THURSDAY, AUGUST 3, 2017 at HOUSTON ASTROS LH Blake Snell (0-6, 4.87) Vs
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 3, 2017 at HOUSTON ASTROS LH Blake Snell (0-6, 4.87) vs. RH Collin McHugh (0-0, 4.22) First Pitch: 8:10 p.m. ET | Location: Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas | TV: Fox Sports Sun | Radio: WDAE 620 AM, WGES 680 AM (Sp.) Game No.: 110 (56-53) | Road Game No.: 58 (27-30) | All-Time Game No.: 3,186 (1,476-1,709) | All-Time Road Game No.: 1,594 (667-926) April: 12-14 | May: 17-13 | June: 13-13 | July: 12-13 | August: 2-0 | Pre-All-Star: 47-43 | Post-All-Star: 9-10 BOUND FOR COOPERSTOWN—3B Evan Longoria has agreed to do- RAYS vs. ASTROS—The winner of tonight’s game will win the season se- nate his batting helmet from Tuesday’s game, when he recorded the sec- ries, currently tied 3-3…the Rays have not lost the season series to Hous- ond cycle in Rays history, to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooper- ton since 2008 (1-2), winning five consecutively (2010-11, 2013-15) and stown, N.Y. …it will be the second artifact Longo has sent to Cooperstown, finishing in a tie (3-3) last season…the Rays own a 27-18 (.600) record following the bat he used on Sep 28, 2011 vs. NYY (“Game 162”) to hit a all-time…they are 12-7 at home, 15-11 in Houston…they are 21-12 (.636) Wild Card-clinching 12th-inning home run…for a detailed list of Rays ar- since the Astros joined the AL in 2013. tifacts at the Hall of Fame, see page 400 of the 2017 Rays Media Guide. Ê Since the Astros joined the AL in 2013, last night was the 9th time the Rays have shut them out 9—most of any opponent in that span— RAY MATTER—Last night’s 3-0 victory A.L. EAST STANDINGS despite only 33 games played between them…next most is 6 shut- was the Rays fourth shutout win of the Boston 59-49 .546 -- outs by Texas, who has played them 86 times in that span. season, first since July 8 vs. BOS (1- New York 57-49 .538 -1.0 Ê Only one team this season has beaten the Astros in 3 consecutive 0)…the Rays also became the fourth Tampa Bay 56-53 .514 -3.5 games, as the Rays have a chance to tonight…the Indians won 5 team to blank the Astros—the majors’ Baltimore 53-54 .495 -5.5 straight, April 26-27 in Cleveland and May 19-21 here. highest-scoring offense—this season… Toronto 51-57 .472 -8.0 the Rays pitching staff recorded one of A.L. WILD CARD STANDINGS GUT CHECK—The Rays have won 3 of their last 4 games after beginning 6 shutouts around the majors yesterday New York 57-49 .538 +2.0 the road trip 0-3, and with a win tonight could finish the trip at 4-4…both (out of 14 games), most on any day this Kansas City 55-51 .519 -- opponents on this trip were against opponents currently positioned to make season…the Elias Sports Bureau notes Tampa Bay 56-53 .514 -0.5 the postseason…the trip began a stretch of 17 games against five oppo- that yesterday was the first day in July Seattle 55-54 .505 -1.5 nents in playoff contention (including the AL’s four best teams by winning or later that five teams holding playoff Baltimore 53-54 .495 -2.5 pct.): New York-AL (4 games), Houston (4), Milwaukee (3), Boston (2) and spots were shut out (Astros, Yankees, Cleveland (4)…the Rays are 5-8 so far in their stretch of 17 games in 17 Cubs, Nationals, Royals; also the Phillies)…the Rays gained a game on days (July 21–Aug 6) and 30 games in 31 days (through Aug 20). Kansas City (0.5 GB) for the second AL Wild Card position and on New York Ê Tomorrow the Rays open a 9-game, 10-day homestand against the (2.5 GB) for the first Wild Card spot and for second place in the AL East… Brewers (3 games), Red Sox (2) and Indians (4)…the Rays are 6-3 they gained a half-game on first-place Boston in the AL East (3.5 GB)…this all-time against Milwaukee, winning 2 of 3 games in all three previous is the closest they’ve been to first place this late in the season since end of meetings…it will be their third visit to Tropicana Field, and first since play Aug 30, 2013 (3.5 GB of first-place Boston)…prior to winning the last 2 