The Boston Red Sox (75-54) and Los Angeles Dodgers (75-52), two of the top teams in baseball leading the American League East and National League West divisions, are set to square off in an interleague battle of MLB titans. The game can be live streamed here; the Red Sox radio broadcast can be heard on 93.7 WEEI, while Dodgers fans can hear the sultry tones of Vin Scully on 570 Fox Sports LA.
Boston has been reeling a bit, losing six of their last ten games while embroiling themselves in a major controversy when Ryan Dempster drilled Alex Rodriguez, earning a five-game suspension and a fine.
The incident seemed to show some cracks in Boston's unity, with team leader David "Big Papi" Ortiz expressing displeasure with Dempster's decision to bean A-Rod. In an interview with USA Today Sports, Ortiz said:
"I didn't like it. I don't think it was the right thing to do. But we don't all think alike, and the guy who did it, Dempster, is a great guy. It's not that I didn't think it was right because Alex and I are friends, because once you cross the white lines, everyone's on their own."
They will need to get their act together, because even though Matt Kemp is out of action the Dodgers are the scariest team in baseball right now. Yasiel Puig, the frontrunner for National League Rookie of the Year, appeared to bust through his first MLB slump the other night, socking a pinch-hit home run after getting benched for lateness.
The two teams also have recent history; Boston's turnaround can be attributed to a huge trade that sent Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett to L.A. and kickstarted the Red Sox personnel overhaul. Now the Sox are in first, and the Dodgers are getting major contributions from both Gonzalez and Crawford.
Ricky Nolasco (9-9, 3.60) will take the hill for Los Angeles, and he will be opposed by John Lackey (8-10, 3.22 ERA).
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