Boston Marathon

The Red Sox have played morning games at Fenway Park on Patriots Day for over 50 years.

As the world’s top elite runners make their final push toward Boylston Street during the 2024 Boston Marathon, the Red Sox will once again take to the field at Fenway Park in what has become an annual tradition.

The Red Sox’ Patriots Day game against the Cleveland Guardians will commence with first pitch at 11:10 a.m., marking the earliest start time for an MLB game in North America this season (the Padres and Dodgers opened the year with a 3:05 a.m. PT start in South Korea). 

While Patriots Day has become synonymous with the running of the world’s oldest annual marathon, the Red Sox’ early start time on the third Monday of April has also become a fixture on the Boston sports calendar.

But just how long have the Red Sox been playing morning games on Patriots Day?

According to the Red Sox’ team notes, Boston has been scheduled to play at home on Patriots Day every year since 1959, with games postponed due to weather (1959, ’61, ’65, ’67, ’84, 2018), a players strike (1995), and the COVID-19 pandemic (2020).

Patriots Day at Fenway Park has traditionally been a single game with an 11:00/11:05/11:10 a.m. start since 1968. The early start time has allowed fans to catch a ballgame, leave Fenway, and watch marathoners stream through Kenmore Square for the rest of the afternoon.

The last time the Red Sox changed up the script with a different start time on Patriots Day was in 2007, when first pitch was scheduled for 10:05 a.m. (the same game that featured this infamous pizza throw). 

On multiple occasions before that 11 a.m. start time became a tradition, the Red Sox played a split double-header on Patriots Day with two admissions, so fans had a chance to watch the finish of the Boston Marathon between games.

The Sox are 71-55 (.563) all-time on Patriots Day, with 26 doubleheaders played between 1903-66.

“This one is different because we get a new opponent today,” Alex Cora said. “Usually it’s a four-game series. So today we had to get here very early for meetings and all that. But it’s special day. Come here, watch the game, and then go to the finish line and see the people crossing the finish line. It’s amazing. … It should be fun. I always loved it.”

For Monday’s matchup against the Guardians, the Red Sox will wear special home jerseys with “Boston” across the front, honoring those who died in the Boston Marathon bombing 11 years ago.

Monday is also Jackie Robinson Day across Major League Baseball, marking the 77th anniversary of his first major league game at Ebbets Field on April 15, 1947 for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Red Sox players will feature Robinson’s No. 42 in blue lettering on the back of their home uniforms on Monday.