The Los Angeles Dodgers are squaring off against the Boston Red Sox on Friday, July 31st, for the first game of a three-game homestand.
Tonight, the Dodgers will be giving away a Kyle Tucker Bobblehead, one of many giveaways that the team has done so far this year.
Tucker is going through a rough season thus far, but there is still time to turn things around over the course of his four-year deal, making his bobblehead a possible buy-low opportunity.
Even more notable than Kyle Tucker’s night will be the return of superstar Shohei Ohtani, who missed the last game due to left knee soreness.
Ohtani was available as a pinch hitter, according to Dave Roberts, on Thursday, but he was not put into the game.
Following their series win over the Mariners, he made it clear that Ohtani would be back on Friday, and true to his word, that is exactly what happened.
The Dodgers have a tough Red Sox team in front of them, a team that was really bad at the start of the season, but they have gone on a tear in the middle portion of the year, looking like the contenders they were expected to be.
Dodgers Lineup vs. Red Sox
1. Shohei Ohtani, DH
2. Andy Pages, CF
3. Miguel Rojas, 2B
4. Freddie Freeman, 1B
5. Mookie Betts, SS
6. Teoscar Hernandez, LF
7. Kyle Tucker, RF
8. Kike Hernandez, 3B
9. Dalton Rushing, C
Out of the batting order is Max Muncy, given the Dodgers are facing an elite lefty in Ranger Suarez.
He boasts a 3.02 ERA over 95.1 innings of work this season, and should give all of the Dodgers’ lefties fits at the plate for however long he is in.
For the Dodgers, they will need righties Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernandez to step up like they did on Thursday vs. Seattle.
Both had timely hits against a righty, but they are the two hitters, along with Andy Pages, poised to do the most damage.
Additionally, don’t sleep on Miguel Rojas having his signature super-sub game against his favored matchup.
Who is pitching for the Dodgers?
Since Shohei Ohtani is out of the rotation and there is no sixth starter, the Dodgers will be doing a bullpen game, with Edgardo Henriquez as the opener.
Following the flame-throwing righty will be Will Klein as the piggyback man who can possibly handle two to three innings if needed.
The Dodgers’ bullpen is very good, and at this juncture, they should be trusted to hold their own against a red-hot Red Sox team.
One Response
good test for the red sox. The Boston Media triying to drive Duran out of Town. They want Springer who looked like on overweight has been in recent months. Beslow not that stupid.