Sports Today Wednesday, September 9
← Back to today’s slate MLB matchup · September 9, 2026
Los Angeles Angels
55-90 · 5th in AL West, 19 GB
Offense cooling lately
RHP Ryan Johnson · Pitches to contact
@
Boston Red Sox
80-66 · 3rd in AL East, 7 GB
Steady at the plate
LHP Jake Bennett · Command specialist
MLB · Fenway Park · 3:45 PM PT

Team Identity

Los Angeles Angels
Season-to-date, 145 games, 5,616 PA.
A below-league-average offense across most categories this season. The offense has cooled off recently.
Power
Well Below11
Contact
Well Below16
Plate Discipline
Below Avg32
Speed
Average48
RISP
Well Below13
Recent Form
Trending Down
Walk rate is down 32% over the team's last 10 games versus its season baseline.
Boston Red Sox
Season-to-date, 146 games, 5,759 PA.
A contact-oriented offense that puts the ball in play and avoids empty at-bats.
Power
Average50
Contact
Above Avg69
Plate Discipline
Below Avg36
Speed
Below Avg45
RISP
Below Avg39
Recent Form
Holding Steady
Recent underlying offense is roughly in line with its season baseline.

What This Game Is About

Biggest Advantage

Red Sox's offense is defined by being contact-oriented, and this game tests whether Angels can match it.

Swing Factor

Angels rank in the 11th percentile in extra-base production, while Jake Bennett sits in the 66th percentile at suppressing total bases.

Momentum

Angels are trending down and Red Sox are holding steady over their last 10 games.

Key Matchups

Can Jake Bennett limit Angels' power?
Angels rank in the 11th percentile in extra-base production, while Jake Bennett sits in the 66th percentile at suppressing total bases.
Edge · Jake BennettAngels: 0.320 TB/PAJake Bennett: 0.303 TB/PA allowed (406 PA)High confidence
Can Ryan Johnson miss enough bats?
Ryan Johnson strikes hitters out at a 16.9% clip (18th percentile); Red Sox carry a 20.6% strikeout rate.
Edge · Red SoxRyan Johnson: 16.9% K rateRed Sox: 20.6% K rateHigh confidence
Can Jake Bennett miss enough bats?
Jake Bennett strikes hitters out at a 20.0% clip (39th percentile); Angels carry a 24.5% strikeout rate.
Edge · AngelsJake Bennett: 20.0% K rateAngels: 24.5% K rateHigh confidence
Can Ryan Johnson limit Red Sox's power?
Red Sox rank in the 50th percentile in extra-base production, while Ryan Johnson sits in the 31st percentile at suppressing total bases.
Edge · Red SoxRed Sox: 0.344 TB/PARyan Johnson: 0.369 TB/PA allowed (344 PA)High confidence
Can Jake Bennett command the strike zone?
Angels walk in 7.9% of trips; Jake Bennett allows walks sparingly (4.4%).
Edge · Jake BennettAngels: 7.9% walk rateJake Bennett: 4.4% walks allowedHigh confidence

Pitcher Trends

Ryan Johnson
Ryan Johnson
Los Angeles Angels · 8 starts
SP
Strikeouts3.5/start
Hits allowed4.0/start
4 or fewer Hits Allowed — 5 of last 64 or fewer Strikeouts — 4 of last 6
17% K rate
Per-start form only — opponent lineup, park, and pitch count aren't modeled.
Jake Bennett
Jake Bennett
Boston Red Sox · 8 starts
SP
Strikeouts5.4/start
Hits allowed5.8/start
6+ Strikeouts — 4 of last 65 or fewer Hits Allowed — 4 of last 6
20% K rate
Per-start form only — opponent lineup, park, and pitch count aren't modeled.

Player Trends

Eli White
Eli White
Boston Red Sox · 0.310 hit rate · 0.517 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L54 / 5L107 / 10L2514 / 25
Total bases per PA is up 159% over his prior baseline, with hits in 7 of his last 8 games. He has trimmed his strikeout rate to 17%.
Moises Ballesteros
Moises Ballesteros
Los Angeles Angels · 0.297 hit rate · 0.486 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L54 / 5L108 / 10L2514 / 252-game hit streak
Total bases per PA is up 183% over his prior baseline, with hits in 8 of his last 10 games.
Trevor Story
Trevor Story
Boston Red Sox · 0.351 hit rate · 0.486 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L54 / 5L108 / 10L2520 / 25
Hit rate is up 90% over his prior baseline, with hits in 8 of his last 9 games.
Jose Siri
Jose Siri
Los Angeles Angels · 0.045 hit rate · 0.045 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L51 / 5L101 / 10L258 / 25
Total bases per PA is down 88% over his prior baseline, with hits in 1 of his last 7 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 41%.
Connor Wong
Connor Wong
Boston Red Sox · 0.105 hit rate · 0.105 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L52 / 5L105 / 10L2511 / 25
Total bases per PA is down 65% over his prior baseline, with hits in 2 of his last 5 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 26%.
Ceddanne Rafaela
Ceddanne Rafaela
Boston Red Sox · 0.200 hit rate · 0.200 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L52 / 5L106 / 10L2518 / 25
Total bases per PA is down 51% over his prior baseline, with hits in 2 of his last 4 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 27%.

Players Positioned to Succeed

74
Zach Neto
Zach Neto
1+ Hit
Los Angeles Angels
Why it stands out
Recent contact results are improving
Main risk
Elevated recent strikeout rate
72
Nolan Schanuel
Nolan Schanuel
1+ Hit
Los Angeles Angels
Why it stands out
Recent contact results are improving
Main risk
Lineup not yet posted
71
Wade Meckler
Wade Meckler
1+ Hit
Los Angeles Angels
Why it stands out
Recent contact results are improving
Main risk
Lineup not yet posted
71
Masataka Yoshida
Masataka Yoshida
1+ Hit
Boston Red Sox
Why it stands out
Low recent strikeout rate
Main risk
Lineup not yet posted
70
Mike Trout
Mike Trout
1+ Hit
Los Angeles Angels
Why it stands out
Recent contact results are improving
Main risk
Elevated recent strikeout rate
67
Trevor Story
Trevor Story
1+ Hit
Boston Red Sox
Why it stands out
Recent form supports the pick
Main risk
Elevated recent strikeout rate

Expected Game Shape

BalancedLow confidence

Competitive profile without a clear stylistic tilt. Red Sox bring more power.

Early edge Red Sox Driver No single dominant factor Volatility Moderate
  • Both probable starters grade around the 47th percentile in combined suppression.
  • Angels are trending down; Red Sox are trending steady.

Storylines to Watch

Can Angels handle Jake Bennett's strikeout stuff?
Angels have been a below-average contact team while Jake Bennett misses bats at an above-average rate — a swing factor early.
Angels contact percentile: 16
Does Red Sox's power tilt the game?
Red Sox bring a clearly stronger extra-base profile into this matchup.
Angels power pct 11 vs Red Sox 50
Can Jose Siri snap out of it?
Jose Siri has cooled off. Total bases per PA is down 88% over his prior baseline, with hits in 1 of his last 7 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 41%.
0.045 hit rate · 0.045 TB/PA · 0.217 hit rate · 0.375 TB/PA
Based on plate appearances before 2026-09-09, with today's posted lineups when available. Injuries, weather, bullpen availability, and park factors are not yet included.