Dodgers @ Red Sox

Who will WIN this matchup?

Los Angeles Dodgers (60-33)

@ Boston Red Sox (50-41)

Starting Pitchers:

Stripling (LAD): 3-3; 3.79 ERA

Sale (BOS) 3-8; 4.04 ERA

Last 10 Games Played:

Los Angeles Dodgers: 4-6

Boston Red Sox: 6-4

Current odds:

Los Angeles Dodgers: (+155)

Boston Red Sox: (-170)

• The Boston Red Sox picked up right where they left off against the Los Angeles Dodgers and are hoping to use a quick start to the second half as a springboard up the standings. The Red Sox will try to clinch a series win in the World Series rematch when they host the Dodgers in the second of a three-game interleague set on Saturday. Boston, which took the World Series in five games over the Dodgers last fall, pounded its way to an 8-1 triumph on Friday to come out of the All-Star break strong and reach 50 wins – 10 fewer than Los Angeles – while pushing its winning streak to five in a row. Rafael Devers carried his hot streak through the break and homered among two hits while All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts helped put the game away with a three-run homer in the seventh inning on Friday.

• The Dodgers own the most wins in the majors but are losers of four straight and scored a total of seven runs in those setbacks. Los Angeles will try to get the bats going on Saturday against Boston ace Chris Sale while it counters with righty Ross Stripling.

• Stripling made 14 of his 23 first-half appearances out of the bullpen and is taking over a spot in the rotation while left-hander Rich Hill sits out with an elbow injury. Stripling worked into the fifth inning in each of his last two appearances and allowed a total of eight runs on 13 hits – three homers – in nine innings. The 29-year-old did not appear in the World Series last October and is 1-2 with a 3.72 ERA as a starter this season.

• The last time Sale saw the Dodgers, he came out of the bullpen in Game 5 last October and struck out the side in the ninth inning to clinch the World Series win. Things did not go quite that smoothly in the first half for the Florida native, who battled inconsistency over the first three-plus months and allowed a total of 10 runs and 15 hits in 11 2/3 innings in his last two starts before the break. Sale, who owns 153 strikeouts in 107 innings, declared himself, “as frustrated as I’ve ever been,” after surrendering three homers at Toronto on July 3.

• Dodgers CF A.J. Pollock (elbow) came off the injured list on Friday and went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts in his first action since April 30.

• Boston RHP Nathan Eovaldi (elbow) threw 27 pitches in the bullpen on Friday and is closing in on a minor league rehab assignment.

• Los Angeles traded C Josh Thole and LHP Adam McCreery to the Los Angeles Angels for cash on Friday.