BOSTON RED SOX (0-0) at TAMPA BAY RAYS (0-0) RH Chris Archer (10-12, 4.07 in 2017) Vs
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
BOSTON RED SOX (0-0) AT TAMPA BAY RAYS (0-0) RH Chris Archer (10-12, 4.07 in 2017) vs. LH Chris Sale (17-8, 2.90 in 2017) Thursday, March 29, 2018 First Pitch: 4:00 p.m. Location: Tropicana Field TV: FOX Sports Sun Radio: WDAE 620 AM, WGES 680 AM (Sp.) Game No.: 1 (0-0) Home Game No.: 1 (0-0) All-Time Game No.: 3,239 (1500-1738) All-Time Home Game No.: 1,622 (822-799) UPCOMING PROBABLE PITCHERS & BROADCAST SCHEDULE Upcoming Games Time (ET) Probable Starting Pitchers (Rays vs. Opp.) TV & Radio Fri., 3/30 vs. BOS 7:10 p.m. LH Blake Snell (5-7, 4.04 in 2017) vs. LH David Price (6-3, 3.38 in 2017) FOX Sports Sun, WDAE 620 AM, WGES 680 AM (Sp.) Sat., 3/31 vs. BOS 6:10 p.m. TBD vs. RH Rick Porcello (11-17, 4.65 in 2017) FOX Sports Sun, WDAE 620 AM, WLCC 760 AM (Sp.) Sun., 4/1 vs. BOS 1:10 p.m. RH Jake Faria (5-4, 3.43 in 2017) vs. TBD FOX Sports Sun, WDAE 620 AM, WLCC 760 AM (Sp.) Mon., 4/2 at NYY 1:05 p.m. TBD vs. LH Jordan Montgomery (9-7, 3.88 in 2017) FOX Sports Sun, WDAE 620 AM OPENING DAY SCHEDULE—A detailed schedule of today’s events: GATES OPEN…WITH PLAYER GREETERS—Stadium gates open at 2 p.m. Ê Parking Lots Open to Fans 11:00 a.m. …RH Jake Faria and LH Blake Snell will greet fans at Gate 1 for the first Ê Media Gate (Gate 4) Opens 11:00 a.m. few minutes, continuing a Tropicana Field tradition. Ê Rays Clubhouse Opens to Media 11:35 a.m. Ê Red Sox Clubhouse Opens to Media 12:30 p.m. NATIONAL ANTHEM—Local singer, worship leader, actor and teacher Ê Manager Kevin Cash Available to Media in Dugout 12:40 p.m. Belinda Womack will perform the national anthem…Ms. Womack sang Ê Rays Batting Practice 12:55 p.m. the anthem at the very first game in franchise history, here at Tropicana Ê Red Sox Manager Alex Cora Available to Media 1:20 p.m. Field on March 31, 1998, backed by a 75-person gospel choir from St. Pe- Ê Red Sox Batting Practice 1:55 p.m. tersburg…she is married to Earl Christy, a member of the Super Bowl Ê Gates Open to Fans 2:00 p.m. Champion 1969 New York Jets…the U.S. flag will be presented by Rays Ê Team Introductions 3:34 p.m. season ticket holders and their guests. Ê National Anthem 3:46 p.m. CEREMONIAL FIRST PITCH—Will be thrown by Rays special assistant, Ê Ceremonial First Pitch 3:51 p.m. baseball operations Tom Foley…Foley enters his 42nd season in profes- Ê Rays Take the Field 3:58 p.m. sional baseball and 23rd in the Rays organization…he spent the last 16 Ê First Pitch 4:00 p.m. seasons on the Rays major league coaching staff, the longest-tenured 21ST OPENING DAY—Today will mark the 21st Opening Day in Rays coach in club history…he first joined the organization as field coordinator history as they host the Red Sox at Tropicana Field…the Rays are 10-10 in 1996, and that summer oversaw the Rays first mini-camp and managed in season openers as well as 10-10 in home openers…it is the ninth con- Rookie-level Butte…he served as director of minor league operations for secutive season the Rays have opened the schedule at home, tying the A’s two years (2000-01) before joining the coaching staff…he moved into his for the longest active streak in the AL…the only major league team with new role last Nov 17. a longer current streak is Cincinnati, where it is tradition—the Reds are Previous First Pitches at Rays Home Openers playing their 28th consecutive Opening Day at home this year. Ê 1998 HOFers Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Monte Irvin, Al Lopez Ê This is the 14th time the Rays have opened the season at home, and Ê 1999 Larry Doby they are 7-6 in the previous 13 games…after last year’s 7-3 win over Ê 2000 Wade Boggs the Yankees, the Rays are attempting to win back-to-back Opening Ê 2001 St. Petersburg Mayor David J. Fischer Day tilts for the first time since winning 5 straight from 2000-04. Ê 2002 U.S. Army Gen. Tommy Franks Ê The Rays will be part of three home openers to begin the season, Ê 2003 Jon Gruden and Rich McKay, Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they will help open Yankee Stadium (Mon., April 2) and Fenway Ê 2004 Winky Wright, World Junior Middleweight Champion Park (Thurs., April 5) the following week. Ê 2005 Racing legend Michael Andretti Ê 2006 Al Lopez Jr., Al Lopez III and Al Lopez IV RAYS SEASON OPENERS Ê 2007 Governor Charlie Crist YEAR GAME