Red Sox take on the Dodgers after Rodriguez’s strong performance
Los Angeles Dodgers (60-33, first in the NL West) vs. Boston Red Sox (50-41, third in the NL East)
Boston; Saturday, 7:15 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Dodgers: Ross Stripling (3-3, 3.80 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 62 strikeouts) Red Sox: Chris Sale (3-8, 4.04 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 153 strikeouts)
LINE: Red Sox favored by 1 1/2 runs; over/under is 9 1/2 runs
BOTTOM LINE: Boston heads into the matchup after a strong showing by Eduardo Rodriguez. Rodriguez threw seven innings, giving up one run on five hits with 10 strikeouts against Los Angeles.
The Red Sox are 21-22 in home games. Boston has hit 134 home runs as a team this season. J.D. Martinez leads the club with 18, averaging one every 17.8 at-bats.
The Dodgers are 23-21 in road games. Los Angeles has hit 147 home runs this season, sixth in the league. Cody Bellinger leads the club with 30, averaging one every 10.7 at-bats. The Red Sox won the last meeting 8-1. Eduardo Rodriguez recorded his 10th victory and Rafael Devers went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run and two RBIs for Boston. Kenta Maeda took his sixth loss for Los Angeles.
TOP PERFORMERS: Xander Bogaerts leads the Red Sox with 47 extra base hits and is batting .294. Devers is 17-for-43 with four doubles, five home runs and 15 RBIs over the last 10 games for Boston.
Bellinger leads the Dodgers with 108 hits and has 71 RBIs. Max Muncy is 6-for-39 with three home runs and nine RBIs over the last 10 games for Los Angeles.
LAST 10 GAMES: Red Sox: 6-4, .331 batting average, 6.98 ERA, outscored opponents by 10 runs
Dodgers: 4-6, .232 batting average, 4.71 ERA, outscored by seven runs
Red Sox Injuries: Brian Johnson: 10-day IL (undisclosed), Nathan Eovaldi: 60-day IL (elbow), Dustin Pedroia: 60-day IL (knee), Steve Pearce: 10-day IL (back), Mitch Moreland: 10-day IL (quad).
Dodgers Injuries: Rich Hill: 60-day IL (left forearm), Tony Cingrani: 60-day IL (shoulder), Scott Alexander: 10-day IL (forearm).