What to expect in 2-game series with Rays in Dominican Republic
This weekend the Red Sox get a break from the usual springroutineinfortmyers,as the club travels to the Dominican Republic for a two-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays in Santo Domingo.
The exhibition series marks the first stop on MLB’S World Tour, which will also feature regular season series in Seoul, Mexico City and London in the coming months. This weekend’s games will take place at Estadio Quisqueya, with first pitch scheduled for 5:05 p.m. ET on Saturday and 1:05 p.m. ET on Sunday.
The Red Sox will be the visiting team Saturday and the road team Sunday. Both games will be carried by NESN and WEEI 93.7 FM.
This weekend will mark a homecoming for current Red Sox stars like Rafael Devers and Brayan Bello, both Dominican Republic natives, and should also highlight the longstanding connection between the franchise and the baseball-loving nation. Of the five Dominican-born players to be elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame, four spent time with the Red Sox, those being David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez, Adrian Beltre and Juan Marichal.
Ortiz and Martinez will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 1 on Saturday, and Dominican artist El Alfa will take the mound before Game 2.
Numerous other Dominican celebrities and performers will be featured over the course of the weekend as well. Award-winning recording artist Natti Natasha will serve as the Series Ambassador, and TV personality Jhoel Lopez and actress Gabi Desangles will serve as in-game hosts for both games. Singer-songwriter Manny Cruz and Bachata artist Zacarias Ferreira will perform the Dominican Republic’s national anthem prior to Games 1 and 2, respectively, and La Coral Mixta Domínico-americana, a mixed chorus based in Santo Domingo, will perform “The Star Spangled Banner” before both games.
Prior to Saturday’s game, members of the Red Sox and Rays will participate in a Play Ball event for local youth from the Nike RBI Dominicana league in Santo Domingo.
Locally, the Red Sox will host a free community watch party at Terra Luna Cafe in Lawrence, a local Dominican-owned restaurant. According to the Red Sox the party will include photo opportunities with the World Series trophies, complimentary food and non-alcoholic beverages, music and other activities. All fans will also receive two free tickets to a Red Sox game at Fenway Park on April 10 or April 11, when the club hosts the Baltimore Orioles for the first homestand of the season.