The Guardians head into Fenway Park with the kind of week that can reshape a season. They’ve won five in a row, just swept the Athletics, and now sit atop the American League Central by 1.0 game as they open a three-game set with the Red Sox to begin the final week of the regular season.
Boston arrives with a different kind of urgency. The Red Sox have dropped two straight and are 4-6 over their last 10, though they’ve already locked up an AL wild-card spot. That makes this series feel like a possible postseason preview, even if Cleveland is still trying to hold onto more than one path forward.
Cleveland’s opening assignment goes to Messick, who has been one of the club’s most reliable arms this season. The left-hander owns a 2.57 ERA across 30 starts, and he’s coming off a solid outing against the Chicago White Sox, when he worked six innings, allowed three runs on seven hits, and struck out eight. The Guardians will need that kind of stuff again.
Boston counters with Tolle, who has put together a strong year of his own. He enters the matchup with a 3.02 ERA in 25 starts.
Wednesday brings a left-on-right pairing with Foster Griffin set to pitch for Cleveland and Sonny Gray taking the ball for Boston. Griffin has not worked beyond the fourth inning in either of his last two starts, and the Guardians will be looking for more length after he has posted a 5.79 ERA in eight starts since arriving in Cleveland at the trade deadline. Gray has been steadier for the Red Sox, carrying a 2.82 ERA over 28 starts this season.
The Guardians have not officially named a starter for Thursday’s finale, though the club will likely try to keep its pitching group lined up for possible postseason games the following week.
Tuesday’s opener is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. PT/6:45 p.m.
ET at Fenway Park and will air on Guardians.TV, NESN, and in the MLB app. Wednesday’s game starts at 4:10 p.m.
PT/7:10 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN/ESPN App and in the MLB app.
Thursday’s finale is set for 3:45 p.m. PT/6:45 p.m.
ET, with coverage on Guardians.TV, NESN, and in the MLB app.
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Ralphy Velazquez Is Forcing A Tough Guardians Decision
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A .290/.379/.548 line with 29 home runs gives Cleveland something worth thinking hard about as it looks ahead to 2027. For now, the organization is still taking the cautious route with his development, but Velazquez is pushing his way into the conversation about when the Guardians can no longer afford to wait. [Read more 🡒]
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Jo Adell Is Giving Cleveland A Trade Deadline Problem Nobody Expected
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Adell has already hit six home runs and driven in 31 runs, production that ranks second in the American League in RBI since his debut with the club. That kind of impact naturally opens the door to bigger questions, even if it is still early, and there has been some conversation about whether a contract extension could eventually make sense. For now, though, Clevelands real issue is simpler and more surprising: the player acquired to solve one problem may be creating a much larger one about how long he stays. [Read more 🡒]