SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 2014 Vs. NEW YORK YANKEES LH Drew Smyly (7-10, 3.73) Vs
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 2014 vs. NEW YORK YANKEES LH Drew Smyly (7-10, 3.73) vs. RH Shane Greene (3-1, 2.89) First Pitch: 4:10 p.m. | Location: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL | TV: Sun Sports, FS1 | Radio: 97.9 FM, WGES 680 AM (Spanish) Game No: 123 (61-61) | Home Game No.: 61 (28-32) | All-Time Game No.: 2,713 (1,256-1,456) | All-Time Home Game: 1,355 (694-660) March: 1-0 | April: 10-16 | May: 12-17 | June: 13-16 | July: 17-6 | August: 7-6 | Since the All-Star Break: 17-8 ROSTER MOVE—The Rays have recalled INF Vince Belnome from Triple- FIRING BLANKS—The Rays have thrown 3 shutouts in their last 7 games, A Durham…they optioned RH Brandon Gomes postgame last night. 5 since the All-Star break and 15 this season, tied with Texas for the AL lead…in the majors only St. Louis (18) has more…the club record is 17, set LONG ROAD BACK: RAYS MAKE HISTORY—Last night the Rays re- last season…they lead the majors with 47 shutouts since 2012. turned to .500 at 61-61 for the first time since they were 10-10 through end of play April 22…they became the 4th team to return to .500 after being at 3 OR FEWER—The Rays have gone a club-record 11 straight games al- least 18 games under .500, as they were 24-42 on June 10…they could lowing 3 or fewer runs, coinciding with the start of the just-completed road become the first to finish the season with a winning record…the Rays are trip…the staff has a 1.69 ERA (106.2-IP, 20-ER) in this stretch while the seeking their 7th straight winning season…below are the other three teams team is 7-4 with 3 walk-off losses…during this run, the starting rotation is to recover from 18 games under to return to .500: 6-1 with a 1.39 ERA (71-IP, 11-ER). Ê 1899 Louisville Colonels were 22 games under (16-38) on June 20 and returned to 73-73 on Oct 4…despite Honus Wagner’s best ef- 2.36—ERA by the team in August, on the heels of trading 2012 AL Cy Young forts, they were unable to climb over .500 and finished at 75-77…that Award winner LH David Price on the July 31 trade deadline…this ranks 3rd offseason they victims of contraction as the National League down- in the majors behind Seattle (1.78) and San Diego (2.29)…the rotation car- sized from 12 teams to eight…owner Barney Dreyfuss took Wagner ries a 2.44 ERA this month, 2nd after Seattle (1.69)…Rays staff has lowered and other top players with him to Pittsburgh as he purchased half its ERA every month this year: 4.41, 3.93, 3.30, 2.71 and 2.36. ownership of the Pirates. Ê 2006 Florida Marlins were 20 games under (11-31) on May 21)… SINCE THE BREAK—The Rays are 17-8 since the All-Star break and lead they returned to .500 at 68-68 on Sep 3, peaked at 73-71 on Sep 11, the majors with a 2.09 ERA…the lowest second-half ERA ever recorded before dipping to 78-84 to finish the season…it was Joe Girardi’s by a team is 2.26 by the 1976 Dodgers, and in the AL, 2.37 by the 1972 first and last season as the Marlins skipper. Angels…the 2012 Rays recorded 2.60 ERA after the 2012 All-Star break Ê 2004 Tampa Bay Devil Rays were 18 games under (10-28) on remains the lowest by any team since the 1981 Yankees (2.51). May 19…with the help of a club-record 15-1 stretch, they returned to MAJORS’ BEST W-L, .500 at 35-35 on June 25 with a 2-0 win over the Marlins in the open- SINCE JUNE 11—While going 37-19 since SINCE JUNE 11 ing game of a homestand…the club offered $5 tickets (500 pennies) June 11, the Rays own a 2.74 ERA (511.2- Tampa Bay 37-19 .661 in the upper deck for the Marlins series…they peaked at 40-38 on IP, 156-ER), 3rd best in the majors…since Baltimore 37-20 .649 July 3—then tanked to a final record of 70-91. June 11, the Rays lead the majors with a Los Angeles-AL 35-21 .625 .337 OBP, rank 4th with a .266 batting avg., AL EAST SINCE JUNE 11 RAY MATTER—The Rays have won 7 of