FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2015 vs. TORONTO BLUE JAYS RH Burch Smith vs. LH Daniel Norris First Pitch: 1:05 p.m. | Location: Charlotte Sports Park, Charlotte County, Fla. | TV: None | Radio: MLB.com Game No: 16 (8-6-1) | vs. AL: 6-3-0 | vs. NL: 2-3-1 | Home: 4-3-0 | Road: 4-3-1 Day 25 of Spring Training | 18 Days Until Opening Day—Monday, April 6 vs. BAL (3:10 p.m.) BASEBALL GALA—Tonight at 5:30, the seventh annual BaseBALL Gala, MEDICAL MATTERS—LH Drew Smyly TODAY’S STARTING LINEUP benefiting the Boys and Girls Clubs of Charlotte County, will be held at (left shoulder tendinitis) threw yesterday 5 Brandon Guyer (R) CF the Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center…the event has raised from 100 feet…he could be throwing off 1 Tim Beckham (R) SS $317,339 over the first six years…Rays in attendance will include Manager a mound for the first time tomorrow… 8 Desmond Jennings (R) DH Kevin Cash and the coaching staff, LH Jake McGee, RH Kevin Jepsen, RH Alex Colome (pneumonia) returned 3 Evan Longoria (R) 3B OF Steven Souza Jr. and LH Jeff Beliveau. to the complex yesterday after being re- 20 Steven Souza Jr. (R) RF leased from the hospital Wednesday…he 11 Logan Forsythe (R) 1B 28 John Jaso (L) LF MAKE-A-WISH—Today the Rays are welcoming 16-year-old Jonathan is not ready to work out yet. 60 Bobby Wilson (R) C Cook as a special guest to camp as part of the Make-a-Wish Foundation… 10 Alexi Casilla (S) 2B Jonathan will get his own locker in the clubhouse, and will be escorted for RAYS vs. JAYS—The Rays are 2-0 this 56 Burch Smith RHP the day by Steven Souza Jr. to take BP, deliver the ceremonial first pitch spring vs. Toronto—and in these 2 games, and spend a few innings in the dugout…Jonathan made the trek from Lees- the Rays have hit .375 (30-for-80) with RAYS IN burg, Va., with his family. 19 runs scored, 6 HR, 5 2B and a .663 SPRING TRAINING SLG…the clubs are currently meeting 2015 8-6-1 35,425 RIDE TO RECOVERY—Tomorrow, Rays alumni Trever Miller, Mike DiFe- three times in 5 days, and four times in 10 2014 16-7-4 78,264 lice, Jason Romano and Travis Phelps will be on hand as the Rays will days…the Rays travel to Dunedin on Sun- 2013 15-17-2 90,935 2012 10-16-6 87,916 host Honor Ride Florida’s Ride to Recovery at Tropicana Field…it’s a series day…in 2014 spring training, the Rays 2011 15-14-2 95,859 of races designed to raise funds to support Project Hero programs (these went 3-1 vs. Toronto. 2010 20-8-2 97,971 programs provide training and supports cycling programs at military hospi- Ê In the regular season, the Rays 2009 15-16-1 103,255 tals and VA locations to help Healing Heroes overcome obstacles they face play a 4-game series in Toronto 2008 18-8-2 54,960 throughout the US.)…Miller will be riding in the 40-mile race. on the first road trip, April 13-16… 2007 10-19-2 79,044 in 2014, the Rays went 8-11 vs. 2006 13-16-1 70,756 RAYS PROSPECTS vs. CANADA—As part of the Fifth Annual St. Peters- the Blue Jays—their first time 2005 13-16 61,261 burg International Baseball Series, a team of Rays prospects will host the they’d lost a season series to To- 2004 11-8 43,916 Canadian Junior National Team at Tropicana Field on Sunday, March 22 at ronto since 2006 (6-12)…it ended 2003 8-19-3 51,324 2002 10-16-1 49,043 1:05 p.m. …priced at $10, tickets are available at the Tropicana Field box a streak of 6 straight season series 2001 12-15-1 57,081 office and Ticketmaster outlets…parking will be $5…gates open at noon. victories (2008-13) during which 2000 14-17 67,089 the Rays went 72-37 (.661)…they 1999 14-14-1 59,230 SLICE OF GRAPEFRUIT—The Rays have won 5 straight games, their lon- tied in 2007 (9-9). 