TAMPA BAY RAYS (3-2-0) at BOSTON RED SOX (2-3-0) LH Rich Hill (0-0, 0.00) Vs
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Press Box Documents › bit.ly/3f0l9jz TAMPA BAY RAYS (3-2-0) at BOSTON RED SOX (2-3-0) LH Rich Hill (0-0, 0.00) vs. LH Eduardo Rodriguez (0-0, 0.00) Friday, March 5, 2021 First Pitch: 1:05 p.m. Location: JetBlue Park TV: None Radio: None Spring Game No.: 6 vs. AL Opponents: 1-2-0 vs. NL Opponents: 2-0-0 Home Games: 2-1-0 Road Games: 1-1-0 Day 16 of Spring Training 27 Days Until Opening Day—Thursday, April 1 at Miami Marlins (4:10 p.m.) PRONUNCIATION GUIDE To hear Rays coaches and players pronouncing their names in their own voices, visit raysbaseball.com/pronunciation. UPCOMING PROBABLE PITCHERS & BROADCAST SCHEDULE Upcoming Games Time (ET) Probable Pitchers (Rays vs. Opp.) TV & Radio Fri., 3/5 at BOS 1:05 p.m. TB—LH Rich Hill, RH Diego Castillo, RH Joe Ryan, RH Drew Strotman, RH Chris Ellis, LH Dietrich Enns; None BOS—LH Eduardo Rodriguez, LH Kyle Hart, RH Kevin McCarthy, RH Thad Ward, RH Josh Winckowski, RH Andrew Politi Sat., 3/6 vs. ATL 1:05 p.m. TB—RH Tyler Glasnow, RH Pete Fairbanks, RH Shane Baz, RH Trevor Richards; ATL—RH Charlie Morton WDAE 95.3 FM/620 AM PLAY BALL!—Today the defending AL champion Rays play their sixth of RAYS vs. RED SOX—This is the 29 official Grapefruit League games (14 at Charlotte Sports Park, 15 on the second of eight meetings be- LINEUP at BOSTON road)…from the spring opener through the end of the regular season (Feb tween the two clubs this spring No. Player Pos. 28–Oct 3), the Rays are scheduled for 191 games over a span of 218 days. (four at home, four on the road)… 18 Joey Wendle (L) SS Ê There are 11 new faces on the 40-man roster—four free agents, four the Rays lost, 9-3, on March 2 28 Francisco Mejía (S) DH 8 Brandon Lowe (L) 2B acquired via trade and three from the minor league system. and allowed 4 HR, including 3 43 Mike Brosseau 3B The Rays have a club-record 77 players on their spring roster: 42 HR in the 3rd inning…the Rays Ê 35 Brett Phillips (L) CF pitchers, 8 catchers, 15 infielders and 12 outfielders…prior to 2021, went 7-3 against them in the 64 Joseph Odom C the largest camp roster was 76 players (1999)…the 77 players on the 2020 regular season, and 4-0 93 Moisés Gómez LF spring roster includes four rehabbing pitchers on the 60-day IL. at Fenway Park…since July 24, 92 Garrett Whitley RF Ê The Rays are sold out of tickets for home spring games…tickets 2019, the Rays are 14-4 against 95 Tristan Gray (L) 1B were all sold within five minutes of going on sale to the public. the Red Sox with a +38 run dif- 14 Rich Hill LHP ferential…the Rays scored 69 SLICE OF GRAPEFRUIT—Per MLB's 2021 guidelines, games from Feb 28– runs in 10 games against them last season, including 8 runs (or more) five March 13 (excluding ESPN games) will be scheduled for 7 innings, though times…the Rays totaled 103 hits, 25 2B and 17 HR in the season series. they can be shortened to 5 innings or lengthened to 9 innings upon mutu- Ê The Rays have won a club-record eight consecutive games at Fen- al agreement of both managers…games from March 14-30 will be sched- way Park, the longest winning streak at an opponent's park in uled for 9 innings, though managers can decide to shorten to 7 innings. franchise history…the Rays will enter their game on April 5, 2021 Ê Earlier last month, Major League Baseball released a revised, re- at Fenway Park having gone 667 days since their last loss there. gionalized Grapefruit League schedule to mitigate travel…28 of the Ê Last offseason the Red Sox hired Chaim Bloom, who spent 15 years Rays 29 spring games are against the Braves (7), Orioles (3), Pirates in the Rays Baseball Operations dept., as Chief Baseball Officer. (2), Red Sox (8) and Twins (8)…the only exception is the final game— March 30 in Lakeland (Tigers)—after the Rays move their major YESTERDAY'S RECAP—The Rays defeated the Twins, 5-2, for their sec- league operations to Tropicana Field to prepare for Opening Day. ond consecutive win…their runs scored on a sacrifice fly, fielder's choice, Ê In 2020, three players who entered spring training as non-roster throwing error, groundout and fielder's choice, and all seven of their hits invites made the Opening Day roster…incl. postseason, nine non- were singles…LH Ryan Yarbrough started and pitched a perfect 1st in- roster invites spent time on the Rays active roster last season. ning on 16 pitches, and RH Luis Patiño pitched a scoreless 2nd