MONDAY, APRIL 14, 2014 at BALTIMORE ORIOLES RH Chris Archer (1-0, 1.38) Vs
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MONDAY, APRIL 14, 2014 at BALTIMORE ORIOLES RH Chris Archer (1-0, 1.38) vs. LH Wei-Yin Chen (1-1, 6.75) First Pitch: 7:05 p.m. | Location: Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, Md. | TV: Sun Sports | Radio: WDAE 620 AM, WGES 680 AM (Spanish) Game No.: 14 (7-6) | Road Game No.: 7 (3-3) | All-Time Game No.: 2,604 (1,202-1,401) | All-Time Road Game No.: 1,303 (532-770) ROSTER SHUFFLE—The Rays have optioned LH Jeff Beliveau to Triple-A RAYS, O’S ON TOP AGAIN—The Orioles (.993) and Rays (.992) are the Durham and recalled RH Brad Boxberger…Beliveau had just been recalled majors’ top two teams in fielding pct. for a second straight season…last for yesterday’s game to take the roster spot of RH Alex Cobb, who was year they finished at .996 and .994, respectively, and recorded the two low- placed on the 15-day DL with a left oblique strain…Cobb underwent an MRI est error totals in major league history (Orioles 54, Rays 59), breaking the yesterday in St. Pete which confirmed the diagnosis. mark held by the 2003 Mariners (65). Ê The Rays have made five roster moves during this road trip, four of which involved Beliveau, and two of which placed a starting pitcher ON THE MOUND—In 13 games, the Rays pitching staff has yielded 4 runs on the DL (LH Matt Moore, Cobb)…the Rays now have three of their or fewer 11 times, 3 runs or fewer 8 times and 2 runs or fewer 6 times…with five starters on the DL (also RH Jeremy Hellickson). yesterday’s 12-4 loss at CIN, the team ERA spiked from 2.55 to 3.24—which Ê On Thu vs. NYY, LH Erik Bedard will become the seventh pitcher to is still the best in club history through 13 games (prev. 3.50 in 2010). start for the Rays in only 17 games…twice in club history they’ve used only seven starters in an entire season (2009 and 2010). ZORILLA POWER—Yesterday at CIN, switch-hitter Ben Zobrist homered from each side of the plate for the first time in his life, with a 2-run homer off RAY MATTER—The Rays lost yesterday in Cincinnati, 12-4, missing a both LH Tony Cingrani and RH Nick Christiani…it was his fourth career chance at a 3-game sweep…they allowed a season-high 12 runs and 13 multi-homer game but only the third time in Rays history a switch-hitter has hits, their most runs since April 7, 2013 vs. CLE…despite being outscored homered both left- and right-handed: 24-13, the Rays are 3-3 on the road trip (1-2 at KC, 2-1 at CIN) as they ar- Player Game As LH Batter As RH Batter rive at their final destination, Baltimore, for a 3-game set…the trip began a Ben Zobrist 4/13/14 at CIN Nick Christiani Tony Cingrani stretch in which they play 19 of 26 and 34 of 53 games on the road—as well Willy Aybar 8/3/09 vs. KC Zack Greinke Ron Mahay as a stretch of 16 straight games vs. teams that had winning records in 2013. Geoff Blum 5/4/04 at TEX Chan-Ho Park Erasmo Ramirez Ê The Rays are tied for first place in the AL East with New York and Toronto and have held at least a share of first place for 8 of the past A FIRST IN 88 YEARS—Yesterday Manager Joe Maddon batted 1B Sean 10 days. Rodriguez 9th in the starting lineup, with LHP Cesar Ramos in the 8th…it was the first time a first baseman hit 9th in the lineup in a game without the DEFYING ALL LOGIC—In the Rays last 5 games, they are 3-0 when they DH since May 28, 1926, when Phillies Manager Art Fletcher hit 1B Wally score 2 runs or fewer, and 0-2 when they score 3 runs or more. Kimmick 9th and LHP Jack Bentley batted 5th. ABOUT THE BATS—In their last 7 games—beginning with Sunday’s 3-0 EVEN MORE WEIRDNESS—Yesterday the Rays ended the 2nd inning with loss vs. Texas—the Rays have scored only 13 runs (1.9 per game) and are a 6-2-4-3-2 double play, with C Ryan Hanigan recording both putouts with batting .190/.255/.316…in 6 games prior to this, they scored 31 runs (5.2 tags at the plate (Devin Mesoraco, Zack Cozart)…according to Elias, the per game) while batting .267/.372/.435. last two times a catcher tagged out two runners on one play both involved Ê Yesterday snapped a streak of 6 games scoring 3 runs or less. players who were in the Rays infield yesterday when it occurred…on Aug Ê The Rays last 6 runs have scored via home run: solo homers by Matt 14, 2013, SD Logan Forsythe was the batter when COL Yorvit Torrealba Joyce (Fri