The Los Angeles Dodgers travel to Wrigley Field to face the Chicago Cubs on Monday, August 3, with first pitch scheduled for 8:05 PM ET. Matthew Boyd gets the ball for Chicago, while the Dodgers have yet to name a starter for the evening. With a loaded lineup featuring Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Mookie Betts, Los Angeles brings genuine offensive firepower to one of baseball's most storied ballparks. This is a mid-season road test that will reveal plenty about where both clubs stand as the schedule presses toward October.

Dodgers at Cubs: Monday Night Wrigley Field Matchup Preview

The Dodgers are sending out a deep and recognizable lineup. Shohei Ohtani slots in as the leadoff hitter and designated hitter, a combination that gives Los Angeles an immediate threat from the top of the order. Andy Pages follows in the two-hole, with Tommy Edman hitting third in his second-base role. Freddie Freeman anchors the cleanup spot at first base, and Mookie Betts — listed at shortstop — hits fifth. Kyle Tucker, acquired to add another right-handed thump to the order, comes in sixth, followed by Teoscar Hernández in left, Enrique Hernández at third, and Eliezer Alfonzo catching and batting ninth.

That is a formidable lineup top to bottom, and the absence of a named Dodgers starter is the biggest storyline heading into this one. Without knowing who is taking the ball for Los Angeles, it is difficult to map out an inning-by-inch pitching plan — but the offense should carry its share of the workload regardless of who gets the nod.

Matthew Boyd Starting for Chicago Cubs

Boyd gets the start for the Cubs. The left-hander is a veteran arm who has experience navigating lineups like the one Los Angeles is presenting. No current ERA or record figures are available for this matchup, so evaluating exactly where Boyd sits this season requires caution — but his assignment against the Dodgers' lineup is a significant one. The Cubs will need Boyd to limit the damage that Ohtani, Freeman, and Tucker are capable of inflicting in a night game at Wrigley.

Cubs Lineup Features Bregman, Crow-Armstrong, and Suzuki

Chicago counters with a lineup that opens with Pete Crow-Armstrong in center field, followed by Seiya Suzuki in right. Alex Bregman, hitting third as the designated hitter, gives the Cubs a legitimate middle-of-the-order threat. Carson Kelly catches and bats fourth, with Michael Busch at first base and Nico Hoerner at second rounding out the middle of the order. Pedro Ramírez at third, Dansby Swanson at shortstop, and Kevin Alcántara in left fill out the nine.

Keys to Watch at Wrigley Field

• Ohtani at the top: Batting leadoff, Ohtani sets the tone immediately. Any start he gets on the basepaths puts pressure on Boyd from pitch one.
• Dodgers' unnamed starter: The biggest unknown for Los Angeles. Whoever takes the ball needs to hold the Cubs' lineup — anchored by Bregman and Suzuki — in check through the early innings.
• Tucker settling in: Kyle Tucker batting sixth gives this lineup a dangerous run of hitters from positions one through six. Watch how Boyd handles the stretch from Freeman through Tucker.
• Wrigley night game conditions: August night games at Wrigley can play differently depending on wind direction. It is worth noting before first pitch.

Prediction

The Dodgers' lineup is stacked enough that even a bullpen game or a spot-start scenario gives Los Angeles a path to victory. Chicago's strength lies in Boyd eating innings and keeping the score manageable, but going through Ohtani, Freeman, Betts, and Tucker in the same lineup is a tall task. Expect the Dodgers to generate runs early and put enough pressure on the Cubs that the bullpen arms have to navigate dangerous situations late. Dodgers win, 6-3.