{"id":2634,"date":"2026-03-22T07:26:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-22T05:26:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.ticketmaster.com\/?p=50056"},"modified":"2026-03-22T07:26:02","modified_gmt":"2026-03-22T05:26:02","slug":"boston-red-sox-vs-tampa-bay-rays-a-look-back-at-this-al-east-rivalry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myza.co.za\/events\/boston-red-sox-vs-tampa-bay-rays-a-look-back-at-this-al-east-rivalry\/","title":{"rendered":"Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays: A Look Back at This AL East Rivalry"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Do The Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays Play Next?<\/h2>\n

Boston Red Sox tickets<\/a> and Tampa Bay Rays tickets<\/a> can be found on their respective team pages, along with schedule information.<\/p>\n

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Are the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays Rivals?<\/h2>\n

Yes, the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox have a divisional rivalry. Both the Rays and the Red Sox compete in the American League East. The winner of the American League East gets an automatic berth into the MLB<\/a> playoffs.<\/p>\n

Who are the Tampa Bay Rays\u2019 Biggest Rivals?<\/h4>\n

The Rays\u2019 biggest rivals are the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees<\/a> in the American League East, plus Tampa Bay\u2019s in-state rivals the Miami Marlins<\/a> in the National League.<\/p>\n

Who are the Boston Red Sox\u2019s Biggest Rivals?<\/h4>\n

The Red Sox\u2019s biggest rivals of the Boston Red Sox are the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees<\/a>. Between 1995 and 2025, these three teams combined to have won 26 out of 30 AL East division titles.<\/p>\n

Red Sox vs. Rays Series History<\/h2>\n

The Rays and Red Sox have a heated division rivalry that dates back more than 20 years. In 1998, Tampa Bay, originally the Devil Rays, became the second expansion team to join the AL East. That same season, Boston went on to win nine out of 12 games against the Devil Rays.<\/p>\n

Tension heated up between the two squads two years later when Red Sox starting pitcher Pedro Mart\u00ednez beaned Tampa Bay outfielder Gerald Williams. Williams charged the mound and punched Mart\u00ednez, which led to a bench-clearing brawl and a Williams ejection.<\/p>\n

In 2008, Tampa Bay rebranded as the Rays and immediately became a powerhouse in the division, winning their first AL East title. Boston and Tampa clashed in the 2008 American League Championship Series for seven games, with the Rays coming out on top and making their inaugural World Series appearance. Meanwhile, tempers flared during the 2008 regular season when Red Sox outfielder Coco Crisp and Rays infielder Akinori Iwamura collided on a play at second base. The very next game, Tampa Bay starting pitcher James Shields drilled Crisp at the plate, which led to another bench-clearing brawl between the two teams.<\/p>\n