Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays Picks and Prediction for Sunday, September 20, 2026

The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays meet Sunday at Tropicana Field, with the opening pitch scheduled for 1:40 PM ET and the game televised on ESPN Unlimited and MLB.TV. Boston is 84-70, third in the AL East and 9.5 games behind Tampa Bay, with eight games remaining. The Red Sox hold the second AL Wild Card position, six games ahead of Chicago for the final spot, and have won two straight after Friday’s 4-2 victory over Tampa Bay. The Rays are 93-60, first in the AL East and four games ahead of the Yankees, with nine games remaining. Cash a winning ticket with our free MLB picks.

Boston Red Sox Finding Better Results on the Road

Boston has won three of its last five, including consecutive road victories over Texas and Tampa Bay. Friday’s 4-2 win at Tropicana Field followed a 4-3 victory over the Rangers. Willson Contreras has been Boston’s top power hitter, batting .276 with 27 home runs, 81 RBI, a .387 on-base percentage and .518 slugging percentage. Ceddanne Rafaela leads the club with a .282 average and 151 hits while adding 16 homers and 70 RBI. Wilyer Abreu has 24 home runs and 74 RBI, while Caleb Durbin has contributed 19 stolen bases.

The Red Sox are batting .246 with 676 runs, 1,272 hits and 160 home runs, along with a .321 on-base percentage and .401 slugging percentage. Boston ranks 12th in MLB batting and third in pitching, creating a strong overall statistical combination. The pitching staff owns a 3.60 ERA and 1.24 WHIP while limiting opponents to a .242 average. Boston pitchers have allowed 148 home runs and recorded 1,333 strikeouts. The Red Sox rank 13th defensively with 77 errors and a .986 fielding percentage and have played well away from home at 46-33.

Injuries: Willson Contreras (questionable), Aroldis Chapman (questionable), Tyron Guerrero (out), Tanner Houck (out), Johan Oviedo (out).

Tampa Bay Rays Trying to Restart a Strong September Run

Tampa Bay had won four straight before Friday’s 4-2 loss to Boston, a stretch that included a three-game sweep of the Athletics and a 14-4 victory over Houston. Junior Caminero has been the main power source, batting .277 with 41 home runs, 97 RBI and a .533 slugging percentage. Yandy Diaz is batting .293 with 173 hits, 22 homers and 81 RBI. Jonathan Aranda has added 21 home runs and 91 RBI, while Chandler Simpson leads the club with a .308 average and has stolen 45 bases.

The Rays rank first in MLB batting with a .260 average and have scored 700 runs while collecting 1,333 hits and 162 home runs. Tampa Bay also owns a .329 on-base percentage and .405 slugging percentage. The pitching staff ranks seventh with a 3.74 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and .229 opponent batting average. Rays pitchers have issued only 381 walks across 1,357 innings and have recorded 57 saves. Tampa Bay ranks 20th defensively with 88 errors and a .984 fielding percentage. The Rays are 53-26 at Tropicana Field, one of baseball’s stronger home records.

Injuries: Ben Williamson (out), Manuel Rodriguez (out), Edwin Uceta (out), Jonathan Heasley (out), Garrett Cleavinger (out).

Pitching Matchup

Boston Red Sox - Patrick Sandoval

Patrick Sandoval is 1-6 with a 4.99 ERA and 1.79 WHIP over 57.2 innings. The left-hander has allowed 74 hits and 29 walks while recording 62 strikeouts. Sandoval has surrendered six home runs.

Tampa Bay Rays - Griffin Jax

Griffin Jax is 7-10 with a 3.80 ERA and 1.20 WHIP across 104.1 innings. The right-hander has allowed 92 hits and 33 walks, with 110 strikeouts and 15 home runs allowed.

Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays Game Pick

• Tampa Bay Rays

Tampa Bay is the pick behind Jax and a lineup that ranks first in MLB batting. Jax has a 3.80 ERA and 1.20 WHIP, while Sandoval has posted a 4.99 ERA and 1.79 WHIP. The Rays also own the stronger home record at 53-26 and have won four of their last five despite Friday’s loss. Boston’s pitching staff has excellent season numbers, but Sandoval’s 74 hits and 29 walks in only 57.2 innings create a difficult starting point against Caminero, Diaz and Aranda.

Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays Over/Under Pick

• Over

The play is over with Sandoval’s baserunner numbers creating scoring potential for Tampa Bay. The left-hander has a 1.79 WHIP, and the Rays have scored 31 runs across their last five games. Tampa Bay has a .260 team average, a .329 on-base percentage, and several established power threats, led by Caminero’s 41 home runs. Boston can also contribute after scoring eight runs across its last two games. The Red Sox have 160 home runs this season, and Contreras, Abreu, and Rafaela provide multiple threats against Jax.