WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2014 Vs. NEW YORK YANKEES LH Cesar Ramos Vs
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2014 vs. NEW YORK YANKEES LH Cesar Ramos vs. RH Adam Warren First Pitch: 1:05 p.m. | Location: Charlotte Sports Park, Charlotte County, Fla. | TV: None | Radio: MLB.com Game No: 6 (3-1-1) | vs. AL: 2-1 | vs. NL: 1-0-1 | Home: 2-1 | Road: 1-0-1 Day 20 of Spring Training | 26 Days Until Opening Day—Monday, March 31 vs. TOR (4:10 p.m.) SLICE OF GRAPEFRUIT—The Rays have GRAPEFRUIT LEAGUE CAL JR. COMING TO TOWN—Hall TODAY’S STARTING LINEUP won 3 straight games and, at 3-1, own the STANDINGS of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. will attend the 18 Ben Zobrist (S) 2B second-best record in the Grapefruit League Pittsburgh 5-1 .833 -- Rays-Pirates game at Charlotte Sports 8 Desmond Jennings (R) CF after Pittsburgh (5-1)…they lead the Grape- Tampa Bay 3-1 .750 1.0 Park on March 13 to sign his newest book, 3 Evan Longoria (R) 3B fruit League with a 1.96 ERA (46-IP, 10-ER), Miami 4-2 .667 1.0 Squeeze Play, the fourth installment in 20 Matt Joyce (L) DH and in the majors only Seattle (1.80) has a Minnesota 4-2 .667 1.0 the New York Times best-selling “Cal Rip- 24 Ryan Hanigan (R) C better ERA. ken Jr.’s All-Stars series” described as a 30 Vince Belnome (L) 1B 16 Jayson Nix (R) SS Ê This is the Rays 17th spring training and sixth in Charlotte County… middle grade novel…the signing will be- 5 Brandon Guyer (R) LF today is the sixth of 29 games on the Grapefruit League slate and gin shortly after gates open at 11 a.m. 67 Mikie Mahtook (R) RF fourth of 14 road games, plus a March 29 exhibition at Riverwalk 27 Cesar Ramos LHP Stadium in Montgomery, Ala., home of the Rays Double-A affiliate. FORTUNE FAVORS THE BALD—On Ê Since making Charlotte Sports Park their home in 2009, the Rays March 16 before the Rays host the Red Rays IN have sold out 20 of 82 home dates and have played to 84 percent Sox at Charlotte Sports Park at 1:05 p.m., SPRING TRAINING capacity, drawing a total of 469,029 (5,720 per game). the Rays will once again shave their heads W-L-T Home Att. 2014 3-1-1 14,794 Ê Since becoming the Rays in 2008, the club is 96-80-16 (.545) in to raise funds and awareness for the Pe- 2013 15-17-2 90,935 Grapefruit League play and has won 15-plus games in 5 of 6 sea- diatric Cancer Foundation…it will be the 2012 10-16-6 87,916 sons, after having none in their first 10 springs as the Devil Rays. third straight year the team has partici- 2011 15-14-2 95,859 pated…for more information visit pcfcut- 2010 20-8-2 97,971 0—Errors committed by the Rays in their first 5 spring training games. foracure.org. 2009 15-16-1 103,255 2008 18-8-2 54,960 RAYS vs. YANKEES—Today is the first of 2 games between these AL East SIX YEARS AS THE RAYS—Since 2007 10-19-2 79,044 rivals…the Rays travel to Steinbrenner Field on Sunday…the Rays went 0-2 changing their name to the Rays in 2008, 2006 13-16-1 70,756 against the Yankees in the 2013 Grapefruit League season. the Rays are 550-423 (.565), second- 2005 13-16-0 61,261 2004 11-8-0 43,916 best record in the majors after the Yan- 2003 8-19-3 51,234 12-7—The Rays record vs. the Yankees in 2013, the best mark in club his- kees (564-408)…Tampa Bay is one of 2002 10-16-1 49,043 tory…Rays finished the season series with their first-ever sweep (3 or more four teams to reach the postseason four 2001 12-15-1 57,081 games) at Yankee Stadium, Sep 24-26, and won 8 of the final 10 games vs. times, along with the Phillies (four), Yan- 2000 14-17-0 67,089 New York…other numbers from the 2013 season series: kees (four) and Cardinals (four)…they 1999 14-14-1 59,230 Ê 26-9 margin the Rays outhomered the Yankees, largest all-time vs. have five seasons of 90-plus wins in this 1998 12-18-0 66,781 New York in a season series, according to the Elias Sports Bureau… span, the only team to make that claim… Total 213-238-25 1,151,015 Evan Longoria himself hit 9 HR, matching the Yankees output for the the Rays and Rangers are the