The Dodgers head into Saturday night trying to shake off a rough opener against the Red Sox and square the series before Monday’s trade deadline. Los Angeles fell 9-4 on Friday in a bullpen game that leaned heavily on left-hander Cole Irvin, who was added to the roster before the game after right-hander Brock Stewart went back on the injured list.
Irvin handled six innings and gave up six runs on eight hits in his first MLB appearance since 2024. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts kept his assessment simple afterward: “He did what he could,” Roberts said of Irvin. “You have to sometimes take it on the chin to then give yourself a chance to win the series."
The loss did at least leave the bullpen in decent shape for Saturday, though the Dodgers are sending out a starter who has been on a roll since the break. Yoshinobu Yamamoto gets the ball and is coming off a complete game against the New York Yankees in his first start after the All-Star break, then six innings of one-run ball against the Mets.
Yamamoto enters the night at 11-6 with a 2.72 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 125.2 innings.
Boston counters with left-hander Payon Tolle, who has put together a strong first full season in the majors. Through 17 starts, Tolle is 6-6 with a 3.32 ERA, along with 103 strikeouts and 27 walks across 95 innings.
The Dodgers’ lineup will be missing both Mookie Betts and Kyle Tucker. Rojas is at shortstop, Teoscar Hernández shifts to right field, and Kiké Hernández starts in left.
First pitch for Dodgers-Red Sox on Saturday, August 1 is set for 6:10 p.m. PT/9:10 p.m. ET.
The game will air on SportsNet LA and in the MLB app, with radio coverage on AM570 in English and KTNQ 1020 AM in Spanish.
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