for the win…he pitched around a 1-out double and threw 10 pitches (7 strikes). TWO DISTINCT ERAS—Since becoming the Rays in 2008, the Rays own the 5th-best record in baseball at 1,081-924 (.539) and have made six trips TODAY’S STARTER at BOS—LH Rich Hill (0-0, 0.00 ERA) to the postseason, incl. three AL East division titles (2020, 2010, 2008) and Ê 2020 Regular Season: 2-2, 3.03 ERA (38.2-IP, 13-ER) in 8 starts two World Series appearances (2020, 2008)…during this span, only three Ê Signed a one-year deal with the Rays on Feb 17, 2021. clubs (Dodgers, Yankees, Cardinals) have reached the postseason more Ê Opened last season in the Twins rotation as a result of the delayed often, and only two (Dodgers, Giants) have competed in more World Se- season…entered spring training recovering from left elbow sur- ries…the Rays have seven 90-win seasons since 2008, a number matched gery that repaired a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament. by only three other teams in baseball: Dodgers (8), Red Sox (7) and Yan- Ê Allowed 2 runs (or fewer) in seven of 8 starts, including his last kees (7)…this success comes after the Devil Rays amassed the majors’ six…pitched to a 2.38 ERA (22.2-IP, 6-ER) in his final 4 starts. worst record at 645-972 (.399) over the club’s first decade of existence. Ê Missed time from July 31–Aug 18 (left shoulder inflammation). Ê The Rays enter the 2021 season on the heels of the second AL pen- Ê Since signing with the Red Sox as a 35-year-old following a stint in nant in team history…in 2020, the Rays went 40-20 (.667), the best independent ball in 2015, is 43-22 with a 2.92 ERA (505-IP, 164-ER) winning pct. in club history…it was the fourth straight season they in 95 apps (94 starts) in the majors…since 2016, ranks among ML improved their winning pct., all under Manager Kevin Cash. leaders (min. 400 IP) in ERA (3.01, 8th) and opp avg. (.208, 4th). THE SKIPPER—Kevin Cash enters his seventh season as Rays manager… ON THE AIRWAVES—Both games this weekend will air on WDAE 95.3 he is baseball’s 3rd-longest-tenured manager with his current team be- FM/620 AM, with Dave Wills and Andy Freed on the call…Dave and hind OAK Bob Melvin (10th full season) and CLE Terry Francona (9th Andy are entering their 17th season together; only the Giants and Tigers season)…Cash's career 454-416 (.522) record is the best winning pct. of any have longer-tenured full-season radio broadcast duos…Rays fans have manager in club history…last season he was named AL Manager of the enjoyed remarkable stability in the radio booth, as Neil Solondz begins Year by the BBWAA, receiving 22 of 30 first-place votes…was the second his 10th season as host of the pre- and postgame shows…third base coach manager in Rays history to win it, joining Joe Maddon (2008 and 2011). Rodney Linares and SS Willy Adames are guests on this week’s Count- Ê At 42 years old in 2020, Cash was the youngest manager to reach down to Opening Day show, airing tomorrow and Sunday at 12:30 p.m. the World Series since Ozzie Guillén (41) in 2005 (White Sox). Ê Three other current managers are former members of his coaching BEST WISHES—Happy Birthday to Rays Radio broadcaster Neil Solondz… staff: Rocco Baldelli (Twins), Charlie Montoyo (Blue Jays) and Der- everyone wants to know if you remember watching the last time Rutgers ek Shelton (Pirates)…Cash is one of six former Rays players who basketball won a NCAA Tournament game, all the way back in 1983? have gone on to manage major league teams…the others: Guillén NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES—Two years ago today, Rays commu- (White Sox, Marlins), Mickey Callaway (Mets), Gabe Kapler (Phil- nications staffer Ryan Sheets performed the Heimlich maneuver on a lies, Giants), Dave Martinez (Nationals) and Baldelli (Twins). choking man at Charlotte Sports Park, saving his life…“Thank God Sheets MINOR MATTERS—The Rays enter the 2021 season ranked by Baseball was there,” reliever Emilio Pagán said. “He saved his life. He’s a hero.” America, Baseball Prospectus, ESPN and The Athletic as the No. 1 farm CHAMPIONS CLUB—To celebrate the Rays advancing to the 2020 World system in the game…the Rays will attempt to complete the sweep when Series, the team has launched the American League Champions Club, MLB.com releases their organizational rankings in mid-March…MLB.com presented by Geico…the club features exclusive experiences and events, placed eight Rays prospects on its preseason Top 100, most of any team.