1998 12-18 66,781 gest spring winning streak since winning 6 straight, March 15-20, 2014… Total 234-250-29 1,250,470 they now own the 4th-best record in the Grapefruit League (8-6-1)—just a LONGO THE LEADER—The longest- half-game back of the first-place Marlins and Yankees…only 9 days ago, they tenured current member of the Rays, 3B had the worst record in the Grapefruit League at 1-5-1. Evan Longoria, is the franchise’s career leader with 184 HR, 635 RBI, .494 Ê Today is the eighth of 14 home games at Charlotte Sports Park…the SLG and 48 sac flies…entering 2015, he needs only 4 2B to break Ben Rays also play 16 road games this spring and one home game at Zobrist’s club record (229) and 3 extra-base hits to pass Carl Crawford’s Tropicana Field (April 4 vs. DET)…this is the Rays 18th spring in the team mark (424)…he needs 25 hits to reach 1,000 for his career…he also Grapefruit League and seventh calling Charlotte Sports Park home… enters 2015 with the majors’ longest active streak of games started, at 169. the 2014 Rays recorded the best spring record in the majors at 16- 7-4 (.696), their third Grapefruit League title in a span of 7 seasons CLEAN SLATE—The Rays enter their first season under Manager Kevin (also 2008, 2010). Cash, and also with Matt Silverman at the head of the Baseball Opera- Ê Since becoming the Rays in 2008, BEST RECORDS, MLB, tions department…Silverman assumed his role of President, Baseball Op- the team has recorded at least 15 SPRING TRAINING, 2008-15 erations on Oct 14, and he hired Cash as the fifth manager in Rays history wins in six out of seven spring train- Kansas City 132-96 .579 on Dec 5…they succeeded Joe Maddon and Andrew Friedman, whose ings—something they never did in 10 LA Angels 131-96 .577 nine years together made them the longest-tenured manager/GM pairing in springs as the Devil Rays…they can Tampa Bay 117-92 .560 baseball…Cash is the youngest current manager or head coach in the ma- extend this streak by winning at least Detroit 128-103 .554 jor four sports; Celtics head coach Brad Stevens (38) is the runner-up…on 7 of their remaining 16 games. NY Yankees 123-101 .549 Opening Day, Cash (at 37 years, 120 days) will be the youngest manager in MLB since ARI A.J. Hinch, who debuted on May 8, 2009 (34y, 358d). MORE CUTS—Yesterday the Rays trimmed their spring roster by three, reducing the number in camp to 51 (28-P, 5-C, 12-INF, 9-OF)…OF Mikie SEVEN YEARS AS THE RAYS (2008-14)—Since changing their name Mahtook and LH Enny Romero were optioned to the minors, and INF to the Rays in 2008, the Rays are 627-508 (.552) in the regular season, Vince Belnome was reassigned to minor league camp. fourth-best record in the majors after the Yankees (.571), Angels (.554) and Cardinals (.554)…the Rays have won 90-plus games five times, most in the SURGE OF OFFENSE—During the Rays current 7-1 stretch that began on majors in this span…they have advanced to the postseason four times; only March 11 at MIN, the Rays are batting .291 (80-for-286) with 45 runs scored the Cardinals (five) have been more often. (5.6 per game) and 14 HR…in 7 games prior to that, they hit just .188 (42- Ê The Rays pitching staff has allowed only 4,536 runs, fewest by an for-224) with 2 HR and 16 runs scored (2.3 R/G). AL team over a span of seven full seasons since 1974-80 (Orioles Ê The Rays have hit 8 HR over the last 3 games. 4,271; Yankees 4,353)…they have thrown 96 shutouts, most by an Ê INF Logan Forsythe is tied for the Grapefruit League lead with 3 HR. AL team over a seven-year span since the 1975-81 Yankees (also 96)…they achieved all this while starting a pitcher under the age of RUN PREVENTION—The Rays lead all major league teams with a 2.30 30 in 93.5 pct. of their games (1,062 of 1,135). ERA (133-IP, 34-ER)—more than a half-run better than any other team in the majors (Yankees, 2.81)…their 6 HR allowed are 2nd fewest in baseball UPCOMING PROBABLES—Today vs. TOR to the Cardinals (4)…RH Nathan Karns is tied with DET Anibal Sanchez Ê TB—RH Burch Smith (start), RH Ernesto Frieri, RH Matt Andriese for the Grapefruit League lead with 13.1 IP, and ranks 8th with a 2.03 ERA. Ê TOR—LH Daniel Norris (start), RH Marco Estrada, RH Chad Jen- Ê The Rays have committed 20 errors this spring, most in the Grape- kins, RH Liam Hendriks, RH Roberto Osuna fruit League. Sat., March 21 vs. MIN, 1:05 p.m. Ê TB—RH Jake Odorizzi (start), LH Jeff Beliveau, RH Brandon YESTERDAY’S ACTION—The Rays beat the Twins, 4-2, at home to clinch Gomes, LH C.J.