The Boston Red Sox wrap up their week at Fenway Park on Friday, September 25, when they host the Chicago Cubs at 1:05 PM ET. Alec Gamboa gets the start for Boston against Cubs right-hander Clay Holmes in what amounts to a meaningful late-September regular season contest. With the calendar winding down toward the final week of the 2026 season, every game in the standings carries weight. Catch the action on NESN locally or tune into 104.3 The Score and WEEI 93.7 on the radio dial.
Pitching Matchup: Alec Gamboa vs. Clay Holmes
Alec Gamboa draws the Friday start for the Red Sox, taking the ball at Fenway in what could be one of the final home assignments of the 2026 regular season. Gamboa will need to attack the strike zone early and keep the Cubs offense from getting comfortable in a ballpark that can play both ways depending on the wind off Lansdowne Street.
Clay Holmes makes the trip to Boston for Chicago. Holmes has experience working high-leverage situations and carries the kind of stuff that can keep lineups off-balance. The Red Sox will need patient at-bats and disciplined approaches to get into this Cubs bullpen if Holmes settles in early.
Keys to Watch at Fenway Park
- Gamboa's command: Keeping walks off the board is essential at Fenway. Free passes in a bandbox tend to snowball fast, so Gamboa's ability to pound the zone early in counts will set the tone for the afternoon.
- Red Sox lineup production vs. Holmes: Holmes can be difficult to square up. Boston's lineup will need to work counts and look for pitches to drive rather than expanding early and chasing his best stuff.
- Bullpen depth: Late September means rosters are expanded and both clubs have arms available. How the managers deploy their relievers in a tight game could be the difference between a win and a loss heading into the final days of the regular season.
- Fenway atmosphere: A Friday afternoon game in late September at Fenway tends to draw a passionate crowd that knows what is at stake. Home support matters, especially when the Sox need a momentum swing.
Prediction
This is a matchup where pitching and small-ball execution will likely decide things. Without a statistical edge to lean on for either starter, the edge goes to whoever manages the strike zone better on both sides of the ball. Boston gets the home-field advantage and the Fenway crowd on a Friday afternoon — take the Red Sox to grind out a close win, 4-2.
