Over the last few seasons the Los Angeles Dodgers have served as a litmus test for whether or not the Red Sox were a real contender or a house of cards.

Two years ago the Red Sox hosted the Dodgers at Fenway Park in late August and lost two of three. Last season they started the second half at Dodger Stadium and got swept.

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But this year? The Red Sox showed they’re made of different stuff.

The Red Sox came from behind for the second straight day to beat the Dodgers 4-3 on Sunday, rallying for three runs in the bottom of the fifth before holding the defending champions at bay late to clinch the three-game weekend series.

Alex Bregman delivered the exclamation mark with his go-ahead two-run home run, which came moments after Roman Anthony hit an opposite field RBI triple off the Green Monster.

The rally lifted up Red Sox starter Walker Buehler, who no doubt had this game circled on his calendar for a long time.

The veteran right-hander spent the first decade of his professional career with the Dodgers, earning two All-Star honors while helping the club win a pair of World Series championships. This weekend marked Buehler’s first time facing his former club, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged pregame that seeing Buehler in another uniform has taken some getting used to for his team too.

“Obviously a lot of great memories competing with him and I know what he’s going to bring today, he’s going to bring everything he’s got,” Roberts said. “He’ll really want to stick it to us. It’s going to be fun.”

Sunday wasn’t the storybook tale Buehler would have preferred. The righty’s command issues popped up again as he walked five batters over 4.2 innings, his second start with five or more walks this season.

Worse, he twice walked Miguel Rojas, the Dodgers’ No. 9 hitter who both times came around to score.

Buehler first ran into trouble in the third, when he walked three men in the inning, including Freddie Freeman with the bases loaded. He threw 31 pitches in the inning but was able to limit the damage to just one run, but he ran into more trouble in the fourth, throwing 35 pitches while allowing a solo home run to Michael Conforto and an RBI single to Mookie Betts that put the Dodgers up 3-1.

Buehler came back for the top of the fifth and got two strikeouts looking to wrap up his day. He allowed three runs over 4.2 innings with four hits, four strikeouts and five walks.

Though Buehler trailed when he left the mound, his teammates made sure to pick him up.

The Red Sox initially scored first for just the second time in nine games since the All-Star break. Anthony was hit by a pitch to lead off the first inning, advanced to third on a Jarren Duran single and scored on Trevor Story’s sacrifice fly.

Then, after falling behind by two, Boston’s bats exploded for three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Abraham Toro sparked the rally with his one-out single, Anthony drove him in with his opposite field triple off the Green Monster, and Alex Bregman smoked a no-doubter of a two-run homer off the National Car Rental sign atop the wall to put the Red Sox up 4-3.

Boston had a chance to stretch its lead further in the seventh when Anthony beat out a potential inning-ending double play and took second on a wild pitch. Bregman walked to put two men on, but Duran struck out to end the threat.

Then things got uncomfortable in the top of the eighth.

With Rojas, Betts and Shohei Ohtani due up, Cora went to his closer to face the heart of the Dodgers lineup. But something clearly wrong with Aroldis Chapman, whose fastball was four miles per hour slower than usual. Chapman allowed back-to-back walks to Rojas and Betts before forcing Ohtani to fly out.

At that point Cora and a trainer came out to check on the All-Star lefty, and Chapman departed the game.

Jordan Hicks came on to try and salvage the situation, and after a seven-pitch battle with Teoscar Hernandez drew a line drive that went right into the glove of Ceddanne Rafaela at second base. Rafaela then made a leaping dive to the bag, and while Dodgers pinch runner Hyeseong Kim was initially ruled safe, the call was overturned after replay confirmed Rafaela’s glove beat Kim’s hand, giving the Red Sox an inning-ending double play.

Hicks came back for the top of the ninth and closed out the victory, forcing Tommy Edman to ground out with the tying run at second to lock down the save. In doing so he ensured the Red Sox (57-50) will finish their Cubs-Phillies-Dodgers gauntlet still in playoff position.