their last 9 games, and with a and 4th with 4.50 runs per game…prior to Tampa Bay 37-19 .661 win today could tie the Yankees for 3rd place in the AL East—a position the June 11, the Rays had averaged 3.58 runs Baltimore 37-20 .649 Rays haven’t been in since May 5 when they were tied with Boston for third, per game, 28th in the majors and batted New York 29-28 .509 coming off a 2-1 series win at Yankee Stadium…starting May 6 the Rays .242 (23rd)…relievers Jake McGee and Boston 26-31 .456 have spent 102 consecutive days in 4th or 5th place…in addition, the Rays Brad Boxberger are a combined 4-0 with Toronto 24-33 .421 gained a game on 2nd-place Toronto last night and are now only 1.5 GB of 16 saves and a 1.28 ERA (57-IP, 31-H, AL EAST ON JUNE 10 the Blue Jays…the Rays are a major-league-best 19-8 (.704) since July 12, 8-ER, 12-BB, 92-SO)…they have struck out Toronto 39-27 .591 and 29-13 (.690) since June 27…during the 19-8 surge, the Rays pitching 92 of 213 batters faced (43.2 percent). Baltimore 32-31 .508 staff has compiled a major-league-best 2.01 ERA (250.2-IP, 56-ER) with New York 32-31 .508 Boston 29-35 .453 278 SO and a .215 opp avg. (196-for-912). KINGS OF K—Rays pitchers have struck Tampa Bay 24-42 .372 out 99 batters over the past 8 games, with THROUGH THE WRINGER—The Rays are 8-2 vs. AL East opponents 7 double-digit strikeout games…with 10 SO since June 28…this series began a stretch in which they play 29 of 32 tonight, they would have more than a strikeout per inning this season (cur- games vs. AL East foes and 28 of 32 against teams currently over .500… rently 1,104-IP, 1,104-SO)…Rays are on pace for 1,466 strikeouts, which Rays have gone 20-10 in their 30 games against teams over .500…the would shatter the all-time mark of 1,428 held by the 2013 Tigers. Rays have won 8 of their last 12 at home and are 12-9 since June 25 after getting off to a 16-23 start at Tropicana Field. LATEST FROM THE INFIRMARY—OF Wil Myers went 0-for-5 last night in his 4th rehab game with Triple-A Durham, playing RF in a 1-0, 11-inning RAYS vs. YANKEES—The Rays have won 5 straight games vs. NYY—their home win over Charlotte (White Sox)…he’s 4-for-14 (.286) with a grand longest winning streak ever vs. NYY within one season, and 2nd longest slam, 3 walks and 3 stolen bases…he is expected to start again tonight in overall behind a 7-game streak spanning Sep 22, 2011–April 8, 2012…Rays the OF…OF David DeJesus, on the DL with a left hand fracture since June are 8-3 in the season series while batting .290 and averaging 5.9 runs per 19, was expected to play this morning for the Gulf Coast League Rays. game, outscoring them, 65-41…since June 23, 2013, the Rays are 16-5…the Rays need 2 more wins to clinch the season series, which they have not lost CHECK PLEASE—St. Petersburg American Legion Post 14 ran up a $540 since 2009, holding a 48-35 record since 2010…Rays have had 3 games in tab on beer and bar sausages last night, which the Rays will cover…Rays which they have had at least 10 runs and 16 hits, the first team to do that in Manager Joe Maddon has declared this weekend American Legion Week- one season vs. NYY since the 1988 Angels. end, and the Post 14 banner hangs in the Rays clubhouse…it’s the third Ê The Rays have out-homered the Yankees 16-11 this season, and 89- straight season the Rays have had American Legion Week(end) down the 57 since the start of 2011. stretch, when the Rays cancel BP in an effort to conserve energy. Ê Since his rookie season of 2008, Evan Longoria leads all major league players with 26 HR and 74 RBI vs. the Yankees…ranking 2nd HEART & HUSTLE—Today OF Kevin Kiermaier will be honored pregame in that span are Jose Bautista (21-HR) and David Ortiz (64-RBI). as the Rays recipient of the Heart & Hustle Award, receiving the award from Ê 1B James Loney owns a career .357 avg. vs. NYY, 2nd best among Manager Joe Maddon…the award honors active players who “demonstrate active players (min.