a tough first half, so it was important to start the second half strong,” Stone said.