FINAL WINNER LOSER ATT. Ê 2008 Governor Charlie Crist and Buccaneers great Mike Alstott 1998 Tues., March 31 vs. DET L, 6-11 J. Thompson W. Álvarez 45,369 Ê 2009 Governor Charlie Crist 1999 Mon., April 5 at BAL L, 7-10 M. Mussina W. Álvarez 46,671 Ê 2010 Admiral Eric Thor Olson, Commander, U.S. Special Ops 2000 Mon., April 3 at MIN W, 7-0 S. Trachsel B. Radke 43,830 Ê 2011 Governor Rick Scott 2001 Tues., April 3 vs. TOR W, 8-1 A. Lopez S. Parris 41,546 Ê 2012 Jim Dundee, son of late boxing legend Angelo Dundee 2002 Tues., April 2 vs. DET W, 9-5 V. Zambrano J. Acevedo 38,142 Ê 2013 Rays Senior Advisor Don Zimmer and his son Tom 2003 Mon., March 31 vs. BOS W, 6-4 S. McClung C. Fox 34,391 2004 Tues., March 30 vs. NYY * W, 8-3 V. Zambrano M. Mussina 55,000 Ê 2014 Col. Scott V. DeThomas, Commander, 2005 Mon., April 4 vs. TOR L, 2-5 R. Halladay D. Brazelton 26,018 6th Air Mobility Wing 2006 Mon., April 3 at BAL L, 6-9 R. López S. Kazmir 46,986 Ê 2015 Vincent J. Naimoli, Rays Managing General 2007 Mon., April 2 at NYY L, 5-9 L. Vizcaíno B. Stokes 55,031 Partner, 1995-2005 2008 Mon., March 31 at BAL W, 6-2 J. Shields J. Guthrie 46,807 Ê 2016 George Wendt III, Cheers actor 2009 Tues., April 7 at BOS L, 3-5 J. Beckett J. Shields 37,057 Ê 2017 U.S. Army Gen. Raymond A. Thomas III 2010 Tues., April 6 vs. BAL W, 4-3 R. Soriano M. González 36,973 2011 Fri., April 1 vs. BAL L, 1-4 J. Guthrie D. Price 34,078 20TH ANNIVERSARY—Throughout the 2018 season, presented by Tampa 2012 Fri., April 6 vs. NYY W, 7-6 F. Rodney M. Rivera 34,078 General Hospital, the Rays will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of their 2013 Tues., April 2 vs. BAL L, 4-7 J. Hammel J. McGee 34,078 inaugural 1998 season…the festivities will begin on Saturday, March 31, 2014 Mon., March 31 vs. TOR W, 9-2 D. Price R. Dickey 31,042 when the Rays host 20 alumni from the 1998 Devil Rays, including Hall 2015 Mon., April 6 vs. BAL L, 2-6 C. Tillman C. Archer 31,042 of Famer Wade Boggs…the alumni in attendance will be honored in a pre- 2016 Sun., April 3 vs. TOR L, 3-5 M. Stroman C. Archer 31,042 game ceremony emceed by Dewayne Staats…the ceremonial first pitch 2017 Sun., April 2 vs. NYY W, 7-3 C. Archer M. Tanaka 31,042 will recreate the first pitch in club history, thrown by 1998 Opening Day * game was played in Japan starter Wilson Álvarez…Mike DiFelice will catch it, standing in for John Flaherty who is unable to attend due to his Yankees broadcasting duties… MAKE IT A NATIONAL HOLIDAY—Today is the first time in 50 years the home plate umpire from that game, Richie Garcia, will also participate... that every major league club was scheduled to open on the same day…in fans will receive a reversible 1998 Seat Cushion, presented by GTE Finan- 1968, a smaller league of 20 teams opened the season together…March 29 cial—a replica of the seat cushion given to fans on March 31, 1998. represents the earliest calendar start to a season in major league history, Ê The Rays have created a 20th Anniversary logo that will appear as excluding off-site special events…it will also mark the earliest the Rays a patch on the left sleeve of all Rays 2018 regular-season Majestic have ever played their season opener, topping March 30, 2004, when Athletic jerseys and the right side of all primary New Era caps…the they opened at the Tokyo Dome against the Yankees…it will also be the home plate-shaped patch features the number 20, a sunburst and a first time the Rays play their season opener on a Thursday. variation of the original fish—all in the Rays modern colors. OPENING DAY A SELLOUT—For the 13th consecutive season, the Rays Ê On four select home games (March 31, June 9, June 23, Sep 8), the home opener is sold out…it is the longest current home opener sellout Rays will wear a Majestic Athletic white alternate throwback Dev- streak among the three major sports franchises in Tampa Bay…tickets are il Rays jersey using the original gradient Devil Rays design, worn available for the remaining three games in the season-opening series at from 1998 through 2000, and the 20th Anniversary patch on the raysbaseball.com, the Tropicana Field Box Office or by calling 888-FAN- left sleeve…for those four games plus select home and road games, RAYS…the Rays are 55-21 in regular season games since 2008 when play- the Rays will wear a newly designed navy blue New Era retro cap ing in front of home crowds of 30,000 or more.