The Los Angeles Dodgers welcome the Boston Red Sox to UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Friday, July 31, for a 10:10 PM ET first pitch. Edgardo Henriquez gets the ball for the home side, squaring off against left-hander Ranger Suarez in what shapes up as an intriguing pitching matchup. With Shohei Ohtani leading off and a lineup stacked from top to bottom, Los Angeles has the offensive firepower to make any start look good — and the pressure is on Henriquez to reward that support from the jump.

Pitching Matchup: Henriquez vs. Suarez

Edgardo Henriquez draws the assignment for the Dodgers, giving the young right-hander another opportunity to state his case in a high-profile home setting. Henriquez is still building his MLB résumé, and a start against a Boston lineup that knows how to grind at-bats is the kind of test that reveals where a pitcher is in his development. The Dodgers will be watching his command and ability to sequence off his secondary pitches closely.

On the other side, Ranger Suarez comes in as a seasoned arm with a history of generating weak contact and working deep into games. Suarez is a pitcher who keeps hitters off-balance with deception rather than pure velocity, which will be a challenge for a Dodgers lineup that feasts on mistake pitches. How quickly Los Angeles makes adjustments against his arsenal will go a long way toward determining the outcome.

Dodgers Lineup to Watch

Manager Dave Roberts has loaded up the lineup card with as much punch as you'll find anywhere in the sport. Here's how the Dodgers are set to line up at Dodger Stadium:

• Shohei Ohtani — DH (leadoff)
• Andy Pages — CF
• Miguel Rojas — 2B
• Freddie Freeman — 1B
• Mookie Betts — SS
• Teoscar Hernández — LF
• Kyle Tucker — RF
• Enrique Hernández — 3B
• Eliezer Alfonzo — C

Ohtani leading off gives the Dodgers an immediate pulse-setter — if he gets on base, the middle of the order with Freeman and Betts can do real damage in a hurry. Pages in the two-hole provides athleticism and gap-to-gap contact ability, while Tucker and Teoscar Hernández give the lineup continued thump in the lower third. Enrique Hernández at third and Alfonzo behind the plate round out a group that will look to make Suarez work early and often.

Keys to the Game

• Henriquez's command: If he can establish his fastball and keep Boston's hitters from sitting on breaking balls, the Dodgers' defense gives him a chance to navigate deep into the game.
• Getting to Suarez early: Suarez can be difficult once he settles in. The Dodgers need Ohtani and Pages to set the table in the first couple of innings before the Boston left-hander finds his rhythm.
• Bullpen depth: Depending on Henriquez's pitch count and effectiveness, Los Angeles may lean on its relief corps — a unit that will need to be sharp against a Boston lineup capable of rallying late.

Prediction

The Dodgers' lineup depth is the decisive edge here. Suarez is a quality arm, but facing Ohtani, Freeman, Betts, and Tucker in the same game is a tall order for any pitcher. If Henriquez can give the club five or six innings without a big crooked number, the offense should take care of the rest. Dodgers win, 5-3.

Coverage begins at 10:10 PM ET on SportsNet LA and Dodgers Radio AM570, with Spanish-language coverage available on KTNQ 1020.