at CIN) and James Loney (Sat at CIN) and a pair of 2-run tagged out two runners…on June 5, 2013 at Comerica Park, DET Alex Avila shots by Ben Zobrist yesterday. turned an unassisted double play tagging out Rays C Jose Lobaton and SS Ê The Rays and Yankees are tied for the AL with 26 doubles. Yunel Escobar. TIGHT IS RIGHT—The Rays are 4-0 in one-run games—accounting for LONGO LOCKED WITH PEÑA—3B Evan Longoria is currently tied with their last 4 victories—including two 1-0 wins (Tue at KC and Sat at CIN)… Carlos Peña for the franchise home run record of 163…with his next long the A’s (1-0) are the only other team without a one-run loss…they became ball, he will become only franchise leader in baseball currently with that the first AL team to get two 1-0 wins in their first 12 games of the season team…next in line are CWS Paul Konerko (21 behind Frank Thomas’ since the 1986 Royals, and the first AL club to do so on the road since the 448), NYM David Wright (29 behind Darryl Strawberry’s 252) and MIA 1955 Red Sox…1B James Loney got the lone RBI in both 1-0 games, Giancarlo Stanton (33 behind Dan Uggla’s 154)…he is 12 doubles away becoming the first player to do so in a span of a week since PHI Jimmy from tying Carl Crawford’s club record of 215. Rollins (July 10-11 vs. CIN). BRANDON GUYER—The Gaithersburg, Md., resident has hit 2 of his 3 RAYS vs. ORIOLES—Today is the first of 19 scheduled games between career home runs at Camden Yards…his wife, Lindsay Murphy (a sports the Rays and O’s…last season the Rays went 13-6 against them (7-3 at anchor for Fox 5 in D.C.) has missed both of them—see page 92 of the home, 6-3 at Camden Yards), their second-best mark ever vs. Baltimore 2014 Rays Media Guide for details. (15-3 in 2008)…they finished the season series winning 11 of their last 13 including their first-ever 4-game sweep of the Orioles at Tropicana Field, BEN & JULES BOOK SIGNING—This Saturday, April 19 from 11 a.m.– Sep 20-23…Rays went 5-1 in one-run games vs. Baltimore in 2013, after 1 p.m., 2B/OF Ben Zobrist and his wife, singer Julianna Zobrist, will hold going 1-6 in 2012…Rays are 66-43 since the start of 2008 and lead the all- a public book signing at the Tropicana Field Team Store for their new auto- time series, 141-136. biography, Double Play: Faith and Family First…the book will be available there in the team store for $24.99. —Last Sep 20 the Rays won a 5-4, 18-inning mara- REMEMBER WHEN BEST RECORDS ON ROAD, thon—longest game in club history by both innings and time (6:54)…Da- KINGS OF THE ROAD—Since 2010, the MAJORS, SINCE 2010 vid DeJesus delivered a walk-off single at 2:05 a.m. for the victory…the Rays own the majors’ best road record Tampa Bay 179-152 .541 teams used a combined 21 pitchers (Rays 11, Orioles 10) to set a new major at 179-152 (.541)…they went 41-41 last New York-AL 174-156 .527 league record and the Rays tied the major league record for most pitchers season…from 2010-13, they are the only Texas 173-157 .524 used in a game...they combined to throw team in baseball to record a .500 or bet- MAJORS’ BEST RECORDS, 593 pitches (Rays 301, Orioles 292)... BEST RECORD WITHIN ter record each year, while their offense SINCE 2008 the on-field celebration included Chew- AL EAST, SINCE 2011 led the majors in runs scored (1,573, or New York-AL 571-414 .580 Tampa Bay 128-96 .571 bacca and Gene Simmons masks. 4.84 R/G), doubles (615), walks (1,184) Tampa Bay 557-429 .565 New York 123-107 .535 St. Louis 545-439 .554 Boston 111-116 .489 and ranked 5th in home runs (350). EASTERN SUPREMACY—Since 2011, Baltimore 111-118 .485 the Rays own the best record within the Toronto 97-133 .422 DAVE & ANDY ONE OF FOUR—Andy Freed and Dave Wills return to AL East at 128-96 (.571)…during this LOWEST ERA WITHIN the Rays radio booth for a 10th season together, and pre- and postgame span their four AL East opponents (BOS, AL EAST, SINCE 2011 host Neil Solondz is back for a third season…among all 30 major league NYY, BAL, TOR) all rank among the ma- Tampa Bay 3.42 broadcast teams, only three have a longer tenured radio broadcast duo jors’ top 10 in runs scored—yet the Rays New York 4.23 than Dave and Andy: have recorded a 3.42 ERA, more than a Boston 4.23 Ê Tigers—Dan Dickerson & Jim Price, 12th season together run better than the rest of baseball (4.49) Baltimore 4.34 Ê Orioles—Joe Angel & Fred Manfra, 11th season together vs.