Series Preview: Rays at Red Sox

TL;DR

The Tampa Bay Rays face the Boston Red Sox in a four-game series starting May 7, 2026. Griffin Jax will pitch for the Rays against Jake Bennett, with other matchups yet to be determined.

Key points

Rays and Red Sox begin a four-game series on May 7, 2026.
Griffin Jax will start for the Rays against Jake Bennett.
Rays currently hold a 24-12 record, while Red Sox are at 18-20.
Other pitching matchups for the series are yet to be determined.
Games will be broadcast on ESPN and NESN.

Tampa Bay RaysBoston Red Sox

ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - AUGUST 12: Mascot DJ Kitty of the Tampa Bay Rays waves a flag after defeating the Cleveland Guardians at Tropicana Field on August 12, 2023 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images) | Getty Images This is what everyone expected at the start of the season. Solid pitching. Good defense. Runs on offense. The Sox head home after their first sweep of 2026, taking all three games from the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers are now under .500 at 18-20, *barely* better than the *disaster* of a start 16-21 Red Sox. Now they welcome in the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays, sellers in the offseason, once again are finding ways to win. Shockingly at 24-12, they join the Yankees as the only AL teams over .500. And the Yankees lost (they’re still 25-12) putting the Sox, uh, 9.0 games back in the AL East and 1.5 in the Wild Card. Thursday night, the Rays are starting Griffin Jax. Acquired from the Minnesota Twins, Jax has been a reliever but the Rays are converting him to the rotation. He’s made 2 “starts” on the season – 2.1 innings and 2.2 innings – against the Twins and Giants, respectively. He didn’t allow a run either time and struck out 4 against 2 walks. is trying to build up his arm strength and stretch him out in the majors, so don’t expect a long outing this series. He’ll be opposed by Jake Bennett making his second career major league start. His first outing was a 5-inning, 5-hit, 1-run, 2-walk, 3-strikeout performance against the . Tampa doesn’t have any other starters listed as of yet. FanGraphs suggests , , and could be the probables. Englert is a reliever and would presumably be the opener. He’s currently on the IL so they’ve have to make a move. He hasn’t pitched since April 19 and had a 7.11 ERA when he went down. will look to bounce back from an off day last time out against Englert or whoever opens and bulk relieves. The Rays picked up Nick Martinez for a year this winter and he’s been great. 1.71 ERA / 3.45 FIP over 42 innings. Only 28 Ks but also just 10 walks. So it’s a mixed bag. Drew Rasmussen is a starting pitcher, another righty (they all are) which helps with all the lefty bats the Sox have on hand. Rasmussen doesn’t tend to go more than about 90 pitches, which can get him through 6.0 innings. A 2.95 ERA / 3.74 FIP an about a strikeout per inning? He could be a tough customer. He has issued just 6 walks on his 36.2 innings this year – as many walks as home runs allowed. has 9 homers and 7 to lead the team. has 12 steals already but also has been caught 4 times. is getting on base at a .406 clip. is still waiting for news on to plan out the rest of the weekend.

Q&A

What are the pitching matchups for the Rays vs Red Sox series?

The confirmed matchup for May 7 is Griffin Jax vs Jake Bennett, with other matchups still to be announced.

What is the current standing of the Rays and Red Sox in the AL East?

The Rays are 24-12, while the Red Sox are 18-20, placing them 9 games back in the AL East.

When is the Rays vs Red Sox series scheduled to start?

The series begins on May 7, 2026, with the first game at 7:10 PM ET.

Who are the key players to watch in the Rays vs Red Sox series?

Key players include Griffin Jax and Jake Bennett for pitching, and Junior Caminero and Jonathan Aranda for the Rays' offense.

Series Preview: Rays at Red Sox

TL;DR

Key points

Q&A

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Series Preview: Rays at Red Sox

TL;DR

Key points

Q&A

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**Probable Pitching Matchups**

**When/Where to Watch**

Probable Pitching Matchups

When/Where to Watch