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Today · 7:10 PM ETLineup pendingAL Central / AL East

Cleveland Guardians   vs   Boston Red Sox Preview

September 23, 2026

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

7:10 PM ET · Fenway ParkStats availableLineups not confirmed
T-Score54
Cleveland Guardians
81–75 · 1st AL Central · T-Score 54
–
–––
First pitch 7:10 PM ET
Boston Red Sox
84–72 · 3rd AL East · T-Score 57
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T-Score57
First pitch 7:10 PM ET

Matchup at a glance

PitcherStat calculation
CategoryComparisonWhy
Starting pitcherSoxThe starters are close overall, but Gray owns the better strikeout and control profile.
Offense vs handSoxBoston has produced the stronger offense against left-handed pitching.
WeatherModerate impactA 10 mph wind could modestly increase carry on fly balls.

Starting pitchers

CLE
Foster Griffin LHP
Foster Griffin
Cleveland Guardians
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
3.67
69th
WHIP
1.19
65th
K/9
8.15
111th
BB/9
2.43
42nd
P-Score58i
FIP
4.07
HR/9
1.24
120th
OPS/R
0.732
IP
166.2
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA3.43
Road ERA3.92
Last 5 starts
BOS
Sonny Gray RHP
Sonny Gray
Boston Red Sox
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
2.82
18th
WHIP
1.16
51st
K/9
8.06
114th
BB/9
2.48
47th
P-Score68i
FIP
3.45
HR/9
0.88
42nd
OPS/R
0.675
IP
163.0
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA2.91
Road ERA2.62
Last 5 starts
How the starters differ
·Gray owns the lower FIP, 3.45 to 4.07.
·Gray allows the lower home-run rate: 0.88 vs 1.24 per nine.
·Griffin enters with a 3.92 road ERA; Gray owns a 2.91 ERA at home.
Advanced starter metricsERA−, FIP, WAR, career vs opponent
MetricGriffinGrayNote
ERA−8765Park- and league-adjusted; 100 is average.
FIP4.073.45
WAR2.33.2Season value.

How the lineups match the starters' pitch mix

Pitch data coverage: partial. Usage and velocity only.

Griffin arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Cutter33%88.5
Four-seam16%91.5
Sweeper14%80.3
Changeup12%82.5
Sinker10%91.4
Curveball9%77.8
Splitter6%81.4
Gray arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Sinker22%92.0
Sweeper20%84.8
Cutter19%88.3
Four-seam17%91.6
Curveball16%79.6
Changeup6%86.2
Slow Curve0%74.1

Team OPS vs opposing starter's hand

Guardians vs RHP (Sonny Gray)
25th
in MLB
0.702OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000
Sox vs LHP (Foster Griffin)
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
+21118th
Run differential
+2909th
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?+
Foster Griffin is listed as the starter.
Who is starting for the Sox?+
Sonny Gray is listed as the starter.
What time does the game start?+
7:10 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?+
Foster Griffin is at 58; Sonny Gray is at 68. P-Score is PitcherStat's 0–100 season index for qualified starters.