Those who thought a date with the first-place Tampa Bay Rays would slow the red-hot Boston Red Sox down couldn't have been more wrong on Friday, as the Red Sox swept a doubleheader against their AL East rivals, winning their 11th game in a row and pulling back to .500 in the process. Boston, remarkably, is now locked into a tie for the third Wild Card spot in the AL after appearing dead in the water a week or two ago.
Perhaps the only thing that can slow the Red Sox down is Mother Nature, as Saturday's game has been delayed due to rain. With no start time revealed, we will have you covered with updates as they come in.
Red Sox/Rays game is delayed due to rain.
— Gabrielle Starr (@gfstarr1) July 18, 2026
Red Sox-Rays start time: When will the game begin in Boston?
UPDATE: First pitch is scheduled for 5:10 p.m. ET, per the Red Sox's official X account.
It's one thing for a game to be delayed, but a delay without a start time is particularly frustrating, because it could be quite some time before the game gets underway. Unfortunately, given the forecast in Boston, it's honestly hard to tell when this game is going to start when looking at AccuWeather's hourly forecast.
Thunderstorms are in the area and are expected to linger on and off throughout the afternoon and evening. That is a problem, especially since the game was expected to begin at 4:10 p.m. ET. Perhaps they can find a pocket to get the game in, but it's hard to imagine this game will be played on Saturday without rain playing a role. We could be in for a lengthy delay.
Fenway Park forecast: How much more rain is expected?
Hour | Chance of precipitation |
|---|---|
4:00 p.m. | 90% |
5:00 p.m. | 49% |
6:00 p.m. | 69% |
7:00 p.m. | 69% |
8:00 p.m. | 64% |
As you can see, the chance of rain is expected to fluctuate throughout the day. The weather is brutal right now, and while there is expected to be a bit of a reprieve at around 5:00 p.m. ET, thunderstorms are expected to pick up again soon after. No forecast should be treated as gospel, but the lack of a clear window could lead to a lengthy delay, if not a postponement.
A postponement wouldn't be the worst outcome in the world, as the teams can simply play a doubleheader on Sunday, but doubleheaders are something teams always wish to avoid, especially since both the Red Sox and the Rays have new series beginning on Monday — and that they just played a twin billing on Friday. Having a Sunday doubleheader as a fallback option if today's game cannot be played as scheduled, though, isn't the worst thing. It's better than them having to find another day to play in Boston.
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