The Boston Red Sox visit the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday, September 3, 2026 at 7:15 p.m. ET from Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD.
The Orioles enter at 69-71, while the Red Sox sit at 75-65. Brandon Young (9-3, 3.38 ERA in 130.1 innings) takes the mound for the Orioles, opposed by Jake Bennett (9-6, 3.27 ERA in 93.2 innings). The Red Sox’s 264 hits in the month of August are the most in the MLB in the 2026 regular season, while the Orioles’ 114 walks on breaking balls are the most in the MLB in the 2026 regular season.
Below, we’ll give you all the details you need to know about how to watch this game.
Alonso has been the anchor of Baltimore’s offense all season, leading the Orioles with 32 home runs and 91 RBIs. He returns to the lineup healthy after a Monday scare, and he arrives red hot: a 1.050 OPS with nine home runs in August alone.Â
This game also sets up as a test of whether Baltimore can break through against a Boston staff that owns a 3.64 ERA and 1.239 WHIP, both better than the Orioles’ season marks on the mound. Beating a staff like that early is exactly the kind of production Baltimore needs from the middle of its order in a tight wild card chase.
Henderson has already put a charge into this exact matchup. In the Orioles’ 5 to 1 win over Boston on July 22, he scored twice and added a triple, and in the 6 to 5 loss on July 20, he went 3 for 5 with three doubles. He ranks second on the club with 22 home runs and 57 RBIs, giving Baltimore a second consistent power source behind Alonso.
Against a Red Sox team that has allowed a .242 opponent batting average and a .687 opponent OPS this season, Henderson’s ability to create loud contact matters. Keeping him locked in on hard contact gives Baltimore’s offense a real chance to pressure a Boston club that has been the stronger run prevention side all year.
With Willson Contreras on the injured list, more of Boston’s offense now runs through Abreu, who is second on the Red Sox in both home runs, with 23, and RBIs, with 70. He already has a taste of success in this series too: in Boston’s 8 to 1 win on June 3, he drove in three runs.
The broader matchup fits his importance. Baltimore’s pitching staff has a 4.16 ERA, a 1.346 WHIP and ranks 21st in WHIP and 23rd in strikeouts. That gives Boston’s lineup a chance to put balls in play and build innings. Abreu turning that traffic into runs would let Boston lean into the edge it has shown all season in run prevention and overall record.
The way this opener plays out could hinge on command from the mound, and that puts real weight on Bennett’s start as Boston’s projected opener. The Red Sox have been one of the better pitching teams in the American League all season, ranking fourth in ERA and sixth in WHIP, and Bennett steps into a favorable team context behind that staff. He also started the July 22 meeting that Boston won 6 to 3.
His assignment is especially important against an Orioles lineup that has hit 169 home runs but owns a .235 team batting average and a .714 OPS. Baltimore can still punish mistakes, especially with Alonso and Henderson in the middle, so Bennett’s command will be the key. Keeping the ball under control and limiting free baserunners would put Boston in position to protect its wild card standing.
Learn more about the Boston Red Sox vs. Baltimore Orioles game and check the full MLB schedule on FOX Sports!
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.
