LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The Los Angeles Dodgers squandered a four-run lead tonight in Game 4 of the World Series, putting them one loss away from elimination.
Pinch-hitter Rafael Devers' one-out single in the ninth inning drove in the tie-breaking run and Steve Pearce hit a three-run double four batters later in a 9-6 victory at Dodger Stadium to take a three-games-to-one lead.
Game 5 of the best-of-seven series will be played Sunday at Dodger Stadium.
Of the previous 44 teams that won Game 4 to take a 3-1 lead, 37 have gone on the win the Series, 84.1 percent, including 10 of the last 11. The lone exception among the previous 11 was the 2016 Cleveland Indians.
Boston's comeback began in the seventh when pinch-hitter Mitch Moreland hit a two-out, three-run homer off reliever Ryan Madson to cut the Dodgers lead to 4-3.
Madson has allowed all seven runners he inherited in the Series to score.
The Red Sox tied the score, 4-4, on Pearce's solo homer in the eighth off Kenley Jansen.
Brock Holt doubled off Dylan Floro with one out in the ninth. Devers then followed with the tie-breaking hit.
Devers moved to second on pinch-hitter Blake Swihart's ground out. Mookie Betts was intentionally walked. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts replaced Floro with Alex Wood, who allowed a single to Andrew Benintendi to load the bases.
Kenta Maeda then relived Wood. Pearce hit Maeda's second pitch for the three-run double. Following an intentional walk to J.D. Martinez, Xander Bogaerts singled in Pearce.
Kike Hernandez hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth for the Dodgers.
Corona High School and UC Riverside alumnus Joe Kelly, the third of four Boston pitchers, was credited with the victory, pitching two shutout innings, allowing three hits and striking out three.
Floro, the fifth of seven Dodger pitchers, was charged with the loss, allowing three runs and two hits in two-thirds of an inning, with one walk.
The Dodgers opened the scoring with four runs in the sixth.
Leadoff hitter David Freese was hit in a leg by a pitch. Hernandez ran for him and moved to third one out later on Justin Turner's double. Manny Machado was walked intentionally to load the bases.
Cody Bellinger grounded to Pearce, the Red Sox first baseman, who threw to catcher Christian Vazquez for the force out on Hernandez at the plate.
Vazquez's return throw to Pearce to attempt to complete the inning- ending double play was wild, allowing Turner to score.
Puig, the next batter, homered.
Dodger starter Rich Hill limited the Boston to one hit over 6 1/3 innings, a fifth-inning single by Vazquez, striking out seven and walking three.
Hill walked Bogaerts, the Red Sox leadoff hitter in the seventh, then struck out Eduardo Nunez.
Roberts replaced Hill with fellow left-hander Scott Alexander. Alexander walked Brock Holt on four pitches, prompting Roberts to summon Madson.
Madson got Jackie Bradley Jr. to pop out for the second out, then allowed Moreland's home run.
Boston starter Eduardo Rodriguez surrendered four runs and four hits over the first 5 2/3 innings, struck out six and gave up an intentional run in his first postseason start. Two of the hits were in the sixth.
The Dodgers led in hits, 9-8, were 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position, left eight runners on base and struck out 10 times. The Red Sox were 5-for-7 with runners in scoring position, left six runners on base and struck out eight times.