Vs. ATLANTA BRAVES (0-0-0) RH Chris Ellis (0-0, 0.00) Vs
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Press Box Documents › bit.ly/3f0l9jz TAMPA BAY RAYS (0-0-0) vs. ATLANTA BRAVES (0-0-0) RH Chris Ellis (0-0, 0.00) vs. RH Kyle Wright (0-0, 0.00) Sunday, February 28, 2021 First Pitch: 1:05 p.m. Location: Charlotte Sports Park TV: None Radio: WDAE 95.3 FM/620 AM Spring Game No.: 1 vs. AL Opponents: 0-0-0 vs. NL Opponents: 0-0-0 Home Games: 0-0-0 Road Games: 0-0-0 Day 11 of Spring Training 32 Days Until Opening Day—Thursday, April 1 at Miami Marlins (4:10 p.m.) UPCOMING PROBABLE PITCHERS & BROADCAST SCHEDULE Upcoming Games Time (ET) Probable Pitchers (Rays vs. Opp.) TV & Radio Mon., 3/1 vs. MIN 1:05 p.m. TB—RH Tyler Glasnow, RH Trevor Richards, LH Dietrich Enns, RH Louis Head, LH Kenny Rosenberg; MLB.com MIN—LH Lewis Thorpe, RH Juan Minaya, RH Shaun Anderson, RH Luke Farrell, RH Griffin Jax, LH Andrew Vasquez Tues., 3/2 at BOS 1:05 p.m. TB—RH Michael Wacha, RH David Hess, RH Ryan Thompson, RH Pete Fairbanks, LH Ryan Sherriff, RH Chris Mazza; BOS—TBD ESPN Wed, 3/3 vs. PIT 1:05 p.m. TB—LH Shane McClanahan LH Josh Fleming; PIT—TBD FOX Sports Sun, MLB.com Thurs., 3/4 at MIN 1:05 p.m. TB—LH Ryan Yarbrough, RH Luis Patiño; MIN—TBD FOX Sports Sun PLAY BALL!—Today the defending AL champion Rays play their first of RAYS vs. BRAVES—Today is the LINEUP vs. ATLANTA 29 official Grapefruit League games (14 at Charlotte Sports Park, 15 on the first of seven Grapefruit League road)…starting today through the end of the regular season (Feb 28–Oct games against the Braves for the No. Player Pos. 3), the Rays are scheduled to play 191 games over the next 218 days. Battle of Tamiami Trail, which 17 Austin Meadows (L) DH 56 Randy Arozarena RF Ê There are 11 new faces on the 40-man roster—four free agents, four includes four at Charlotte Sports 8 Brandon Lowe (L) 2B acquired via trade and three from the minor league system. Park and three in North Port… 43 Mike Brosseau 1B Ê The Rays have a club-record 77 players on their spring roster: 42 last spring the Rays went 1-1-1 2 Yandy Díaz 3B pitchers, 8 catchers, 15 infielders and 12 outfielders…prior to 2021, against the Braves and turned 25 Yoshi Tsutsugo (L) LF the largest camp roster was 76 players (1999)…the 77 players on the a 6-3-4 triple play against them 1 Willy Adames SS spring roster includes four rehabbing pitchers on the 60-day IL. on March 7…the two clubs met 13 Manuel Margot CF Ê The Rays are sold out of tickets for home spring games…tickets four times in the regular season, 44 Kevan Smith C were all sold within five minutes of going on sale to the public. with the Rays going 2-0 at Tropi- 86 Chris Ellis RHP cana Field and 0-2 on the road. SLICE OF GRAPEFRUIT—Today's game will be 7 innings in length…per Ê The Rays nearly met the Braves in the World Series…both teams Major League Baseball’s 2021 guidelines, games from February 28–March went to a Game 7 in their League Championship Series, with the 13 (excluding ESPN games) will be scheduled for 7 innings, though they Rays beating the Astros and the Braves losing to the Dodgers. can be shortened to 5 innings or lengthened to 9 innings upon mutual agreement of both managers…games from March 14-30 will be sched- ON THE AIRWAVES—Today's game will air on WDAE 95.3 FM/620 AM, uled for 9 innings, though managers can decide to shorten to 7 innings. with Dave Wills and Andy Freed on the call…Dave and Andy are en- Ê Earlier this month, Major League Baseball released a revised, re- tering their 17th season together; only the Giants and Tigers have lon- gionalized Grapefruit League schedule to mitigate travel…28 of the ger-tenured full-season radio broadcast duos…Rays fans have enjoyed Rays 29 spring games are against the Braves (7), Orioles (3), Pirates remarkable stability in the radio booth, as Neil Solondz begins his 10th (2), Red Sox (8) and Twins (8)…the only exception is the final game— season as host of the pre- and postgame shows…bullpen coach Stan Bo- March 30 in Lakeland (Tigers)—after the Rays move their major roski and RH Nick Anderson are guests on this week’s edition of the league operations to Tropicana Field to prepare for Opening Day. Countdown to Opening Day radio show, airing today at 12:30 p.m. Ê In 2020, three players who entered spring training as non-roster invites made the Opening Day roster…incl. postseason, nine non- VIDEO ON A SILVER PLATTER—The Rays will provide a daily postgame roster invites spent time on the Rays active roster last season. video feed of