Sox Streak Continues?
Red Sox Seek 12th Straight Win Against Rays Despite Tampa Bay's Season-Long Strength
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The Boston Red Sox enter Game 3 of a four-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays riding an 11-game winning streak — their longest since 2016 — and having swept a doubleheader against Tampa Bay on Friday USA Today. First pitch at Fenway Park is set for 4:10 p.m. ET, with the Red Sox posting a 48-48 record and sitting just a half-game outside the final AL Wild Card spot.
Despite Boston's hot run, the Rays (56-40) remain the AL East leaders and hold a structural edge. Tampa Bay's pitching staff allowed 12 earned runs in just 10 innings during Friday's doubleheader, but the roster is deeper and more complete than the streaking Sox Monroe News.
Ian Seymour Returns Home to Face Hot Sox
Rays left-hander Ian Seymour takes the mound for his seventh start and 34th appearance of the season. The Massachusetts native is pitching at Fenway Park for the first time in his career. He carries a 1.16 WHIP, 3.3 walks per nine innings, and a sharp 10.4 strikeouts per nine in 64 2/3 innings azcentral.com.
Seymour struck out a career-high 12 batters on July 7 against the Yankees. But he stumbled on July 12, allowing six runs in 3 1/3 innings against Seattle. He later admitted the key issue: "It just boils down to throwing strike one, and I didn't do a very good job of that." Command will be everything against a hot Boston lineup rgj.com.
Boston's Bullpen Carries a Rotation Held Together by Tape
Red Sox starter Patrick Sandoval is pitching only his second game back from Tommy John surgery. He threw just 4.1 innings in his first start on July 9, allowing one run. His season ERA sits at 2.08 — but that number is built on fewer than five innings of work news-leader.com.
Boston has six starters currently on the Injured List, including Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck, and Kutter Crawford. The bullpen has picked up the slack, posting the third-best ERA in baseball at 3.13. Sharp analysts warn the market may be overreacting to Boston's streak. One preview called Sandoval's ERA "a ghost ERA dressed up as a rotation arm" app.com.
Rays Still the More Complete Club Despite Recent Stumble
Tampa Bay has gone just 4-7 in its last 11 games and allowed five or more runs in three straight contests. But the Rays still lead the AL East by 2.5 games over the Yankees. Their lineup ranks higher than Boston's by OPS, and they have an actual fully built-up starter on the mound today floridatoday.com.
Third baseman Junior Caminero hit his 29th home run of the season over the Green Monster in Friday's Game 2. He is batting .281 with 60 RBIs. Rays manager Kevin Cash acknowledged Boston's edge right now: "They're playing very well right now. They created their opportunities and capitalized when they had guys on" coloradoan.com.
Betting Markets Split as Trade Deadline Looms Large
Sportsbooks list the Red Sox as slight favorites at -115 to -121 on the moneyline. The Rays are priced between -100 and +108. Dimers' simulation gives Boston a 53.5% win probability. The over/under sits at 9.5 runs. Some sharp bettors see value on Tampa Bay as underdogs given Sandoval's limited stamina clarionledger.com.
Beyond today's game, both teams face big decisions before the July 31 trade deadline. The Rays are actively pursuing elite starting pitching, with Detroit Tigers starters reportedly among their top targets USA Today. Boston, once expected to sell Sandoval, may now look to buy pitching depth to extend their playoff push.
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