The Los Angeles Dodgers host the Boston Red Sox on Sunday, August 2, 2026, at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 7:20 PM ET. Emmet Sheehan gets the ball for the Dodgers against Boston left-hander Jake Bennett in what shapes up as an intriguing pitching matchup. The game is nationally televised on NBC/Peacock and marks another high-profile opportunity for this loaded Dodgers lineup to do damage against a Red Sox club making the trip to Chavez Ravine. If you only catch the opener, that's your who, what, when, where, and why right there.

Dodgers vs. Red Sox Starting Pitchers: Sheehan vs. Bennett

Emmet Sheehan draws the start for Los Angeles. The hard-throwing right-hander has been one of the more compelling arms in the Dodgers' rotation, and a home start under the lights at Dodger Stadium is exactly the kind of stage he needs to continue building on his development. Sheehan's ability to miss bats will be the central question — can he keep a Boston lineup that includes Masataka Yoshida, Willson Contreras, and Ceddanne Rafaela off the bases consistently enough to give the offense room to work?

Jake Bennett gets the nod for the Red Sox. The left-hander will face one of the most formidable lineups in baseball, and how he handles the top of the Dodgers' order early will set the tone for Boston's entire night. Lefties against this Dodgers lineup have a difficult road — Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Kyle Tucker are all capable of doing serious damage regardless of arm angle.

Dodgers Lineup: Ohtani Leads a Stacked Order

Manager Dave Roberts sends out a lineup with real firepower from top to bottom. Shohei Ohtani leads off at DH, with Andy Pages batting second in center field. Tommy Edman slots in third at second base, followed by Freddie Freeman at cleanup. Mookie Betts — shifted to shortstop — hits fifth, with Kyle Tucker in right field at six. Teoscar Hernández handles left field and bats seventh, Max Muncy is at third base batting eighth, and Dalton Rushing draws the catching duties and hits ninth.

That is not a lineup with many soft spots. Bennett will need to navigate Ohtani and Pages at the top, survive the Freeman-Betts-Tucker core of the order, and then handle Hernández before he can even think about exhaling. The Dodgers have the kind of depth that punishes pitchers who start nibbling when they fall behind in counts.

Red Sox Lineup: Boston's Keys to Staying Competitive

Boston counters with Nick Sogard leading off at second base, Ceddanne Rafaela in center, and Wilyer Abreu hitting third in right field. Willson Contreras is at first base batting cleanup, with Masataka Yoshida as the DH hitting fifth. Caleb Durbin plays third base and bats sixth, Andruw Monasterio is at shortstop batting seventh, Jarren Duran hits eighth in left field, and Carlos Narváez catches and bats ninth.

Rafaela's speed at the top of the order is a genuine weapon if he can get on base. Yoshida in the middle of the lineup gives Boston a professional hitter who makes contact and works counts. If the Red Sox are going to pull off something at Dodger Stadium on Sunday night, they'll need contributions throughout that order — not just from one or two spots.

Keys to Watch

• Sheehan's command early: If Sheehan can establish his fastball and work efficiently through the first two or three innings, the Dodgers' bullpen depth becomes a major advantage as the game progresses.
• How Bennett handles Ohtani: The leadoff at-bat sets everything. If Ohtani reaches base in the first inning, Bennett is immediately working from behind against one of the best lineups in the sport.
• Dalton Rushing behind the plate: Rushing's ability to frame pitches and manage Sheehan's arsenal could quietly be one of the biggest factors in how far Sheehan goes into the game.
• Rafaela's impact on the bases: Boston's center fielder is a disruptive presence when he gets on. Sheehan and Rushing will need to keep him off the bases or make his life difficult if he reaches.

Prediction

The Dodgers take this one at home. Sheehan delivers a quality start, the lineup tags Bennett for multiple runs in the first three innings, and the bullpen closes it out. The Red Sox have enough pieces to make it competitive into the sixth or seventh inning, but the combination of Sheehan's stuff and this Dodgers offense at Dodger Stadium on a Sunday night is a tough ask for Boston. Dodgers win, 6-3.