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The Los Angeles Dodgers travel to Fenway Park to take on the Boston Red Sox in a marquee showdown airing nationally on FOX tonight at 7:15 PM ET. It’s a clash of the defending World Series champions and a reenergized Red Sox squad fighting for a postseason spot. Both clubs are firmly in the playoff race as we enter late July, setting the stage for a high-energy, packed-house matchup under the lights.
Add in a two-way superstar and a former MVP swinging a hot bat, and you’ve got one of the most exciting games of the weekend.
The Dodgers enter Saturday with a 61–43 record, sitting in first place in the NL West. As the reigning champions, Los Angeles has largely lived up to expectations this season. A big part of their success has been due to Shohei Ohtani, who has provided MVP numbers to the lineup. Ohtani leads the National League with 37 home runs, including a streak of five straight games earlier this week. Veteran mainstays like Teoscar Hernandez, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith have delivered consistency at the plate, while young contributors such as Andy Pages have added depth to one of MLB’s most potent offenses.
All hasn’t been completely smooth for Los Angeles; a mid-July slump saw the Dodgers lose 10 of 12 games, briefly stumbling out of the All-Star break. However, even that nosedive hasn’t knocked them from the top spot as the Dodgers still hold sole possession of first in the division. They snapped out of their skid with a dramatic walk-off win on Wednesday, sparked by Freeman’s two-run single in the bottom of the ninth. They also took down Boston 5-2 last night. Manager Dave Roberts hopes that the comeback victory is a turning point, noting it was Freeman’s “best swing in about a month” and could build momentum for the stretch run.
With a 61-43 record and a stacked roster, Los Angeles appears poised for another deep run if they can stay healthy and maintain their focus down the stretch.
The Red Sox come into tonight’s game at 55–50, sitting in third place in the AL East and squarely in the AL Wild Card hunt. Boston’s season took a shocking turn in mid-June when the front office traded away star slugger Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants, even though the team was still in contention. Many expected the Devers deal to signal a white flag, but the Red Sox responded with resilience. They ripped off 10 consecutive wins heading into the All-Star break, an impressive streak that vaulted them back into the playoff picture. That in-season turnaround has energized the clubhouse and given Boston a much-needed boost of confidence as they chase a Wild Card spot.
In Devers’ absence, a promising young core has begun to emerge for the Red Sox. Top prospects like Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer were called up and are adjusting quickly to major league pitching, providing hope for the future while contributing now. Offseason acquisition Alex Bregman has been a steady veteran presence since returning from injury, and outfielders Jarren Duran and Ceddanne Rafaela have used their speed and defense to ignite the team. Still, Boston remains a few games behind the division leaders and knows they must keep winning to stay in the postseason mix.
On the mound, Cy Young candidate Garrett Crochet has been dealing, posting a 2.19 ERA and leading the league with 165 strikeouts. In the bullpen, veteran closer Aroldis Chapman has rediscovered his dominant form. Chapman owns a 1.34 ERA with 17 saves in 43 appearances, anchoring a relief corps that has been called upon often due to the rotation’s instability. If the Red Sox are to complete their postseason push, they will need their mix of youngsters and veterans to continue stepping up.
This game has all the makings of a pitchers’ duel, with Clayton Kershaw and Garrett Crochet set to square off on the mound. Kershaw, a three-time Cy Young winner, brings veteran savvy and a 3.27 ERA into the matchup. Opposing him is Crochet, the 26-year-old southpaw who has been Boston’s ace all year. Both pitchers are capable of dominating a lineup, so the margins could be thin in this one. The X-factor? Freddie Freeman.
The Dodgers first baseman may bat left-handed, but he’s a nightmare for any pitcher. Freeman has been gradually heating up after a brief summer slump. He’s batting .297 on the season with an .841 OPS and is fresh off a confidence-boosting series in which he delivered a clutch walk-off hit for Los Angeles. Now Freeman gets to hit in Fenway Park, a paradise for lefty gap hitters, against a pitcher whom he has a 3-5 lifetime record against.
Even if Crochet comes out sharp, the top of the Dodgers’ lineup in Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani will force him into high-stress innings. That sets up Freeman in a prime spot to do damage as the centerpiece of LA’s order. With Boston’s bullpen likely worn thin from recent overuse, and Freeman seeing the ball well again, the veteran slugger is in an ideal position to rack up multiple hits, runs or RBIs. Whether it’s a rope off the Green Monster or a timely bloop single with runners on, his offensive ceiling in this matchup is hard to ignore.
Ian is a lifelong sports fan and Temple University graduate who specializes in the NFL, NBA, MLB and European Soccer and is a diehard Philly sports fan.