Red Sox Battle Rays in Unfamiliar Territory at Steinbrenner Field

TAMPA, Fla. — The Boston Red Sox will face the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday at 7:05 p.m., in an unusual setting for both teams due to ongoing changes at Tropicana Field. The Rays are hosting their home games this season at George M. Steinbrenner Field, the spring training facility for the New York Yankees, after the roof of Tropicana Field was severely damaged last October.

Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck, still seeking his first win of the season with a record of 0-1 and an ERA of 4.41, will take the mound against Tampa Bay’s Shane Baz. Baz is coming off an impressive start, allowing just two earned runs over 13 innings in his first two outings, boasting an ERA of 1.38.

The game is expected to draw around 10,000 fans to Steinbrenner Field. The matchup carries significant weight for both teams as the Red Sox look to break a pattern of inconsistency, having lost five of their last seven games after a brief five-game winning streak.

“Today was a big day for us, just to get a ‘W’ and move on,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora, reflecting on the team’s previous victory. “We needed to end a losing streak, and [Garrett] Crochet pitched a great game.” Crochet took a no-hitter into the eighth inning during the team’s recent game against the White Sox.

Against Baz, the Red Sox have seen a mixed bag of results. Notable performances include Alex Bregman with five hits in seven at-bats and Triston Casas who has connected for two home runs against the Rays’ pitcher. Meanwhile, Ceddanne Rafaela and Jarren Duran have struggled, failing to secure hits in five at-bats against him.

On the other side, the Rays lineup features Yandy Díaz, who has been a standout this season. “Our focus is on executing our game plan and taking it one pitch at a time,” Baz said ahead of his start. The Rays are looking to gain ground as they currently hold a record of 7-8.

Boston’s lineup on Monday includes Jarren Duran starting in left field and Rafael Devers as designated hitter. This will be David Hamilton‘s sixth start of the season, where he will bat eighth despite struggling at the plate with a .056 batting average this season.

Looking ahead, the matchup is significant as the teams will not meet again until June 9, when the Red Sox will host the Rays for a three-game series at Fenway Park. As the teams adjust to the unique conditions at Steinbrenner Field, all eyes will be on the performance of pitchers Houck and Baz.