only teams season series, most of any player vs. NYY since TOR Jose Cruz Jr. with 90-plus wins in each of the past four seasons. (9) in 2001. Ê Since 2008 the Rays have won six BBWAA awards, most in the majors Ê 4 shutouts by Rays pitching, only the third team in the last 30 years over that span: Joe Maddon (2008 and 2011 AL Manager of the Year), to do so vs. New York (1997 Blue Jays, 1990 A’s)…included were 2 David Price (2012 AL Cy Young), Evan Longoria (2008 AL ROY), shutouts during the 3-game final series in New York, the first visit- Jeremy Hellickson (2011 AL ROY) and Wil Myers (2013 AL ROY). ing team to shut out the Yankees twice in one series since the 1999 Angels (May 11-13). STINGY STAFF RETURNS—In the six seasons since becoming the Rays Ê 2.98 ERA (172.1-IP, 57-ER) was the lowest by any team vs. NYY (min. (2008-13) the Rays pitching staff leads the AL in ERA (3.74), runs allowed 10 games) since the 1997 Blue Jays (2.89). (3,911), opponents’ avg. (.242) and opponents’ OPS (.698)…the last AL Ê .213 opp avg. was the lowest of any Yankees opponent since 1990 club to post an ERA this low over a six-year span was the 1987-92 A’s (3.72) when the A’s, Red Sox, White Sox were all lower. and Blue Jays (3.73)…no AL team has allowed so few runs over a six-year span since the 1975-80 Orioles (3,659) and Yankees (3,730). YESTERDAY—The Rays cruised to an 8-0 victory over the Red Sox at JetBlue Park…they recorded 16 hits, 6 of those for extra bases…they did INFIELD INTACT—The Rays opened spring training with all four of the in- all of their scoring in the first 5 innings, including a 3-run 2nd inning and a field starters from Opening Day 2013, all of them Gold Glove Award finalists 3-run 5th…LF David DeJesus roped a leadoff double in the 1st and an RBI last season: 1B James Loney, 2B Ben Zobrist, 3B Evan Longoria and triple in the 2nd…later in the 2nd, 1B James Loney hit a long 2-run home SS Yunel Escobar…on only two other occasions has the Rays Opening run to make it a 4-0 game…in the 5th, 2B Sean Rodriguez hit a solo homer Day starting infield come to camp the following year: 1998-99 and 2008- and SS Yunel Escobar added a 2-run double…starter RH Chris Archer 09…Rays infielders committed only 36 errors, fewest in baseball, and only needed only 21 pitches (15 strikes) to total 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO in 3 more than the major league record of 33 by the 1999 Mets (1B John earning the victory…LH Mike Montgomery threw a scoreless 7th and 8th, Olerud, 2B Edgardo Alfonzo, 3B Robin Ventura, SS Rey Ordoñez). while RH Mark Lowe, LH Jake McGee, RH Brad Boxberger, LH Enny Romero and LH Jeff Beliveau each worked a scoreless frame. EVAN EYES CARLOS & CARL—3B Evan Longoria enters 2014 within striking distance of a number of franchise records…his 162 HR are one shy COUNTDOWN TO OPENING DAY—Rays President Matt Silverman and of Carlos Peña’s club record…his 544 RBI are 48 shy of Carl Crawford’s RH Grant Balfour will be special guests on this tomorrow’s edition of the mark (592)…his 200 doubles are 15 shy of Crawford’s team record…his Countdown to Opening Day radio show on WDAE 620 AM and other sta- 373 extra-base hits are 51 shy of Crawford (424). tions on the Rays Radio Network…tomorrow’s show will be held at Hooters in Port Charlotte (1360 Tamiami Trail) from 7–8 p.m. and hosted by Rays SEASONED VETERANS—Of the 31 active catchers with at least 400 radio broadcasters Dave Wills, Andy Freed and Neil Solondz. games played, Ryan Hanigan and Jose Molina rank 3rd and 5th, respec- tively, in career caught stealing pct. …Hanigan has caught 36.3 pct. of ROLL CALL—So far, 62 of 64 players invited to camp have reported…RH would-be thieves (90 of 248), and Molina has caught 34.5 pct. (185 of 537). Juan Carlos Oviedo and INF Wilson Betemit are still dealing with visa is- Ê Hanigan owns a career catcher’s ERA of 3.63, lowest of any active sues…only once in the previous 8 seasons (since 2006) have the Rays invit- catcher, and his .995 fielding pct. ranks 2nd to Chris Snyder (.998).