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Today · 6:45 PM ETLineup pendingAL Central / AL East

Cleveland Guardians   vs   Boston Red Sox Preview

September 22, 2026

Starting pitchers, lineup status, recent form and weather at Fenway Park.

6:45 PM ET · Fenway ParkStats availableLineups not confirmed
T-Score55
Cleveland Guardians
81–75 · 1st AL Central · T-Score 55
–
–––
First pitch 6:45 PM ET
Boston Red Sox
84–72 · 3rd AL East · T-Score 57
–
T-Score57
First pitch 6:45 PM ET

Matchup at a glance

PitcherStat calculation
CategoryComparisonWhy
Starting pitcherEvenBoth starters enter with comparable season profiles; neither holds a meaningful statistical advantage.
Offense vs handSoxBoston has produced the stronger offense against left-handed pitching.
WeatherModerate impactA 5 mph wind could modestly increase carry on fly balls.

Starting pitchers

CLE
Parker Messick LHP
Parker Messick
Cleveland Guardians
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
2.57
11th
WHIP
1.04
14th
K/9
9.39
49th
BB/9
2.37
39th
P-Score76i
FIP
3.11
HR/9
0.86
38th
OPS/R
0.568
IP
178.1
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA2.79
Road ERA2.21
Last 5 starts
BOS
Payton Tolle LHP
Payton Tolle
Boston Red Sox
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
3.02
30th
WHIP
1.07
21st
K/9
10.45
25th
BB/9
2.39
40th
P-Score71i
FIP
3.10
HR/9
0.94
54th
OPS/R
0.618
IP
143.0
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA3.55
Road ERA2.50
Last 5 starts
How the starters differ
·Tolle owns a 10.4 K/9 compared with Messick's 9.4.
·Messick enters with a 2.21 road ERA; Tolle owns a 3.55 ERA at home.
Advanced starter metricsERA−, FIP, WAR, career vs opponent
MetricMessickTolleNote
ERA−6174Park- and league-adjusted; 100 is average.
FIP3.113.10
WAR4.53.7Season value.

How the lineups match the starters' pitch mix

Pitch data coverage: partial. Usage and velocity only.

Messick arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Four-seam41%94.3
Changeup23%85.9
Sinker15%92.7
Curveball9%79.2
Slider6%86.9
Cutter5%90.5
Tolle arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Four-seam45%96.1
Sinker23%94.9
Cutter19%88.6
Curveball9%83.0
Changeup3%88.6

Team OPS vs opposing starter's hand

Guardians vs LHP (Payton Tolle)
27th
in MLB
0.671OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000
Sox vs LHP (Parker Messick)
6th
in MLB
0.746OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000

Lineups

Lineup pendingOrder 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

ResultsCLECLE·BOSBOS
+21018th
Run differential
+2849th
81–75 Record84–72
Last 10 games
Cleveland Guardians (0–0)
Boston Red Sox (0–0)
2026 head-to-head
Season Series
0—0
0 Games Played

Frequently asked

Who is starting for the Guardians?+
Parker Messick is listed as the starter.
Who is starting for the Sox?+
Payton Tolle is listed as the starter.
What time does the game start?+
6:45 PM ET at Fenway Park.
Where is the game being played?+
Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox.
Are the lineups confirmed?+
Not yet. Orders appear here when they are posted.
How do the starters compare on P-Score?+
Parker Messick is at 76; Payton Tolle is at 71. P-Score is PitcherStat's 0–100 season index for qualified starters.