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Rays opener will be late-afternoon affair

 
Published Jan. 17, 2018

The Rays' March 29 season-opener against the Red Sox has been set for a 4 p.m. first pitch at Tropicana Field.

This will be the ninth straight year the Rays have opened at home, and the third time they have opened against the rival Red Sox.  The teams will play a four-game series, with games March 30 at 7:10, March 31 at 6:10 and April 1 at 1:10.

In releasing game times for the season, the Rays are sticking with 7:10 starts for most weekday home games and 1:10 on Sundays. Most Saturday home games are slated for 6:10 first pitches, though four will start at 4:10.

The Rays will participate in three openers this season. After starting the season against the Red Sox, they go to New York for the April 2 Yankees home opener and then to Boston for the Red Sox's April 5 home opener.

The March 29 opener is the earliest in franchise history, and marks the first time the first game will be on a Thursday.

Season tickets and five-game flex packs are available now; single-game ticket sales are expected to launch next month.