Does July have to end? Red Sox cap most successful month in franchise history

LOS ANGELES -- The Red Sox worked their plan to perfection Friday in order to finish off the best winning percentage over a full month in franchise history.

After going 21-4 -- their most wins in a month since August 2004 -- with an .840 winning percentage, the Red Sox bid farewell to July and are ready to embrace August.

Their 9-4 victory over the two-time defending champion Dodgers went almost as planned, with a few additional twists and turns leading to another win nonetheless.

“Obviously the month of July was incredible and necessary with where we were at,” interim manager Chad Tracy said. “We probably didn’t have to do that well, but it was necessary that we played better and got on a run and we got on a heck of a run. We have to continue that now because we’re playing very good baseball.”

Not only did the Red Sox get Ranger Suarez another start on his road back from a groin injury, the strategy to finish off the game with Brayan Bello pitching multiple innings after another long rest went seamlessly, more proof of just how magical their recent run has been.

Bello was sent to Triple-A in June and recalled July 12 to be something of a spot reliever. Pitching multiple innings once a week, after long gaps of inactivity, Bello has proven to be a quick study.

He had a 4 1/3-inning relief outing against the Mets on the day he returned, went 5 1/3 scoreless innings 10 days later against the Baltimore Orioles and had another four scoreless Friday.

The success out of the piggyback role has Bello (3-6) in consideration to start again, although why mess with a good thing?

“We’ll talk about that,” Tracy said. “We’ve talked a lot about the young starters and on a five-man rotation. You got, after the off-day [Monday], the 16 games in a row. So once we get past that off-day and the Deadline, you start looking at where we can get creative with things.”

Bello seemed more than open to starting again, although he knows a good thing when he sees one.

“With the seven days I’m going between outings right now, I’m throwing 96-97 [mph],” Bello said through an interpreter. “So I feel very good right now.”

The Red Sox offense also did its part, building an early lead and they rallying again when Shohei Ohtani gave the Dodgers a brief lead with a home run in the fifth inning.

Ceddanne Rafaela hit a go-ahead, two-run home run in a five-run seventh inning and Andruw Monasterio added a two-run double in the seventh. Jarren Duran had an RBI groundout in the inning, while ending the night with two RBIs.

The Red Sox improved to 4-1 on their seven-game California road trip after winning three of four against the Athletics.

To get there, they had to overcome the departure of Willson Contreras, who left the game after being hit in the helmet by a 95.4 mph fastball from right-hander Will Klein in the third inning. The club said Contreras was removed for precautionary reasons.

Initial testing on Contreras was positive, with the club set to do more testing Saturday before deciding his availability moving forward.

After Suarez wobbled in his second start since returning, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks over 4 2/3 innings, the bullpen shut down the potent Dodgers offense, led by Bello.

The Red Sox are now 12-3 since the All-Star break and 21-3 since July 3.

Two months still remain in the regular season, and the Red Sox are still 6 1/2 games out of first place, while in third in the American League East. But the club is not short on confidence these days.

Bello said he has no problem with his long relief role if it helps the club get to the playoffs and the World Series.

So is this a World Series team?

“Yeah,” Bello said. “We’re winning, we’re healthy and I do think we have the caliber of team to get to the World Series.”