Jake Bennett made his second start for the Red Sox as rays vs red sox opened Thursday night at Fenway Park, with Boston beginning a seven-game homestand after sweeping the Tigers in Detroit. The Red Sox entered on a three-game winning streak, and the matchup came against a Tampa Bay club that arrived with a six-game run and the second-best record in the American League.
Jake Bennett at Fenway Park
Bennett was coming off his first start last Friday, when he beat the Astros 3-1. In that outing, he held Houston to a solo home run and stranded six of seven baserunners across five innings, giving Boston a clean first look at a rookie who had already earned another turn.
Chad Tracy had been on the Fenway staff for that debut, and he said after the start, “There’s comfort with that for me, for sure, because I know the kid.” Boston handed Bennett the ball again on Thursday with a 1-0 record and a 1.80 ERA, a quick test for a pitcher still building his major league résumé.
Griffin Jax and Tampa Bay
The Rays answered with Griffin Jax, who came in 0-1 with a 7.27 ERA in 14 career appearances against the Red Sox. Tampa Bay had also won six straight after consecutive three-game sweeps at home over the Giants and Blue Jays, and it reached Fenway at 24-12, one-half game behind the Yankees in the division.
Jax had been sharper in his latest work, throwing five innings of shutout, two-hit ball over his previous two relief appearances. That split between the broader matchup history and the recent form gave Boston a direct pitch-by-pitch challenge in a four-game series that opened the homestand.
Fenway’s Opening Night
The night carried more than the pitching matchup. The 2026 Red Sox Hall of Fame class — Johnny Damon, Jon Lester, Mike Timlin, and Sherm Feller — was honored before the game, and Bill Mueller’s home run from July 24, 2004 was recognized as this year’s Memorable Moment. Fans were asked to be in their seats by 6:40 p.m., with the game broadcast on.
Boston also came in having allowed three earned runs or fewer in nine of its last 11 games, a steadier run that matched the club’s three-game winning streak and made the first home game of the series a useful checkpoint. After this four-game set, the Red Sox move into a three-game series against the Phillies next week.
