The Red Sox and Rays meet Thursday night with a spotlight on the lineups, the pitching matchup, and a Fenway pregame ceremony tied to the Red Sox Hall of Fame. The game will be broadcast on ESPN, with first pitch set for 7:10 p.m. and radio coverage on WEEI-FM 93.7.
Boston will also honor the 2026 Red Sox Hall of Fame class before the game, with Johnny Damon, Jon Lester, Mike Timlin, and the late Sherm Feller set to be recognized. Bill Mueller’s home run from July 24, 2004 will be featured as the club’s “Memorable Moment,” and fans are being urged to be in their seats by 6:40 p.m.
Lineups for both clubs
Tampa Bay enters at 24-12 and has a lineup built around Yandy Díaz at designated hitter and Junior Caminero at third base. The Rays’ order also includes Austin Vilade in left field, Jonathan Aranda at first base, Jake DeLuca in right, Tristan Gray at second, Nick Fortes catching, Cedric Mullins in center, and Taylor Walls at shortstop.
Boston’s batting order features Jarren Duran in left, Willson Contreras at first, Wilyer Abreu in right, Trevor Story at shortstop, Masataka Yoshida as the designated hitter, Ceddanne Rafaela in center, Kristian Campbell at second, Connor Wong behind the plate, and David Durbin at third. The Red Sox come in at 16-21 and are looking to build on a Wednesday night win that came after a difficult offensive game by their standards.
Pitching matchup brings a fresh look for Boston
Left-hander Jake Bennett gets the ball for Boston, and the Red Sox list him at 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA. He has not faced any Tampa Bay batters, which adds an element of unfamiliarity to his second start after a strong first impression.
Bennett earned his first win last Friday by holding the Astros to a solo home run over five innings while stranding six of seven baserunners in a 3-1 victory. That outing also marked Chad Tracy’s Fenway debut as interim manager, and Tracy said he felt comfortable with Bennett because of his familiarity with the pitcher’s game.
Tampa Bay counters with right-hander Griffin Jax, who is 1-2 with a 5.14 ERA. Jax has faced Boston often enough for the matchup to matter, and the Red Sox list several hitters with limited but notable results against him, including Wilyer Abreu going 2-for-5 and Willson Contreras going 2-for-2.
What has changed for both teams
Boston’s recent run has been more encouraging on the mound than in the standings, as the club has allowed three earned runs or fewer in nine of its last 11 games. The offense, however, has still had uneven stretches, and Wednesday night’s win stood out because it was only the third nine-inning victory in franchise history in which the Red Sox struck out at least 15 times and finished with four or fewer hits.
Tampa Bay arrives with stronger momentum, having won six straight after back-to-back three-game sweeps at home over the Giants and Blue Jays. At 24-12, the Rays sit just a half-game behind the Yankees in the division and own the second-best record in the American League.
Jax’s recent form has also improved after an uneven start. He allowed 11 runs, eight earned, in his first 11 relief appearances, but over his last two starts he has thrown five scoreless innings and allowed only two hits.
Fenway night adds extra context
The pregame ceremony gives the matchup an added layer beyond the division race. The Hall of Fame recognition and the tribute to Mueller’s 2004 home run connect the night to several eras of Red Sox history, while the crowd timing note signals that the club expects the ballpark to be active well before first pitch.
That combination of ceremony, standings pressure, and a new-look Boston lineup makes Thursday’s game about more than just the numbers on the scoreboard. It also gives Bennett another chance to build on his first start, while the Rays try to extend a win streak that has quickly pushed them into the top tier of the American League.