Dodgers’ late rally comes up short in loss to Boston Red Sox, 4-2

The Dodgers had trouble getting it started Saturday afternoon, both on the mound and at the plate.

They fell behind 4-0 in the top of the first and then didn’t manage to push a run of their own across until the eighth.

It didn’t make for the most exciting game, Boston jumping early on Hyun-Jin Ryu and then holding on for the Red Sox victory, 4-2, Saturday afternoon that snapped the Dodgers’ four-game winning streak.

BOX SCORE: Boston 4, Dodgers 2

The Dodgers never really could figure out Red Sox left-hander Jon Lester, who held them to three hits in 7 1/3 strong innings.

Until the eighth inning, a Dodger Stadium crowd of 48,165 had little to cheer about, unless you count the debut of reliever Brian Wilson at home in a Dodgers’ uniform.

Wilson managed to make that interesting, loading the bases in the eighth on two hits and a walk, before striking out Will Middlebrooks on a 95 mph fastball.

Otherwise, a Dodgers crowd spoiled by the team’s recent success (46-11) must have wondered most of the afternoon what had happened to their little juggernaut.

Lester (12-7) did not allow a hit until the fourth inning and was in complete command. Four different times the Dodgers hinted at starting something, but in three of those they lined into double plays.

Ryu reportedly was under the weather prior to the game, and he looked like it in the first. With one out he hit Shane Victorino with a pitch, and then gave up consecutive singles to Dustin Pedroia and Mike Napoli for one run.

Then Jonny Gomes killed the game’s suspense early, drilling a three-homer into a left-field pavilion stairwell. It was his 11th home of the season.

Ryu (12-5), who had a six-game winning streak snapped in his last start, has now lost consecutive games for the first time in his major-league career. He ended up going five innings, allowing only two more hits after the first. He did not walk a batter and struck out seven.

Ryu has struggled somewhat in the daylight this year. At night, he has a 2.75 ERA, while it’s at 3.98 in day games.

The Dodgers avoided the shutout in the eighth after pinch-hitter Carl Crawford walked with one out. That ended the day for Lester, but Yasiel Puig greeted reliever Junichi Tazawa with a single.

One out later former Red Sox Adrian Gonzalez continued his consistent season, lining a two-run double off reliever Craig Breslow. Gonzalez joined Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera as the only major leaguers with at least 80 RBI in every season since 2006.

Hanley Ramirez walked with two outs, but Koji Uehara struck out A.J. Ellis to end the threat.