Patriots' Day 2015: Full Sports Guide to Boston's Monday Festivities
The third Monday in April is a time for celebration in Massachusetts and Maine, as Patriots' Day brings forth the Boston Marathon and early-morning baseball each year.
Commemorating the Battles of Lexington and Concord at the onset of the Revolutionary War is the primary purpose for the holiday, but the sports side of the day gives spectators ample opportunities to show pride for their city and country.
It'll be a busy day in Boston starting early on Monday, but you don't have to be in Beantown to keep up with all the action. Below are brief previews of the two main events of the day—the 119th running of the Boston Marathon and the game between the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles.
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Boston Marathon
One of the most famous marathons in the world, the Boston Marathon travels through some of the most historic parts of Boston and the surrounding areas. Racers will undergo 26-plus miles of tough running given the infamous Newton Hills that runners must conquer toward the end of the race, but crossing the finish line will be a rewarding experience for sure.
The event gets going pretty early in the morning. You can see the race-day schedule below:
| 8:50 a.m. | Mobility Impaired Start |
| 9:17 a.m. | Push-Rim Wheelchair Start |
| 9:22 a.m. | Handcycle Start |
| 9:32 a.m. | Elite Women’s Start |
| 10 a.m. | Elite Men's and Wave One Start |
| 10:25 a.m. | Wave Two Start |
| 10:50 a.m. | Wave Three Start |
| 11:15 a.m. | Wave Four Start |
| 6:30 p.m. | Boston Marathon Official Post Race Party |
Unfortunately, the weather isn't supposed to be pristine, as AccuWeather.com's Kevin Byrne writes: "Monday will be a brisk, cloudy day with temperatures mainly in the 40s at the start of the race, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Dave Dombek said. Daytime highs will have a hard time getting above 50 F, but there will also be a chance for a steady rain during the race, he added."
However, a little rain shouldn't slow down the favorites on both the men's and women's sides.
For the men, watch out for Meb Keflezighi. The 39-year-old won the event last year despite being the oldest competitor in the elite men's field by roughly three years. He finished the race in two hours, eight minutes, 37 seconds, besting runner-up Wilson Chebet (Kenya) by 11 seconds.
Keflezighi made headlines last year by becoming the first American to win the event since 1983. Now the man who will turn 40 on May 5 is looking to make it back-to-back victories.
As for the women, there is no clear favorite. Amy Hastings Cragg is on the short list, though, as she told The Boston Globe's Shira Springer that she has been preparing for the race by actually running portions of the course:
"I feel like I know the area, which is weird because I’ve never known the area where I’m running a marathon. I feel like I know what I need to have left in my legs at every point in the race. That’s hugely helpful. I’m racing against mostly women who have done this before and I haven’t. So, I needed to get out there on the course to even the playing field.
"
Something of a home-course advantage should give Cragg the edge over some of the other competitor's in the women's field.
Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox will suit up for their only morning game of the year on Monday, with the first pitch from probable starter Justin Masterson set to come in at 11:05 a.m. ET. Masterson will be opposed by Wei-Yin Chen, the left-handed veteran of the Orioles rotation. Check out how the two match up below:
| Masterson | 2 | 10.2 | 11 | 11/5 | 1.50 | 7.59 |
| Chen | 2 | 10.1 | 8 | 8/3 | 1.06 | 4.35 |
Baltimore has taken two of the three games to begin this four-game set, and the Sox are looking to end their short homestand with a victory. Both teams are tied atop the American League East at 7-5, so picking up a win on Monday is crucial in establishing which team is ready to make some noise in a division that is widely considered to be without a favorite.
This contest is going to come down to the left and right arms of Chen and Masterson, respectively.
As AL East rivals, the Red Sox have seen a lot of Chen and the Orioles. Current Sox have slashed .331/.386/.569 against Chen, according to ESPN.com, with Dustin Pedroia leading the charge at .519/.567/.778 in 27 at-bats.
Masterson is new to the AL East, but pitching in Cleveland for most of his career has allowed him to face the Orioles on multiple occasions. Current O's have hit him pretty well, evidenced by the .284/.358/.444 line they've produced against him, per ESPN.com.
A player to watch for Baltimore is utility player Ryan Flaherty. A Maine native, Flaherty should be excited to partake in the Patriots' Day festivities. While not a regular in the lineup, Flaherty should earn the start on Monday if manager Buck Showalter is aware of his career splits against Masterson.
He has five hits in eight at-bats, including a double, a home run and four RBI.
Fenway Park will be hopping on Monday, and expect a good ballgame as a result.
Kenny DeJohn is a Breaking News Team Featured Columnist. Follow him on Twitter.
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