Barstool Bush
Predictions

Boston Red Sox at Los Angeles Dodgers

By Bush StaffUpdated 20d ago·2 min read
Boston Red SoxBOS(58-51)
Los Angeles DodgersLAD(69-41)
3—2
FINAL
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BOS
101000010340
LAD
0200000002100

First pitch went off at 6:10 PM PT with Payton Tolle, Boston's rookie right-hander, opposite Yoshinobu Yamamoto making his first career start against the Red Sox. Tolle came in off a 7-strikeout win against the Athletics, while Yamamoto carried a 2.78 ERA into the night, one of the stingiest marks in the sport.

Show fees
FINAL
Spread
ML
Total
Red Sox(58-51)
WWWLW
3
Dodgers(69-41)
LWWLL
2
Best BetDodgers -189
Postgame

The pick banked on Yamamoto and a stacked roster, and on paper that arm held up fine — the Dodgers only allowed a run in the 1st, 3rd and 8th. But 10 hits producing just 2 runs was the real story, and Boston's own pitching plan, not LA's, was the difference. Wrong pick — a depleted bullpen and stranded traffic flipped the better team into a loss.

Pregame

The Dodgers are still the best team in baseball at 69-41 and they're getting Yamamoto, their best arm, on the mound after he tossed a complete game against the Yankees and followed it with 6 shutout-quality innings against the Mets. Boston's been white-hot, but a rookie lefty on the road against LA's ace is a tough spot to bank on. Lay the price with the Dodgers and expect their best pitcher to slow the Red Sox' roll.

Boston did it all without Willson Contreras, who sat out after getting drilled in the helmet by a 95-mph fastball on Friday night and going through concussion testing. The Dodgers were still the heavier favorite given the gap in the standings, but a Red Sox club playing loose after Friday's 9-4 rout of this same pitching staff wasn't an easy team to lay a big number against.

Boston Red Sox
Payton Tolle
(8-6)·2.97 ERA
Jul 27 @ Athletics
W
5.1IP
2ER
7K
1BB
90P
08/01 Lineup
Los Angeles Dodgers
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
(12-7)·2.60 ERA
Jul 25 @ Mets
W
6.0IP
1ER
5K
3BB
100P
08/01 Lineup

None of that mattered once the game actually got going. The Red Sox scratched across single runs in the 1st and 3rd, the Dodgers answered with 2 in the bottom of the 2nd, and from there both bullpens just locked the door for six-plus innings.

Los Angeles racked up 10 hits and still only crossed the plate twice — that's the whole story of the loss. The Dodgers stranded runner after runner against a Boston bullpen that kept finding outs when it needed them, and the Red Sox tacked on one more run in the 8th to break a 2-2 tie and shut the door, 3-2.

Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
(12)
  • Day-To-DayWillson Contreras (1B) — Contreras, who was hit in the head by a pitch and had to exit Friday's game, isn't in Boston's starting lineup versus the Dodgers on Saturday, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.08/01
  • 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) — Interim Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said Thursday that 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
Los Angeles Dodgers
(11)
  • 15-Day-ILWill Klein (RP) — The Dodgers placed Klein on the 15-day injured list Saturday due to right elbow discomfort, Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times reports.08/02
  • 15-Day-ILBrock Stewart (RP) — MRI results on Stewart's right shoulder revealed tendinitis Saturday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.08/01
  • 15-Day-ILBlake Treinen (RP) — Treinen (elbow) will face live hitters Wednesday, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.07/29
  • 60-Day-ILWill Smith (C) — Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that Smith (neck) will need at least 3-to-4 weeks to ramp back up, including a rehab assignment, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.08/01
  • 60-Day-ILBlake Snell (SP) — Snell (elbow) said Friday that he'll make one more rehab start at Triple-A Oklahoma City before returning from the injured list, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.07/31
  • 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-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

Both bullpens are running on fumes right now. Boston is already without Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck, Johan Oviedo and Kutter Crawford, all rehabbing arm injuries, while the Dodgers just placed Will Klein on the 15-day IL for elbow discomfort and are also missing Brock Stewart, Blake Treinen, Ben Casparius and Jake Cousins. Neither pen has much margin for error at the moment, and it showed in a game that came down to the last few outs.

Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
(58-51)
Aug 1W@ Dodgers9-4
Jul 31W@ Athletics5-4
Jul 30W@ Athletics4-2
Jul 29L@ Athletics3-4
Jul 28W@ Athletics4-2
Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
(69-41)
Aug 1Lvs Red Sox4-9
Jul 31Wvs Mariners6-2
Jul 30Wvs Mariners4-2
Jul 29Lvs Mariners6-7
Jul 26L@ Mets3-8

Boston, at 58-51, is still chasing a much better Dodgers team sitting at 69-41, but taking the first 2 games of this series says the gap on the field isn't nearly as wide as the standings suggest. LA gets one more shot to salvage the set before the Red Sox head out of town.

Sources

MLBBoston Red SoxLos Angeles DodgersPolymarketKalshiPayton TolleYoshinobu Yamamoto