Major League Baseball

Red Sox-Dodgers preview

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 8:30 p.m. ET

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LOS ANGELES -- If the Los Angeles Dodgers expect to compete against the Boston Red Sox, they need a solid outing from one of their starting pitchers.

Scott Kazmir was the latest Dodgers' starter who failed to deliver in three of the last four games. Kazmir (9-5) allowed four runs on five hits with four walks and two strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings in a 9-0 loss to the Red Sox on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

"Overall, he just really didn't command the fastball tonight," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "That's a very good hitting club and they made us pay for some mistakes. Game got away from us."

Kazmir's troubles come on the heels of Los Angeles starters managing just seven innings in two blowout losses to the Colorado Rockies earlier this week. On Saturday, they'll trust their fate to Ross Stripling.

Stripling (2-3, 4.14 ERA), who is being called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City, has not been consistent. But the Dodgers have few options since right-hander Bud Norris (back strain) is headed to the 15-day disabled list Saturday. Norris' injury is the latest of a string that have handcuffed the Dodgers, including ace Clayton Kershaw (herniated disk), who landed on the 60-day disabled list earlier this week and isn't expected back before September.

Needless to say, Stripling will be challenged.

"They're a lot of good hitters actually on that team," Roberts said of the Red Sox. "I can say we probably caught a break with David (Ortiz) on the bench (Friday night) in a National League ballpark."

Lefty Eduardo Rodriguez (2-4, 5.91 ERA) will get the start for Boston. In his last four starts, Rodriguez has a 2.63 ERA and has allowed only two hits in 12 at-bats with runners in scoring position (.167). This will be the first time he's face the Dodgers.

"For four months, we really haven't had any success," Roberts said regarding his team's woes with hitting left-handed pitchers. "We've got our work cut out but we'll be OK."

They weren't OK against Boston knuckleballer Steven Wright, who threw a complete-game shutout in Friday's gem, striking out nine, walking one and limiting the Dodgers to three hits.

"Outstanding. Complete control," Red Sox manager John Farrell said of Wright's performance. "I thought the two big pitches that were really good to see were the 3-2 knuckleballs that he threw to the middle of the order guys in the seventh inning for two strikeouts. He didn't go away from (his knuckleball) even in a four-run game. He executed even when he was behind in the count."

Wright (13-5) retired 18 of 19 batters, including 15 in a row at one point, before giving up a single to Yasmani Grandal to open the eighth inning.

"Watching Dodgers' games was what I did growing up, so to have an opportunity to pitch here was fun and to be able to throw my first complete-game shutout was definitely icing on the cake," said Wright, a native of nearby Torrance.

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