Bellinger launches 31st homer on 24th birthday
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BOSTON -- All-Star Cody Bellinger celebrated his 24th birthday on Saturday night by crushing his 31st home run in the Dodgers' 11-2 victory over the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
Bellinger hit the first of back-to-back home runs with A.J. Pollock in the top of the seventh inning off knuckleballer Steven Wright, extending the Dodgers’ lead to 7-2. Bellinger also singled in the first inning off Chris Sale.
"I think that was actually [the first knuckleballer] that I faced," Bellinger said to FOX after the game. "I just didn't want to get beat by it."
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In three seasons with the Dodgers, Bellinger has 95 home runs and 245 RBIs, including 72 this year. He holds the franchise record for home runs before the age of 24.
He entered play Saturday second in MLB in homers, batting average (.336), on-base percentage (.433), slugging percentage (.688) and was third in OPS (1.122).
And each time Bellinger stepped to the plate at Fenway Park, the Dodgers fans in attendance showered him with "M-V-P" chants.
"It's incredible," he said. "Our fans are traveling all over the world right now, they're swarming downtown Boston right now. ... Hats off to our fans."
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