Sports Today Wednesday, September 9
← Back to today’s slate MLB matchup · September 9, 2026
Cleveland Guardians
74-72 · 2nd in AL Central, 2 GB
Bats heating up
LHP Foster Griffin · Command specialist
@
Baltimore Orioles
70-76 · 5th in AL East, 17 GB
Offense cooling lately
RHP Shane Baz · Balanced starter
MLB · Oriole Park at Camden Yards · 3:35 PM PT

Team Identity

Cleveland Guardians
Season-to-date, 146 games, 5,716 PA.
An aggressive, patient offense that runs and pressures defenses on the bases, though it can be light on power. The bats have been heating up lately.
Power
Well Below6
Contact
Below Avg39
Plate Discipline
Above Avg68
Speed
Elite85
RISP
Well Below8
Recent Form
Trending Up
Total bases per PA is up 16% over the team's last 10 games versus its season baseline.
Baltimore Orioles
Season-to-date, 146 games, 5,667 PA.
A patient offense that works counts and draws walks, though it can be station-to-station. The offense has cooled off recently.
Power
Average46
Contact
Well Below21
Plate Discipline
Elite87
Speed
Well Below17
RISP
Average54
Recent Form
Trending Down
Walk rate is down 14% over the team's last 10 games versus its season baseline.

What This Game Is About

Biggest Advantage

Orioles bring the more patient profile, while Guardians lean on being aggressive.

Swing Factor

Guardians rank in the 6th percentile in extra-base production, while Shane Baz sits in the 49th percentile at suppressing total bases.

Momentum

Guardians are trending up and Orioles are trending down over their last 10 games.

Key Matchups

Can Shane Baz limit Guardians' power?
Guardians rank in the 6th percentile in extra-base production, while Shane Baz sits in the 49th percentile at suppressing total bases.
Edge · Shane BazGuardians: 0.316 TB/PAShane Baz: 0.340 TB/PA allowed (709 PA)High confidence
Can Foster Griffin command the strike zone?
Orioles walk in 9.5% of trips; Foster Griffin allows walks sparingly (6.1%).
Edge · Foster GriffinOrioles: 9.5% walk rateFoster Griffin: 6.1% walks allowedHigh confidence
Can Foster Griffin miss enough bats?
Foster Griffin strikes hitters out at a 21.2% clip (48th percentile); Orioles carry a 23.8% strikeout rate.
Edge · OriolesFoster Griffin: 21.2% K rateOrioles: 23.8% K rateHigh confidence
Can Shane Baz miss enough bats?
Shane Baz strikes hitters out at a 20.3% clip (42nd percentile); Guardians carry a 20.4% strikeout rate.
Edge · GuardiansShane Baz: 20.3% K rateGuardians: 20.4% K rateHigh confidence
Can Shane Baz command the strike zone?
Guardians walk in 9.0% of trips; Shane Baz allows walks at a fairly typical rate (8.0%).
Edge · Shane BazGuardians: 9.0% walk rateShane Baz: 8.0% walks allowedHigh confidence

Pitcher Trends

Foster Griffin
Foster Griffin
Cleveland Guardians · 8 starts
SP
Strikeouts3.9/start
Hits allowed6.0/start
4 or fewer Strikeouts — 4 of last 65 or fewer Hits Allowed — 4 of last 6
21% K rate
Per-start form only — opponent lineup, park, and pitch count aren't modeled.
Shane Baz
Shane Baz
Baltimore Orioles · 8 starts
SP
Strikeouts4.9/start
Hits allowed5.2/start
5 or fewer Hits Allowed — 5 of last 64 or fewer Strikeouts — 3 of last 6
20% K rate
Per-start form only — opponent lineup, park, and pitch count aren't modeled.

Player Trends

Chase DeLauter
Chase DeLauter
Cleveland Guardians · 0.435 hit rate · 0.696 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L53 / 5L106 / 10L2517 / 25
Total bases per PA is up 84% over his prior baseline, with hits in 4 of his last 6 games.
Coby Mayo
Coby Mayo
Baltimore Orioles · 0.250 hit rate · 0.562 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L53 / 5L108 / 10L2516 / 25
Total bases per PA is up 43% over his prior baseline, with hits in 7 of his last 9 games. He has trimmed his strikeout rate to 19%.
Travis Bazzana
Travis Bazzana
Cleveland Guardians · 0.259 hit rate · 0.556 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L54 / 5L105 / 10L2513 / 254-game hit streak
Total bases per PA is up 77% over his prior baseline, with hits in 4 of his last 8 games. He has trimmed his strikeout rate to 11%.
Colton Cowser
Colton Cowser
Baltimore Orioles · 0.038 hit rate · 0.077 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L51 / 5L104 / 10L2513 / 25
Hit rate is down 80% over his prior baseline, with hits in 1 of his last 7 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 46%.
Leody Taveras
Leody Taveras
Baltimore Orioles · 0.040 hit rate · 0.080 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L51 / 5L102 / 10L2512 / 25
Hit rate is down 80% over his prior baseline, with hits in 1 of his last 7 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 52%.
Austin Hedges
Austin Hedges
Cleveland Guardians · 0.125 hit rate · 0.125 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L52 / 5L105 / 10L2511 / 25
Total bases per PA is down 61% over his prior baseline, with hits in 2 of his last 5 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 31%.

Players Positioned to Succeed

70
Adley Rutschman
Adley Rutschman
1+ Hit
Baltimore Orioles
Why it stands out
Strong recent plate-appearance volume
Main risk
Ice cold — 3 hits in the last 25 plate appearances
67
Steven Kwan
Steven Kwan
1+ Hit
Cleveland Guardians
Why it stands out
Low recent strikeout rate
Main risk
Lineup not yet posted
67
Taylor Ward
Taylor Ward
1+ Hit
Baltimore Orioles
Why it stands out
Strong recent plate-appearance volume
Main risk
Ice cold — 2 hits in the last 25 plate appearances
66
Jo Adell
Jo Adell
1+ Hit
Cleveland Guardians
Why it stands out
Low recent strikeout rate
Main risk
Recent hit rate has cooled
64
Gunnar Henderson
Gunnar Henderson
1+ Hit
Baltimore Orioles
Why it stands out
Low recent strikeout rate
Main risk
Lineup not yet posted
64
Jackson Holliday
Jackson Holliday
1+ Hit
Baltimore Orioles
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. Guardians bring stronger recent momentum. Orioles bring more power.

Early edge Orioles Driver No single dominant factor Volatility Elevated
  • Both probable starters grade around the 49th percentile in combined suppression.
  • Guardians are trending up; Orioles are trending down.

Storylines to Watch

Does Orioles' power tilt the game?
Orioles bring a clearly stronger extra-base profile into this matchup.
Guardians power pct 6 vs Orioles 46
Can Orioles handle Foster Griffin's strikeout stuff?
Orioles have been a below-average contact team while Foster Griffin misses bats at an above-average rate — a swing factor early.
Orioles contact percentile: 21
Can Colton Cowser snap out of it?
Colton Cowser has cooled off. Hit rate is down 80% over his prior baseline, with hits in 1 of his last 7 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 46%.
0.038 hit rate · 0.077 TB/PA · 0.188 hit rate · 0.321 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.