Boston Red Sox at Los Angeles Dodgers

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
BOS	0	1	2	0	0	0	5	0	1	9	12	0
LAD	0	0	0	1	3	0	0	0	0	4	10	2

Ranger Suarez takes the ball for Boston looking to keep building on a strong first half in his new uniform, while Edgardo Henriquez gets the nod for Los Angeles carrying a 2.79 ERA that's made him one of the more reliable arms in that rotation mix. Suarez was sharp in his last outing against Toronto, working 4 shutout innings with 6 strikeouts and no walks, and he'll need more of that against a Dodgers lineup that doesn't have a lot of easy outs even with some notable names banged up.

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Total

Red Sox(57-51)

WWLWW

9

+1.5-197+127o7.5-132

Dodgers(69-40)

WWLLW

4

-1.5+149-130u7.5+101

Best BetDodgers -143

Pregame

The Dodgers are the play here even with Ohtani managing a sore knee, because the roster depth gap between these two clubs is still significant. Boston's without four rotation arms and four key lineup pieces, and that kind of attrition eventually shows up against a club with this much talent. Take Los Angeles to win outright.

The Ohtani situation is the one worth watching before first pitch. He's been dealing with left knee soreness that's kept him off the mound and briefly out of the lineup, but he's set to return as the DH for this one, which matters plenty against a Red Sox staff missing a chunk of its rotation depth. Boston is already without Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck, Johan Oviedo and Kutter Crawford, all on the 60-day IL, so there isn't a ton of margin for this bullpen if the Dodgers get into it early.

Ranger Suarez

(4-3)·3.25 ERA

Jul 26 vs Blue Jays

ND

4.0IP

0ER

6K

0BB

64P

07/31 Lineup

Edgardo Henriquez

(4-1)·2.98 ERA

07/31 Lineup

Los Angeles has its own attrition to manage, with Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow both working back from the 60-day IL and catcher Will Smith still out, but the Dodgers have simply had enough of everything else to cover for it. First pitch is at 7:10 PM PT, and the way both bullpens are stretched right now, this has the look of a game that could get away from either starter in a hurry.

Boston Red Sox

(57-51)

Jul 31W@ Athletics5-4

Jul 30W@ Athletics4-2

Jul 29L@ Athletics3-4

Jul 28W@ Athletics4-2

Jul 26Wvs Blue Jays6-1

Los Angeles Dodgers

(69-40)

Jul 31Wvs Mariners6-2

Jul 30Wvs Mariners4-2

Jul 29Lvs Mariners6-7

Jul 26L@ Mets3-8

Jul 25W@ Mets4-3

Boston's turnaround has been real. The Red Sox have won 4 of their last 5, capping a three-game set in Oakland with a 5-4 win, and they're doing it without Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, Trevor Story and Triston Casas all sitting on the injured list. That's an absurd amount of talent to be missing from a lineup that's still finding ways to win low-scoring, grind-it-out games.

Boston Red Sox

(11)

• 10-Day-ILCurtis Mead (3B) — Mead has a nondisplaced left wrist fracture and will be reimaged in four weeks, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.07/31
• 10-Day-ILMarcelo Mayer (2B) — Mayer (forearm) has progressed from dry swings to hitting off a tee, MLB.com reports.07/26
• 10-Day-ILIsiah Kiner-Falefa (2B) — Kiner-Falefa (forearm) has been cleared to start his hitting progression with dry swings, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.07/20
• 60-Day-ILRoman Anthony (LF) — Anthony (finger) has started swinging a bat again, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.07/31
• 60-Day-ILGarrett Crochet (SP) — Crochet (lat/shoulder) said Tuesday that he and the Red Sox training staff have no timeline in mind for when he'll be cleared to restart his throwing program, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.07/22
• 60-Day-ILZack Kelly (RP) — The Red Sox recalled Kelly (elbow) from Triple-A Worcester and placed him on the 60-day injured list Tuesday, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.07/21
• 60-Day-ILTrevor Story (SS) — Story (sports hernia) told reporters Monday that "sometime in August is in play" for him to embark on a rehab assignment, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.07/20
• 60-Day-ILTanner Houck (SP) — Houck (elbow) has started throwing two bullpen sessions per week, MLB.com reports.07/17
• 60-Day-ILJohan Oviedo (SP) — Oviedo (elbow) will throw a bullpen session next week, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.07/17
• 60-Day-ILKutter Crawford (SP) — The Red Sox announced June 29 that Crawford (forearm) has been throwing plyometric balls during workouts at the team's spring training facility in Florida, MLB.com reports.07/06
• 60-Day-ILTriston Casas (1B) — Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said Saturday that Casas (abdomen/knee) has been shut down from hitting due to a wrist issue, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.07/06

Los Angeles Dodgers

(10)

• Day-To-DayShohei Ohtani (DH) — Ohtani is not in the starting lineup Thursday against Seattle as a result of left knee soreness, Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times reports.07/31
• 15-Day-ILBlake Treinen (RP) — Treinen (elbow) will face live hitters Wednesday, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.07/29
• 60-Day-ILBlake Snell (SP) — Snell (elbow) struck out nine and allowed one hit and no walks four scoreless innings Wednesday in a rehab start with Single-A Ontario.07/30
• 60-Day-ILTyler Glasnow (SP) — Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that Glasnow (back) will begin a rehab assignment after completing Wednesday's live batting practice session, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.07/29
• 60-Day-ILWill Smith (C) — Smith (neck) is pain-free after resuming baseball activities, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.07/28
• 60-Day-ILBobby Miller (SP) — Miller (shoulder/back) will resume throwing off the mound this week, Cody Snavely of DodgersBeat.com reports.06/03
• 60-Day-ILGavin Stone (SP) — Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed Tuesday that Stone has been unable to ramp up his throwing without feeling soreness in his surgically repaired right shoulder, Cody Snavely of DodgersBeat.com reports.06/03
• 60-Day-ILBrusdar Graterol (RP) — Graterol (shoulder) underwent surgery recently for a back injury he suffered while on a rehab assignment, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.06/01
• 60-Day-ILBen Casparius (RP) — Casparius (shoulder) was moved to the 60-day injured list Monday.05/19
• 60-Day-ILJake Cousins (RP) — The Dodgers transferred Cousins (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.05/08

The Dodgers, meanwhile, are still the Dodgers. A 69-40 record speaks for itself, and even with Ohtani managing soreness and the rotation patched together, this roster has star power at every turn. Boston's late-season push has been fun to watch, but walking into Dodger Stadium against this group, at full strength or not, is still about as tough a task as exists in the sport right now.