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Today · 4:10 PM ETLineup pendingAL Central / AL East

Kansas City Royals   vs   Boston Red Sox Preview

September 12, 2026

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

4:10 PM ET · Fenway ParkStats availableLineups not confirmed
T-Score34
Kansas City Royals
65–82 · 5th AL Central · T-Score 34
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First pitch 4:10 PM ET
Boston Red Sox
80–67 · 3rd AL East · T-Score 78
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T-Score78
First pitch 4:10 PM ET

Matchup at a glance

PitcherStat calculation
CategoryComparisonWhy
Starting pitcherSoxSuarez owns the stronger overall starter profile, with the higher P-Score and better strikeout and baserunner rates.
Offense vs handEvenThe handedness splits are nearly even, with less than a .015 difference in OPS.
Team strengthSoxBoston leads 78–34 in T-Score.
WeatherLow impact70°F, wind 8 mph, no precipitation expected at first pitch.

Starting pitchers

KC
Randy Dobnak RHP
Randy Dobnak
Kansas City Royals
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
2.54
11th
WHIP
1.32
118th
K/9
6.08
207th
BB/9
3.25
125th
P-Score55i
FIP
4.10
HR/9
0.85
46th
OPS/R
0.634
IP
63.2
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA3.93
Road ERA0.92
Last 5 starts
BOS
Ranger Suarez LHP
Ranger Suarez
Boston Red Sox
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
3.44
52nd
WHIP
1.22
76th
K/9
8.40
96th
BB/9
2.76
73rd
P-Score71i
FIP
3.10
HR/9
0.55
11th
OPS/R
0.608
IP
130.2
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA4.14
Road ERA2.95
Last 5 starts
How the starters differ
·Suarez strikes out 2.3 more batters per nine innings.
·Suarez owns the lower FIP, 3.10 to 4.10.
·The WHIP gap favors Suarez, 1.22 to 1.32.
·Suarez allows the lower home-run rate: 0.55 vs 0.85 per nine.
Advanced starter metricsERA−, FIP, WAR, career vs opponent
MetricDobnakSuarezNote
ERA−6080Park- and league-adjusted; 100 is average.
FIP4.103.10
WAR0.73.4Season value.

How the lineups match the starters' pitch mix

Pitch data coverage: partial. Usage and velocity only.

Dobnak arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Sinker39%91.5
Sweeper25%82.4
Changeup21%84.8
Four-seam9%92.2
Slider5%83.8
Suarez arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Sinker23%90.3
Four-seam23%91.5
Cutter19%88.0
Curveball17%75.6
Changeup13%81.1
Slider5%78.8

Team OPS vs opposing starter's hand

Royals vs LHP (Ranger Suarez)
15th
in MLB
0.702OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000
Sox vs RHP (Randy Dobnak)
16th
in MLB
0.717OPS
.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

ResultsKCKC·BOSBOS
+10726th
Run differential
+2535th
65–82 Record80–67
Last 10 games
Kansas City Royals (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 Royals?+
Randy Dobnak is listed as the starter.
Who is starting for the Sox?+
Ranger Suarez is listed as the starter.
What time does the game start?+
4:10 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?+
Randy Dobnak is at 55; Ranger Suarez is at 71. P-Score is PitcherStat's 0–100 season index for qualified starters.