The Red Sox return from the All-Star break with a six-game road trip, beginning with a three-game series with the Dodgers.
While both teams would be in the playoffs if the season ended today, the two were headed in opposite directions entering the break. The Red Sox won 10 of their last 13 and are 31-18 since May 19 to pull within 4½ games of the first place Orioles in the American League East.
The Dodgers have struggled, losing six of seven and have gone 23-24 since mid-May, but still have a hold on first place in the National League West.
Injuries have been the main culprit for Los Angeles, with with Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Walker Buehler among those on the injured list. Three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) has yet to make his season debut.
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Nick Pivetta will be on the mound for Boston in Friday’s opener.
Lineups
RED SOX (53-42): Duran CF, Hamilton 2B, O’Neill LF, Devers 3B, Yoshida DH, Abreu RF, Smith 1B, Rafaela SS, McGwire C.
Pitching: RHP Nick Pivetta (4-6, 4.18 ERA)
DODGERS (56-41): Ohtani DH, Smith C, Freeman 1B, T. Hernández RF, Pages CF, Rojas SS, Lux 2B, Vargas LF, Taylor 3B.
Pitching: RHP Gavin Stone (9-3, 3.26 ERA)
Time: 10:10 p.m.
TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7
Red Sox vs. Stone: Abreu 0-3, Wong 1-3
Dodgers vs. Pivetta: Austin Barnes 0-2, Cavan Biggio 6-17, Freddie Freeman 12-33, Kiké Hernández 2-6, Teoscar Hernández 3-24, Shohei Ohtani 4-9, Miguel Rojas 4-12, Will Smith 1-2, Chris Taylor 4-7
Stat of the day: The Red Sox are 20-14 in interleague play.
Notes: Pivetta is 1-2 lifetime against the Dodgers with a 3.80 ERA in five appearances (four starts). … Tommy John surgery has limited Ohtani to only playing as the designated hitter, but he is still among the NL MVP favorites after hitting .316 in the first half with a 1.036 OPS, 29 home runs, and 69 RBIs. … Stone earned his first career win against the Red Sox last season in one of his eight outings, giving up four runs in six innings. … The Red Sox are an MLB-best 42-4 (.913) when scoring at least five runs. They have scored five or more runs in eight of their last 12 games and have won each of their last 26 games when doing so. … The Red Sox have homered in eight of their last nine games and in 20 of their last 23 since June 17 (38 total home runs in that span).
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