Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox Starting Lineup — Saturday, Jul 18, 2026

Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox (2026-07-18). Ian Seymour vs Patrick Sandoval at Fenway Park.

Starters — Seymour has a 4.59 ERA and 1.16 WHIP across 64.2 innings, with strong bat-missing numbers at 10.44 K/9. His 3.34 BB/9 is manageable, but 1.39 HR/9 is a clear risk point, especially in this park. Over his last three starts, he has allowed 9 earned runs in 14.2 innings: 3.1 IP, 5 ER, 3 K, 3 BB on July 12; 5.1 IP, 3 ER, 12 K, 0 BB on July 7; and 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 8 K, 1 BB on July 2. The recent trend is up, but the latest outing was his roughest of the three. Sandoval has a 2.08 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 4.1 innings, with 10.38 K/9, 2.08 BB/9, and no home runs allowed. His sample is very small, but his lone listed outing was effective: 4.1 IP, 1 ER, 5 K, 1 BB on July 9.

Teams — Tampa Bay brings the stronger lineup profile by OPS at .729 and has scored 428 runs, while batting .257 as a team. The Rays’ pitching staff has been solid overall with a 3.88 ERA and 1.18 WHIP, though their recent form is modest at 4-6 over the last 10 games. Boston owns a .707 OPS, 400 runs scored, and a .245 team average. The Red Sox have been better on the mound overall, posting a 3.55 ERA and 1.21 WHIP, and they enter in excellent form at 10-0 over their last 10 games. Bettors may weigh Tampa Bay’s slightly better season-long offensive output against Boston’s sharper recent momentum and stronger staff ERA.