all non-televised spring training games, including today… for day games, video should be uploaded by 5:15 p.m. …to receive email TWO DISTINCT ERAS—Since becoming the Rays in 2008, the Rays own updates, contact Chris Tilley at [email protected]. the 5th-best record in baseball at 1,081-924 (.539) and have made six trips to the postseason, incl. three AL East division titles (2020, 2010, 2008) and TODAY’S STARTER vs. ATL—RH Chris Ellis (0-0, 0.00 ERA) two World Series appearances (2020, 2008)…during this span, only three Ê Released by the Cardinals on May 27 of last season and was not clubs (Dodgers, Yankees, Cardinals) have reached the postseason more part of a 60-man player pool…went 1-0 with a 2.35 ERA (23-IP, 6-ER) often, and only two (Dodgers, Giants) have competed in more World Se- and 24 SO in 5 apps (4 starts) in the Dominican Winter League. ries…the Rays have seven 90-win seasons since 2008, a number matched Ê Has made one career appearance in the majors…he made the Roy- by only three other teams in baseball: Dodgers (8), Red Sox (7) and Yan- als Opening Day roster in 2019 and made his major league debut kees (7)…this success comes after the Devil Rays amassed the majors’ with a scoreless 9th inning of a 6-3 loss on March 31 vs. CWS…des- worst record at 645-972 (.399) over the club’s first decade of existence. ignated for assignment after the game and returned to the Cardi- Ê The Rays enter the 2021 season on the heels of the second AL pen- nals organization under the requirements of the Rule 5 Draft. nant in team history…in 2020, the Rays went 40-20 (.667), the best Ê Named to the Texas League midseason All-Star Team in 2018 and winning pct. in club history…it was the fourth straight season they the Southern League midseason All-Star Team in 2016. improved their winning pct., all under Manager Kevin Cash. Ê Selected by the Angels in the third round of the 2014 Amateur Draft out of the University of Mississippi…helped the Rebels reach THE SKIPPER—Kevin Cash enters his seventh season as Rays manager… the College World Series for the first time in 42 years as a junior… he is baseball’s 3rd-longest-tenured manager with his current team be- pitched out of the bullpen for his first two seasons at Ole Miss…pre- hind OAK Bob Melvin (10th full season) and CLE Terry Francona (9th viously selected by the Dodgers in the 50th round of the 2011 Am- season)…Cash's career 454-416 (.522) record is the best winning pct. of any ateur Draft out of Spain Park (Ala.) High School, but did not sign. manager in club history…last season he was named AL Manager of the Year by the BBWAA, receiving 22 of 30 first-place votes…was the second CHAMPIONS CLUB—To celebrate the Rays advancing to the 2020 World manager in Rays history to win it, joining Joe Maddon (2008 and 2011). Series, the team has launched the American League Champions Club, Ê At 42 years old in 2020, Cash was the youngest manager to reach presented by Geico…the club features exclusive experiences and events, the World Series since Ozzie Guillén (41) in 2005 (White Sox). including a members-only Zoom session with AL Manager of the Year Ê Three other current managers are former members of his coaching Kevin Cash and Senior VP of Baseball Operations & General Manager staff: Rocco Baldelli (Twins), Charlie Montoyo (Blue Jays) and Der- Erik Neander and photo opportunities with the trophy…members will ek Shelton (Pirates)…Cash is one of six former Rays players who also receive special gifts, including an replica ring, replica trophy, a Randy have gone on to manage major league teams…the others: Guillén Arozarena ALCS MVP Audio Bobblehead and a commemorative wooden (White Sox, Marlins), Mickey Callaway (Mets), Gabe Kapler (Phil- coaster…to purchase a membership, visit raysbaseball.com/ALchamps. lies, Giants), Dave Martinez (Nationals) and Baldelli (Twins). SEASON MEMBERSHIPS—The Rays have announced a new and innova- MINOR MATTERS—The Rays enter the 2021 season ranked by Baseball tive Season Membership model in anticipation of fans returning to Tropi- America, Baseball Prospectus, ESPN and The Athletic as the No. 1 farm cana Field for the 2021 regular season…Rays Season Memberships allow system in the game…the Rays will attempt to complete the sweep when fans to choose from six membership levels, each with its own associated MLB.com releases their organizational rankings in mid-March…MLB.com discount and seating location…to ensure socially-distant seating, tradi- placed eight Rays prospects on its preseason Top 100, most of any team.