With 12th win in sight, Yamamoto faces Red Sox for first time

LOS ANGELES -- Yoshinobu Yamamoto has come out of the All-Star break on a hot streak, and he'll look to continue his momentum against an opponent that is new to him.

Yamamoto will make his 20th start of the season on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium against the Red Sox, who he's facing for the first time in his career. The 27-year-old right-hander is also seeking his 12th win, which would tie the MLB career high he set last year.

The game will air at 6:10 p.m. PT/9:10 p.m. ET on SportsNet LA and MLB.TV.

In two second-half starts, Yamamoto dominated with his first regular-season complete game in the Bronx before grinding through six innings of one-run ball in Flushing. Over the course of the season, he has actually been better on the road (2.17 ERA in 62 1/3 innings) than at home (63 1/3 innings).

Yamamoto has faced only three hitters who are currently with the Red Sox: Willson Contreras (0-for-3), Caleb Durbin (0-for-1) and Andruw Monasterio (1-for-1, RBI).

Overall, Yamamoto is 11-6 with a 2.72 ERA. He has struck out 118 batters against 28 walks, and his 0.90 WHIP is second only to the Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski among qualified Major Leaguers. Misiorowski is considered the frontrunner for the NL Cy Young Award at this point in the season, although Yamamoto should still be in line to make a run for the honor with a strong second half.

A hot-hitting Red Sox team that caught fire in July, and entered the weekend set at Chavez Ravine with the second-highest run differential (+50) in the American League, should be a good test for Yamamoto.