Rays play the Red Sox in first of 3-game series

Updated Sep. 17, 2024 4:01 a.m. ET

Associated Press

Boston Red Sox (75-75, third in the AL East) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (73-77, fourth in the AL East)

St. Petersburg, Florida; Tuesday, 6:50 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Red Sox: Nick Pivetta (5-10, 4.24 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 156 strikeouts); Rays: Shane Baz (2-3, 3.28 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 50 strikeouts)

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Red Sox -113, Rays -106; over/under is 7 1/2 runs

BOTTOM LINE: The Tampa Bay Rays host the Boston Red Sox to open a three-game series.

Tampa Bay has a 37-38 record at home and a 73-77 record overall. The Rays are 21-8 in games when they hit two or more home runs.

Boston is 75-75 overall and 40-35 in road games. Red Sox hitters have a collective .321 on-base percentage, the third-ranked percentage in the AL.

The matchup Tuesday is the eighth time these teams square off this season. The Red Sox have a 4-3 advantage in the season series.

TOP PERFORMERS: Yandy Diaz has 14 home runs, 45 walks and 65 RBI while hitting .283 for the Rays. Jonny Deluca is 11-for-35 with a double, a triple, a home run and three RBI over the past 10 games.

Jarren Duran has 45 doubles, 13 triples and 21 home runs for the Red Sox. Connor Wong is 13-for-37 with seven doubles and a home run over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Rays: 4-6, .226 batting average, 2.78 ERA, outscored by three runs

Red Sox: 5-5, .249 batting average, 3.24 ERA, outscored opponents by nine runs

INJURIES: Rays: Christopher Morel: day-to-day (achilles), Jeffrey Springs: 15-Day IL (elbow), Peter Anderson Fairbanks: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Richard Palacios: 10-Day IL (knee), Jacob Waguespack: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Shane McClanahan: 60-Day IL (forearm)

Red Sox: Tanner Houck: day-to-day (shoulder), Rob Refsnyder: day-to-day (wrist), Brennan Bernardino: 15-Day IL (elbow), Isaiah Campbell: 60-Day IL (elbow), David Hamilton: 10-Day IL (finger), Luis Garcia: 15-Day IL (elbow), Lucas Sims: 15-Day IL (lat), James Paxton: 60-Day IL (leg), Bryan Mata: 60-Day IL (hamstring), Garrett Whitlock: 60-Day IL (oblique), Liam Hendriks: 60-Day IL (elbow), Chris Murphy: 60-Day IL (elbow), Lucas Giolito: 60-Day IL (elbow)

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.