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Red Sox vs. Dodgers: How to Watch Saturday Night's Big Game

August 1, 2026 · The New York Times

The Boston Red Sox bring a three-game win streak to Los Angeles to face one of baseball's best teams.

The Boston Red Sox are riding a three-game win streak and will take the field against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night. The game starts at 9:10 p.m. Eastern Time and will be played at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Fans can watch on SportsNet LA or NESN, or stream it live on Fubo. This is a big matchup between a Red Sox team trying to climb the standings and a Dodgers squad that is one of the best teams in baseball.

The Dodgers are having a strong season. They hold a record of 69 wins and 41 losses, which puts them in first place in the National League West. Their starting pitcher on Saturday will be Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who has an impressive record of 11 wins and 6 losses this year. His ERA, which stands for earned run average and measures how many runs a pitcher allows per nine innings, is a very low 2.72.

The Red Sox are not doing quite as well, but they are still competitive. Boston is 58-51 on the season and sits in third place in the American League East. Payton Tolle is expected to start on the mound for Boston. He carries a record of 6-6 with a 3.32 ERA this season.

Betting experts consider the Dodgers to be the favorites in this game, meaning most people expect Los Angeles to win. The oddsmakers have set the total number of runs expected at 7.5, giving fans a sense of how the scoring might go. Both teams will need strong pitching to keep the other side from scoring too many runs.

Both teams are dealing with injuries to several players. The Dodgers have a long list of hurt players, including pitchers Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Blake Treinen. The Red Sox are also short-handed, with stars like Garrett Crochet, Trevor Story, and Triston Casas all on the injured list. Catcher Willson Contreras is listed as day-to-day with a head injury, so it is not certain he will play.

Even with injuries, both teams have exciting players to watch. For the Dodgers, superstar Shohei Ohtani leads the way with 24 home runs and 67 RBIs this season. His OPS, a stat that measures a player's overall hitting ability, is .940, which ranks fifth in all of Major League Baseball. Ohtani has also scored 70 runs and stolen six bases, making him one of the most dangerous players in the sport.

Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman is also putting together a solid year. He is batting .305 with 15 home runs and 54 RBIs in 463 plate appearances. Freeman has scored 56 runs and keeps his strikeout rate low, which makes him a reliable and steady hitter at the top of the lineup.

On the Red Sox side, Willson Contreras has been one of the best hitters in the league this season. He is batting .288 with 23 home runs and 67 RBIs, and his OPS of .943 ranks third in all of MLB. Another Red Sox hitter to watch is Wilyer Abreu, who has added 16 home runs, 53 RBIs, and six stolen bases this year. Whether you are cheering for Boston or Los Angeles, Saturday night's game has all the ingredients for an exciting finish.

The Boston Red Sox will look to keep a three-game win streak alive when they visit the Los Angeles Dodgers at 9:10 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Comprehension quiz preview

1. What time does the Red Sox vs. Dodgers game start on Saturday?

  • A7:05 p.m. ET
  • B8:00 p.m. ET
  • C9:10 p.m. ET
  • D10:00 p.m. ET

2. What is Yoshinobu Yamamoto's ERA going into Saturday's game?

  • A3.32
  • B2.72
  • C1.95
  • D4.10

3. How many home runs has Shohei Ohtani hit this season?

  • A15
  • B18
  • C21
  • D24

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