How to watch Red Sox vs. Rays in 2021 ALDS
The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays are set to battle in the American League Division Series after Bostons AL Wild Card Game victory over the New York Yankees.
Boston and Tampa Bay have played in two prior postseason series, with the Rays beating the Red Sox 4-3 in the 2008 ALCS and the Red Sox turning the table in the 2013 ALDS, winning 3-1. Both teams advanced to the World Series after winning their respective series — the Rays lost to the Phillies in the 2008 World Series and the Red Sox beat the Cardinals in the 2013 Fall Classic.
The Rays are making their third consecutive postseason appearance after winning their second straight AL East title. Tampa Bay advanced to the World Series in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season before losing to the Dodgers, but they didnt miss a beat despite trading ace Blake Snell in the offseason. The franchise continues to find diamonds in the rough, winning 100 games this season despite having the 26th-highest payroll in baseball. This could be the year the Rays finally get their elusive first championship.
Entering this season coming off a dismal 2020 campaign, the Red Sox had limited expectations. Alex Cora was re-hired after he was suspended for 2020 due to his role in the Astros sign-stealing scandal, and he quickly brought the team back to relevancy. Cora led the Red Sox to the 2018 World Series title in his first season as manager, and hes still yet to lose a playoff series after beating the Yankees in the AL Wild Card Game. The Red Sox are 12-3 in 15 postseason games under Cora since 2018.
Heres everything you need to know for the Red Sox-Rays series.
What is the Red Sox-Rays ALDS schedule?
Game 1: Thursday, Oct. 7, Red Sox vs. Rays, 8:07 p.m. ET
Game 2: Friday, Oct. 8, Red Sox vs. Rays, 7:02 p.m. ET
Game 3: Sunday, Oct. 10, Rays vs. Red Sox, 4:07 p.m. ET
Game 4 (if necessary): Monday, Oct. 11, Rays vs. Red Sox, Time TBD
Game 5 (if necessary): Wednesday, Oct. 13, Red Sox vs. Rays, Time TBD
The ALDS is played in a 2-2-1 format where the team with the better regular season record gets home field for Games 1, 2 and 5. The Rays finished atop the American League at 100-62, winning the AL East by eight games over the Red Sox at 92-70, so the series will begin at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. before heading to Fenway Park in Boston on Sunday.
What TV channel is the Red Sox-Rays playoff series on?
All games for the series will be broadcast on MLB Network and FS1. Games 1 and 2 will be on FS1, MLB Network will broadcast Game 3 and potential Games 4 and 5 would be on FS1.
How to stream Red Sox-Rays free online
All games can be streamed on MLB.TV, FoxSports.com and the Fox Sports app. Viewers can also check out the series on FuboTV (free trial).
How to listen to Red Sox-Rays on the radio
ESPN Radio will broadcast all MLB postseason games for listeners.
Red Sox and Rays starting pitchers for ALDS
Tampa Bays pitching staff has the edge over Bostons, and that gap is even more prominent given the fact that the Rays will have three days off between games while the Red Sox have just one day off. The Rays team ERA is 3.67, fourth in MLB, while the Red Sox have a 4.26 team ERA, ranking 15th in MLB.
The Rays will turn to Shane McClanahan in Game 1. McClanahan, a rookie left-hander, went 10-6 with a 3.43 ERA in 25 starts this year after making his big league debut in the 2020 postseason. The Red Sox will give the ball to veteran lefty Eduardo Rodriguez on Thursday. After missing last season due to heart complications from COVID-19, Rodriguez returned to the mound with an up-and-down 2021 season. He had a 5.60 ERA from April through July, then a 3.26 ERA from August through the end of the season.
Game 2 will pit Tampa Bay rookie Shane Baz against Boston ace Chris Sale. Baz won a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in August before getting called up to the majors in September. He made three starts at the end of the season, going 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA and 18 strikeouts. Sale returned from Tommy John surgery in August after missing all of 2020, and was effective in limited action. The seven-time All-Star was 5-1 with a 3.16 ERA in nine starts, including two against the Rays.
What are the Red Sox-Rays 2021 ALDS betting odds?
The Rays (-182) are listed as favorites to advance to the ALCS, according to our partner, PointsBet. The Red Sox (+150) are the underdogs after advancing through the AL Wild Card Game.
These two teams are extremely familiar with each other, having met 19 times in the regular season. Tampa Bay won 11 times compared to Bostons eight, but the run differential in those 19 games was just 106-104 in favor of the Rays.
For more, check out the full odds for the series here.
Editor’s note: All odds are provided by our partner, PointsBet. PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links.