July 28-30, 2014…in the series finale, LHDavid Price made his last games, they had lost 9 of 12. start in a Rays uniform and suffered a 5-0 loss to RH Yovani Gal- Ê With a win tonight, the Rays can improve to 14-5-4 over their last 23 lardo, then was traded to Detroit in a three-team deal the next day. series, since May 12-14 at BOS. Ê The Rays have outscored opponents 332-251 (+81) in innings 1-thru- POWER PLAY—The Rays are tied with Milwaukee for 4th in the majors 5, but have been outscored 243-168 after that (-75). with 158 HR, trailing Houston (174), Texas (166) and Washington (160)… Ê Last night the Rays pitchers snapped a club-record streak of 19 they are on pace for a club-record 235 HR (216 in 2016)…their 158 HR are games having allowed a home run…they allowed 32 HR in that span. a club record through 109 games (prev. 142 in 2016) and their 500 runs are their most since 2010 (544)…the Rays lead the majors with a club-record DO IT LIKE PRUITT—RH Austin Pruitt last night tossed a career-high 6.1 12 back-to-back home runs, ahead of the Royals and Nationals (9)…there IP (5-H, 0-R, 1-BB, 3-SO), becoming only the second rookie in Rays history are 46 players in baseball who have hit at least 20 HR this season, and the to earn a victory with a scoreless start against the majors’ highest-scoring Rays are the only team with four of them on their roster (Logan Morrison, offense…the other was 20-year-old LH Scott Kazmir on Sep 14, 2004 at Steven Souza Jr., Corey Dickerson, Lucas Duda). BOS, when he beat Hall of Famer RH Pedro Martínez and the eventual World Series Champion Red Sox with 6 scoreless innings (3-H, 3-BB, 9-SO). LOMO RISIN’—1B Logan Morrison has homered in the 1st inning in each Ê Pruitt defeated LH Dallas Keuchel, snapping his 9-game (decision) of the last 2 games, on the heels of a season-long 12-game, 36-AB homer- winning streak to start the year and 11-game winning streak dat- less stretch…he leads the majors with 20 HR on the road, already 3rd most ing back to last season…it marks the first time the Rays have ever in Rays history behind Carlos Peña (23 in 2007, 20 in 2009) and José spoiled an opposing pitcher’s record of 9-0 or better. Canseco (22 in 1999)…Morrison now ranks T-4th in the AL and T-7th in Ê Pruitt, a University of Houston graduate who was raised in The the majors with 28 HR, and his 62 BB are T-3rd in the AL…only one other Woodlands, had some 200 friends and family in the crowd…it was player in baseball can match his combination of HR and BB: NYY Aaron the second time this season a Rays pitcher made his first start in his Judge (34-HR, 76-BB). hometown leading the Rays to victory: on July 14 at LAA, RH Jake Faria tossed 6.2 IP in a 2-1 Rays victory. LUCAS DUDA—Has a 5-game hitting streak and a 6-game on-base streak since joining the Rays, batting .375/.522/1.000 (6-for-16) with 1 2B, 3 HR, AUSTIN def. DALLAS IN HOUSTON—Last night’s matchup of RH Austin 4 RBI, 5 BB and 6 runs scored…per MLB rules, last night (walk in only PA) Pruitt and LH Dallas Keuchel prompted SABR name guru Diane First- does not terminate the hitting streak…if he records a hit in his next game, man (Twitter: @dianagram) to do some research…she found at least six he would become the first to begin his Rays career with a 6-game hitting previous games in which the starting pitchers’ first names were both cities streak since Cliff Floyd (7) in 2008. in the state where the game was played: 8/2/17 TB Austin Pruitt vs. HOU Dallas Keuchel Houston, TX PICKED CLEAN—Last night the Rays turned 3 double plays, tying their 9/6/15 MIN Tyler Duffy vs. HOU Dallas Keuchel Houston, TX season high (seventh time, first since June 10 vs. OAK, Game 1)…accord- 4/5/14 LAA Tyler Skaggs vs. HOU Dallas Keuchel Houston, TX ing to FanGraphs, the Rays lead the American League with 32 Defensive 4/21/82 BAL Dennis Martinez vs. BOS Dennis Eckersley Boston, MA Runs Saved, ahead of Boston (19), and rank 3rd in the majors behind the 4/16/80 KC Dennis Leonard vs. BOS Dennis Eckersley Boston, MA Reds (46) and Cubs (36).