The Boston Red Sox (76–62) host the Cleveland Guardians (68–67) at Fenway Park this afternoon to begin a key three-game series as the postseason race heats up.
Boston currently holds the second spot in the AL Wild Card race and sits 3.5 games back of the division-leading Toronto Blue Jays, with the New York Yankees also ahead of them in the AL East.
The Guardians, meanwhile, are three games out of the final Wild Card position, trailing the Seattle Mariners. Their divisional hopes are all but gone, as they sit 10.5 games behind the first-place Detroit Tigers, who have controlled the AL Central for pretty much the entire season.
Cleveland has rebounded after being swept by the Texas Rangers in August, winning consecutive series against the Tampa Bay Rays and Mariners. Taking the set against Seattle was particularly crucial in keeping their Wild Card chances alive, and a series win over Boston would further boost their case.
The Guardians will turn to rookie Parker Messick, making just his third big league start since being called up last month. Messick has impressed early, going 1–0 with a 0.66 ERA through his first two outings.
In his last start, he threw seven scoreless innings against Tampa Bay. Though his fastball averages only 93 mph, it plays well with his devastating changeup, which carries a 47.6% whiff rate. Opponents are hitting just .118 against his fastball, which also owns a 41.2% putaway rate.
Boston counters with Brayan Bello, who has emerged as a reliable rotation piece in his fourth season in the big leagues. The right-hander is 10–6 with a 2.99 ERA and was even sharper in August, posting a 3–1 record and 2.27 ERA, including seven shutout innings against the Yankees.
Predictions
Expect a pitcher’s duel, but Boston has the edge thanks to its deeper lineup. The Red Sox average 4.91 runs per game compared to Cleveland’s 3.84.
Prediction: Red Sox 3, Guardians 2
Starting Lineups
Cleveland Guardians
1. Steven Kwan – LF
2. Daniel Schneemann – 2B
3. José Ramírez – 3B
4. Kyle Manzardo – 1B
5. Bo Naylor – C
6. Nolan Jones – CF
7. George Valera – DH
8. CJ Kayfus – RF
9. Brayan Rocchio – SS
Starting Pitcher: Parker Messick (LHP) — 1-0, 0.66 ERA
Boston Red Sox
1. Roman Anthony – RF
2. Alex Bregman – 3B
3. Trevor Story – SS
4. Romy González – 2B
5. Rob Refsnyder – DH
6. Nate Eaton – LF
7. Ceddanne Rafaela – CF
8. Nathaniel Lowe – 1B
9. Connor Wong – C
Starting Pitcher: Brayan Bello (RHP) — 10-6, 2.99 ERA
How to Watch Guardians vs. Red Sox
First pitch for today’s Guardians–Red Sox game is set for 1:35 PM Eastern at Fenway Park in Boston.
The game will air on NESN in the Boston market and Guardians TV in Cleveland. Fans outside of local markets can stream via MLB.TV.
Cleveland Guardians vs. Boston Red Sox
Date: Monday, September 1, 2025
First Pitch: 1:35 PM Eastern
Venue: Fenway Park, Boston, MA
TV: NESN (Boston), Guardians TV (Cleveland)
Streaming: MLB.TV (out-of-market), NESN 360