The Boston Red Sox look to complete the sweep of the Cleveland Guardians tonight at Fenway Park. But they received bad news ahead of tonight’s game.
Rookie Roman Anthony is making his first trip to the IL with an oblique strain. Red Sox manager Alex Cora says Anthony could miss 4-6 weeks, making this a potentially season-ending injury.
Anthony has been one of Boston’s hottest bats, hitting .311 over his last 30 games with six home runs and 15 RBIs. After managing just one homer in each of his first two months, he finished August with six, showing he can produce for both average and power.
Since his MLB debut on June 9, Anthony has catalyzed a Boston offense from the leadoff spot. The team was three games under .500 before he arrived, and they now sit 16 games above, a dramatic 19-game turnaround fueled in no small part by the rookie.
Boston and the New York Yankees both trail the Toronto Blue Jays by 2.5 games in the AL East but currently sit atop the Wild Card race. The absence of Anthony could prove pivotal in that chase.
Tonight, Boston turns to Brennan Bernardino as an opener. He has made two starts this season, throwing 2.1 scoreless innings. The Red Sox will rely heavily on the bullpen and their offense to carry the rest of the load.
Joey Cantillo gets the start for the Guardians. He’s bounced between the majors and minors this year, and the bullpen and the rotation. Cantillo has struggled with control, which the Guardians are keen on working out so he can be a piece of their rotation.
Predictions
Boston’s lineup won’t be as dangerous without Anthony, but Cantillo’s control issues give the Red Sox opportunities to manufacture runs. Expect the Guardians to scratch out some runs against Boston’s bullpen, keeping things close.
Prediction: Boston 5, Guardians 4
Starting Lineups
Cleveland Guardians
1. Steven Kwan – LF
2. Angel Martinez – CF
3. José Ramírez – 3B
4. Kyle Manzardo – DH
5. Jhonkensy Noel – RF
6. Bo Naylor – C
7. Gabriel Arias – SS
8. C.J. Kayfus – 1B
9. Brayan Rocchio – 2B
Starting Pitcher: Joey Cantillo (LHP) — 3–3, 3.93 ERA
Boston Red Sox
1. Nate Eaton – 3B
2. Alex Bregman – DH
3. Trevor Story – SS
4. Romy González – 1B
5. Rob Refsnyder – RF
6. Jarren Duran – LF
7. Ceddanne Rafaela – CF
8. Nick Sogard – 1B
9. Connor Wong– DH
Starting Pitcher: Brennan Bernadino (LHP) — 4–2, 3.08 ERA
How to Watch Guardians vs. Red Sox
First pitch for tonight’s Guardians–Red Sox game is set for 6:45 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: Wednesday, September 3, 2025
First Pitch: 6:45 PM Eastern
Venue: Fenway Park, Boston, MA
TV: NESN (Boston), Guardians TV (Cleveland)
Streaming: MLB.TV (out-of-market)
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