Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays: A Look Back at This AL East Rivalry

When Do The Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays Play Next?

Boston Red Sox tickets and Tampa Bay Rays tickets can be found on their respective team pages, along with schedule information.

Are the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays Rivals?

Yes, the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox have a divisional rivalry. Both the Rays and the Red Sox compete in the American League East. The winner of the American League East gets an automatic berth into the MLB playoffs.

Who are the Tampa Bay Rays’ Biggest Rivals?

The Rays’ biggest rivals are the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees in the American League East, plus Tampa Bay’s in-state rivals the Miami Marlins in the National League.

Who are the Boston Red Sox’s Biggest Rivals?

The Red Sox’s biggest rivals of the Boston Red Sox are the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees. Between 1995 and 2025, these three teams combined to have won 26 out of 30 AL East division titles.

Red Sox vs. Rays Series History

The Rays and Red Sox have a heated division rivalry that dates back more than 20 years. In 1998, Tampa Bay, originally the Devil Rays, became the second expansion team to join the AL East. That same season, Boston went on to win nine out of 12 games against the Devil Rays.

Tension heated up between the two squads two years later when Red Sox starting pitcher Pedro Martínez beaned Tampa Bay outfielder Gerald Williams. Williams charged the mound and punched Martínez, which led to a bench-clearing brawl and a Williams ejection.

In 2008, Tampa Bay rebranded as the Rays and immediately became a powerhouse in the division, winning their first AL East title. Boston and Tampa clashed in the 2008 American League Championship Series for seven games, with the Rays coming out on top and making their inaugural World Series appearance. Meanwhile, tempers flared during the 2008 regular season when Red Sox outfielder Coco Crisp and Rays infielder Akinori Iwamura collided on a play at second base. The very next game, Tampa Bay starting pitcher James Shields drilled Crisp at the plate, which led to another bench-clearing brawl between the two teams.

The two squads have clashed two more times in the playoffs, most recently in 2021 when the Red Sox won the AL Division Series, 3-1. As division rivals, the two teams roughly play 20 times a year. In the 2022 regular season, the Rays won 12 out of 19 regular season games, with Boston sweeping all three games in the final series of the regular season. Between the two teams, the Red Sox hold the longest win streak with 11 consecutive victories between April and June 2001. The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays have combined for nine AL East division titles between 2007 and 2021.

Notable players who have made significant impacts in the Rays’ and Red Sox’s series history include Pedro Martínez, Manny Ramirez, Nomar Garciaparra, David Ortiz, Curt Schilling, B.J. Upton, Evan Longoria, and James Shields.

Game Results Between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays

Baseball fans have long debated which team has the upper hand in the historic rivalry between the Red Sox and Rays. Below are some recent results of their head-to-head matchups:

Where Do the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays Play?

The Boston Red Sox play at Fenway Park, located in Boston, Massachusetts. The ballpark opened in 1912 and holds the record for the oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball. Fenway has hosted the World Series 10 times, with the Red Sox winning seven of them. The historic venue has also hosted the MLB All-Star Game four times, most recently in 1999.

The Tampa Bay Rays play at Tropicana Field, located in St. Petersburg, Florida. The domed ballpark opened in 1990. Although the Rays have advanced to two World Series, in 2008 and 2020, Tropicana Field only served as the home field during their first appearance; the latter title series was played remotely at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas due to COVID-19 protocols.

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