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FinalFinal lineupsNL Central / AL Central

Chicago Cubs 5, Cleveland Guardians 6

Final Score and Game Recap

Final score, pitching lines and standings context.

1:15 PM ET · Progressive FieldGame-day snapshotFinal lineups lockedCurrent 2026 season stats — updated Oct 20, 5:00 AM ET
T-Score51
Chicago Cubs
89–73 · 2nd NL Central · T-Score 51
5
5–6
FINAL
Cleveland Guardians
85–77 · 1st AL Central · T-Score 40
6
T-Score40
FINAL

Matchup at a glance

PitcherStat calculation
CategoryComparisonWhy
Starting pitcherGuardiansCleveland has the stronger starting-pitcher profile: Messick leads in P-Score, WHIP and K/9.
Offense vs handCubsChicago has produced the stronger offense against left-handed pitching.
Team strengthCubsChicago leads 51–40 in T-Score, driven by stronger offense.

Starting pitchers

CHC
Shota Imanaga LHP
Shota Imanaga
Chicago Cubs
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
–
79th
WHIP
–
35th
K/9
–
71st
BB/9
–
12th
P-Score59i
FIP
–
HR/9
–
203rd
OPS/R
–
IP
–
Last 5 starts
CLE
Parker Messick LHP
Parker Messick
Cleveland Guardians
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
–
10th
WHIP
–
20th
K/9
–
54th
BB/9
–
41st
P-Score75i
FIP
–
HR/9
–
33rd
OPS/R
–
IP
–
Last 5 starts
How the starters differ
·Messick works deeper into games, 5.5 IP per start versus 5.0.
·Imanaga enters with a 3.45 road ERA; Messick owns a 2.90 ERA at home.

How the lineups match the starters' pitch mix

Pitch data coverage: partial. Usage and velocity only.

Imanaga arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Four-seam40%91.6
Splitter35%82.8
Sweeper15%81.0
Sinker6%90.2
Curveball3%74.4
Slider2%86.4
Messick arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Four-seam42%94.4
Changeup24%85.9
Sinker15%92.8
Curveball8%79.3
Slider7%87.0
Cutter5%90.6

Team OPS vs opposing starter's hand

Cubs vs LHP (Parker Messick)
1st
in MLB
0.796OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000
Guardians vs LHP (Shota Imanaga)
27th
in MLB
0.675OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000

Lineups

Final lineupsOrder from the stored snapshot; treat as unofficial until the card is filed.Full lineup page
Lineups not announced

Neither club has posted a batting order. Handedness composition, H-Score leaders and batter-vs-pitcher samples appear here as soon as the first order is filed — typically two to three hours before first pitch.

Team comparison

ResultsCHCCHC·CLECLE
+4861st
Run differential
+29623rd
89–73 Record85–77
Last 10 games
Chicago Cubs Recent form unavailable
Cleveland Guardians Recent form unavailable
2026 head-to-head
Season Series
0—0
0 Games Played

Frequently asked

Who is starting for the Cubs?+
Shota Imanaga is listed as the starter.
Who is starting for the Guardians?+
Parker Messick is listed as the starter.
What time does the game start?+
1:15 PM ET at Progressive Field.
Where is the game being played?+
Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Guardians.
Are the lineups confirmed?+
Not yet. Orders appear here when they are posted.
How do the starters compare on P-Score?+
Shota Imanaga is at 59; Parker Messick is at 75. P-Score is PitcherStat's 0–100 season index for qualified starters.