There are 10 games on the Major League Baseball schedule on Monday, but the one that stands out is the Boston Red Sox hosting the Tampa Bay Rays in the finale of a four-game series at Fenway Park.
Why do the Red Sox play early on Patriots’ Day?
Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images
What is unique about the game is the 11:05 a.m. ET start time, the earliest scheduled game of the season. Welcome to Patriot’s Day in Boston.
Patriot’s Day has been a public holiday in Massachusetts since 1894, commemorating the battles of Lexington and Concord, the beginning of the American revolutionary war. Originally celebrated on April 19, Patriot’s Day is now observed on the third Monday of April.
It is a huge sporting day in Boston, with the Boston Marathon also run on Patriot’s Day for more than a century. The 11 a.m. start time at Fenway Park, instituted since 1969, allowed time for Red Sox fans to also see the end of the marathon in Kenmore Square after the baseball game ended. Though in recent years, the earlier start to the marathon has made it difficult if not impossible to coordinate seeing both events.
The Boston Marathon on Monday starts at 8:50 a.m. ET.
The Red Sox have been scheduled to play at home on Patriot’s Day every year since 1959. This year, knuckleballer Steven Wright gets the start for the home team.
“I think it is an honor. It is such a big deal for the Red Sox in more ways than one,” Wright told MLB.com. “It is a great holiday for the city of Boston. I want to have a great showing.”
The Red Sox-Rays game will be shown nationally on MLB Network on Monday.
Red Sox vs. Rays info
Time: 11:05 a.m. ET
Location: Fenway Park
TV: MLB Network
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