The Boston Red Sox return from the break with a chance to extend one of baseball’s hottest runs in a July 17 doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays. Boston has won 14 of its last 16 games and carries a nine-game road winning streak into the matchup.
The challenge is immediate against the American League leaders, who entered the break at 56-38 and three games ahead of every other AL club. The Rays went 13-5 before the break, including a series win over Seattle after splitting four games with the Yankees.
Game 1 Details
| Team | Record | Starting Pitcher | First Pitch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Red Sox | 46-48 | LHP Jake Bennett (4-3, 2.64 ERA) | 1:35 p.m. |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 56-38 | RHP Griffin Jax (5-6, 3.47 ERA) | 1:35 p.m. |
Boston’s Game 1 lineup lists Seigler at second base, Ceddanne Rafaela in center field and Wilyer Abreu in right field. Caleb Durbin will play third, Masataka Yoshida will serve as designated hitter, and Romy González will start at first base.
Jarren Duran is set to play left field, Carlos Narváez will catch, and Cheng will start at shortstop. Tampa Bay’s lineup had not been announced at the time of the preview.
Bennett Carries Momentum Into a Tough Matchup
Bennett has won each of his last three starts and worked at least seven innings in consecutive victories over the Angels and White Sox. He threw seven shutout innings against Chicago on July 8, allowing four hits.
The rookie left-hander has struggled against the Rays in two previous starts, going 0-2 with a 6.97 ERA over 10⅓ innings. Tampa Bay hitters with prior success against Bennett include Nick Fortes, who is 3-for-4, and Junior Caminero, who is 2-for-5.
Boston’s pitching staff has been a major factor in its climb, allowing 3.8 runs per game through 94 contests. That is the club’s second-lowest mark through 94 games since the end of World War II.
Jax Has Found His Form
Jax has won four of his past five starts for the Rays, with his only loss in that stretch coming against the Yankees on July 6. He struck out 10 batters in five innings in that defeat.
Against Boston, Jax is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA across 15 career appearances, including two starts. One of those starts came at Fenway Park on May 7, when he allowed two earned runs on four hits in four innings without a decision.
Abreu is 3-for-7 against Jax, while Rafaela is 1-for-2 and Durbin is 1-for-1. Duran is 1-for-6, González is hitless in three at-bats, and Narváez is 0-for-1 against the right-hander.
Extra Roster Spot and Game 2 Status
The Red Sox added left-hander Alec Gamboa as their 27th player for the doubleheader, a move permitted under Major League Baseball rules for both clubs. Gamboa has made four major league appearances this season, striking out four while allowing two runs in five innings.
At Triple-A Worcester, Gamboa has appeared in 15 games, including six starts, and owns a 3.63 ERA with 43 strikeouts. Neither club had announced a starting pitcher for the 7:10 p.m. nightcap.
Willson Contreras will miss the opener while completing a five-game suspension stemming from a June 30 bench-clearing brawl against the Nationals. He will be eligible to return for the second game, according to www.bostonglobe.com.
Game 1 will air on NESN and air on WEEI-FM 93.7. The doubleheader gives Boston an early test of whether its pre-break surge can continue against the league’s top team.
