The forecast for Sunday's Red Sox vs. Dodgers interleague matchup calls for clear skies and temperatures in the upper 80s. This one gets started at 7:10 PM ET from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, and the Dodgers are favored on the money line (-119). The Red Sox have a money line payout of +100, and they are 3rd in the AL East with a record of 53-44. The Dodgers are 1st in the NL West at 58-41.
James Paxton will be going for the Dodgers, while the Red Sox are starting Kutter Crawford. Boston has dropped two in a row, while the Dodgers have won two straight.
Boston vs. Los Angeles Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Red Sox at Dodgers
- Where: Dodger Stadium Los Angeles
- Date: Sunday, July 21st
- Betting Odds LAD -119 | BOS +100 O/U 9
Red Sox vs Dodgers Last Game Recap
It was a wild game in the most recent game of this Dodgers vs Red Sox series. Los Angeles went into the matchup as -135 favorites and squeaked out a 7-6 win. Boston had a late rally, scoring two runs in the 9th and another two in the 10th, but the Dodgers shut them down after that.
Justin Wrobleski got the start for the Dodgers, going just 4 1/3 innings while giving up three hits and striking out five. He didn't give up a run in the game but did issue two walks. Blake Treinen got the win out of the bullpen.
Brayan Bello only went six innings for the Red Sox but gave up just three earned runs on five hits. He finished the game with seven strikeouts. Greg Weissert took the loss.
Red Sox Preview
As the road favorite, the Red Sox have been dominant with a 13-3 record, and overall, they are 30-19 as the favorite. Boston is 29-19 on the road, which is much better than their 24-25 home record. They have won four straight series, all on the road, and their overall series record is 16-10-5.
Boston is 53-44 overall and sits 3rd in the AL East, 6.5 games behind the Orioles. The Red Sox have dropped two straight games, including the final game before the All-Star break. Their games have averaged 8.9 runs this season, and their over/under record is 45-46. In games with a total of 9 runs, they are 6-4-2.
Boston is sending right-hander Kutter Crawford to the mound today vs. the Dodgers. He has made 19 starts this season and has a record of 6-7 with an ERA of 3.04. Crawford has pitched well recently, as he has picked up the win in each of his last three outings. Most recently, he didn't give up a run in seven innings of work vs. the Royals. Crawford has made 11 quality starts this season and is averaging 8.79 strikeouts per nine innings. Overall, he has allowed 14 homers and is averaging just 2.32 walks per nine innings.
Heading into today's game, the Red Sox are averaging 4.7 runs per game, which is 11th in the league. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5 runs per contest. Overall, they are 4th in team batting average and have the league's top BABIP at .32. Boston's offense has been led by Rafael Devers and his 23 home runs, which is the best mark in the league. Devers is also 12th in the league with 61 RBIs.
Jarren Duran has been hot of late, going 13/28 in his last seven games, including a home run and three RBIs. For the season, he is batting .289 with 11 homers. Tyler O'Neill has also been swinging the bat well, going 7/24 in his last six games, including two homers. O'Neill is 2nd on the team with 18 homers.
Dodgers Preview
Los Angeles is currently on a two-game winning streak and holds a 7-game lead over the Diamondbacks in the NL West. The Dodgers' overall series record is 18-14-1, and they have a run differential of +0.9 runs per game. This season, Dodgers games have averaged 9 runs per game, and their over/under record is 51-48.
As favorites, the Dodgers have a 55-34 record straight up, but they are 22-27 against the run line at home. The over/under record for games with a total of 9 runs is 8-6, and 17.2% of Dodgers games have had totals set at 9 runs.
Left-hander James Paxton gets the start for the Dodgers today as he faces the Red Sox at home. He has made 17 starts this year and has a record of 7-2 with an ERA of 4.38. Opposing batters are hitting .247 off Paxton this year, and he has a BB/9 figure of 4.7 compared to 6.08 strikeouts per nine innings. Paxton's last outing came on July 12th, where he finished with a no-decision, giving up three earned runs in 3 2/3 innings of work. He has not won a start since June 24th.
Shohei Ohtani has been one of the league's best hitters this season, as he comes into the game batting .315 with 29 home runs and 69 RBIs. Ohtani is also on a five-game hitting streak, during which he has gone 11/36. Teoscar Hernández is also on a nice streak, as he has hit safely in seven straight games. Hernández is batting .263 for the season and is 2nd on the team with 19 homers.
As a team, the Dodgers are 3rd in the league in scoring at 4.9 runs per game. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5 runs per contest. Overall, they are one of the league's top home run-hitting teams and have the best on-base percentage in the league.
Red Sox vs. Dodgers Prediction: Dodgers ML -119
Our prediction for today's Red Sox vs. Dodgers matchup is to take the Dodgers on the money line at -119. We actually have the Dodgers winning this one by a score of 6-5, so you could also look to take the over, as the line is sitting at 9 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, our projections have James Paxton finishing with six strikeouts, which is the fourth-best among all starters today. As for Kutter Crawford, he is projected to finish with just four strikeouts, and we have him finishing with the third-most earned runs allowed among all starters.
