One of the best days on the Boston sports calendar is upon us.
As thousands of runners trek into the city Monday during the 2017 Boston Marathon, the Red Sox will continue a Patriots’ Day tradition by taking on the Tampa Bay Rays in an 11:05 a.m. ET matinee contest at Fenway Park.
The Sox have enjoyed considerable success on Patriots’ Day, boasting a 69-52 all-time record on the Massachusetts holiday with wins in 11 of their last 16 such contests. Knuckleballer Steven Wright will get the start for Boston, hoping to pick up Patriots’ Day win No. 70 for the franchise and move on from one of the worst outings of his career last Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles.
Pablo Sandoval gets the day off after clubbing a two-run home run in Sunday’s 7-5 win over the Rays. Marco Hernandez will start in Sandoval’s place and bat ninth, while Sandy Leon will do the catching for Wright and bat eighth. Hanley Ramirez also is in the lineup despite exiting Sunday’s contest with a hamstring cramp.
Here are the Patriots’ Day lineups for both clubs.
RED SOX (7-5)
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Andrew Benintendi, CF
Mookie Betts, RF
Hanley Ramirez, DH
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Mitch Moreland, 1B
Chris Young, LF
Sandy Leon, C
Marco Hernandez, 3B
Steven Wright, RHP (0-1, 13.50 ERA)
RAYS (6-7)
Corey Dickerson, LF
Kevin Kiermaier, CF
Evan Longoria, 3B
Brad Miller, 2B
Steven Souza Jr., RF
Logan Morrison, 1B
Rickie Weeks Jr., DH
Derek Norris, C
Tim Beckham, SS
Blake Snell, LHP (0-1, 3.18 ERA)
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
