TAMPA BAY RAYS (7-9-0) at BOSTON RED SOX (9-6-1) LH Rich Hill (0-0, 6.75) Vs
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Press Box Documents › bit.ly/3f0l9jz TAMPA BAY RAYS (7-9-0) at BOSTON RED SOX (9-6-1) LH Rich Hill (0-0, 6.75) vs. RH Nathan Eovaldi (0-0, 10.13) Friday, March 19, 2021 First Pitch: 1:05 p.m. Location: JetBlue Park TV: None Radio: None Spring Game No.: 17 vs. AL Opponents: 4-7-0 vs. NL Opponents: 3-2-0 Home Games: 5-3-0 Road Games: 2-6-0 Day 30 of Spring Training 13 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., 3/19 at BOS 1:05 p.m. TB—LH Rich Hill, RH Chris Archer, RH Andrew Kittredge, LH Ryan Sherriff, LH Brian Moran, BOS—RH Nathan Eovaldi None Sat., 3/20 at MIN 6:05 p.m. TB—RH Michael Wacha, RH Pete Fairbanks, RH Nick Anderson, RH Diego Castillo; MIN—RH Kenta Maeda WDAE 95.3 FM/620 AM Sun., 3/21 vs. ATL 1:05 p.m. TB—TBD; ATL—LH Max Fried, Relievers TBD WDAE 95.3 FM/620 AM SINGLE-GAME TICKETS—The Rays have announced single-game ticket on the heels of a 10-9 win on Wednesday in Bradenton…the two information for the first two homestands…tickets will be available in so- teams combined for 35 hits and 5 HR in a game that took 3 hours, cially distant seating pods of up to six seats…to accommodate 6 feet of 43 minutes…Tyler Glasnow allowed 4 runs and struck out seven in separation between pods, the 300 Level of Tropicana Field will be re- 4 IP, and Austin Meadows homered against his former team. opened, and the overall capacity will be limited to about 9,000 fans. Ê Meadows is tied for 2nd in the Grapefruit League with 4 HR. Ê Season members have access, based upon their tenure and mem- Ê Tomorrow is the Rays only night game of the spring. bership level, to purchase tickets through an exclusive online pre- sale…single-game tickets for the first two homestands will go on RAYS vs. RED SOX—This is the sixth of 8 games between the two clubs sale to the general public on Friday, March 26, at 10 a.m. in the MLB this spring…the Rays are 2-3 so far, most recently a 3-2 win on March Ballpark app and at raysbaseball.com, subject to availability. 15 in Port Charlotte…the Rays went 7-3 against the Red Sox in the 2020 Ê Fans will be asked to participate in health and safety measures by regular season, including 4-0 at Fenway Park…since July 24, 2019, the wearing face masks at all times, except while actively eating or Rays are 14-4 against them with a +38 run differential…the Rays scored drinking in their seats, and washing hands frequently. 69 runs in 10 games against them last season, incl. 8 runs (or more) five times…the Rays totaled 103 hits, 25 2B and 17 HR in the season series. ON THE WEB—The 2021 Rays Media Guide is now available at mlbpress- Ê The Rays have won a club-record eight consecutive games at Fen- box.com (login required), rayspressbox.com (using username rays\media way Park, the longest winning streak at an opponent's park in and password R@ys1998#) and bit.ly/3t73SkH (no login necessary). franchise history…the Rays will enter their game on April 5, 2021 at Fenway Park having gone 667 days since their last loss there. INCHING CLOSER—In less than two weeks, the Rays begin defending Ê Last offseason the Red Sox hired Chaim Bloom, who spent 15 years their third AL East title and second AL pennant, with a season-opening in the Rays Baseball Operations dept., as Chief Baseball Officer. 6-game road trip to Miami (3) and Boston (3)…it marks the first time the Rays open on the road since 2009, ending the AL’s longest current streak TODAY’S STARTER at BOS—LH Rich Hill (0-0, 6.75 ERA) of Opening Day games at home…it is the first time the Rays face a NL Ê 2020 Regular Season: 2-2, 3.03 ERA (38.2-IP, 13-ER) in 8 starts opponent on Opening Day, after the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the Ê Signed a one-year deal with the Rays on Feb 17, 2021. Rays from opening the 2020 season against the Pirates…it will be the fifth Ê Opened last season in the Twins rotation as a result of the delayed time the Rays will face a club outside of the AL East on Opening Day. season…entered 2020 spring training recovering from left elbow Ê The Rays begin a 7-game homestand on April 9 vs. NYY, the fifth surgery that repaired a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament. time the Rays host the Yankees in their home opener…seventeen Ê Allowed 2 runs (or fewer) in seven of 8 starts, including his last of the Rays first 29 games of the season will be at Tropicana Field. six…pitched to a 2.38 ERA (22.2-IP, 6-ER) in his final 4 starts. Ê Beginning with the home opener, the Rays have stretches of 13 Ê Missed time from July 31–Aug 18 (left shoulder inflammation). straight games, 30 games in 31 days, 36 games in 38 and 46 in 49. Ê Since signing with the Red Sox as a 35-year-old following a stint in Ê Manager Kevin Cash has announced Tyler Glasnow as the Open- independent ball in 2015, is 43-22 with a 2.92 ERA (505-IP, 164-ER) ing Day starter (April 1 at MIA)…it will be his first career Opening in 95 apps (94 starts) in the majors…since 2016, ranks among ML Day start, fifth consecutive Opening Day roster and fourth as a leaders (min. 400 IP) in ERA (3.01, 8th) and opp avg. (.208, 4th). member of a starting rotation…he started the Rays fourth game in Ê His full bio is on Page 109 of the Rays 2021 Media Guide. 2020, third game in 2019 and opened the 2018 season in the Pirates bullpen after starting their sixth game in 2017. TODAY’S RELIEVER at BOS—RH Chris Archer (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Ê 2020 Regular Season: Injured—Did Not Pitch TWO DISTINCT ERAS—Since becoming the Rays in 2008, the Rays own Ê Signed a one-year, $6.5M deal with the Rays on Feb 9, 2021. the 5th-best record in baseball at 1,081-924 (.539) and have made six trips Ê Ranks 2nd in club history with 1,146 SO behind James Shields to the postseason, incl. three AL East division titles (2020, 2010, 2008) and (1,250)…ranks 2nd in starts, 3rd in innings and 4th in wins…has two World Series appearances (2020, 2008)…during this span, only three double-digit strikeouts in a club-record 28 starts with the Rays. clubs (Dodgers, Yankees, Cardinals) have reached the postseason more Ê In 2020, experienced neck tightness at the start of spring training often, and only two (Dodgers, Giants) have competed in more World Se- and did not make his Grapefruit League debut until March 6. ries…the Rays have seven 90-win seasons since 2008, a number matched Ê Underwent thoracic outlet surgery on June 2, performed by Dr. by only three other teams in baseball: Dodgers (8), Red Sox (7) and Yan- Robert Thompson in St. Louis…missed the entire season. kees (7)…this success comes after the Devil Rays amassed the majors’ Ê Became a free agent after the Pirates declined his $11M option. worst record at 645-972 (.399) over the club’s first decade of existence. Ê Named to the AL All-Star Team in 2015 and 2017 and pitched for Ê The Rays enter the 2021 season on the heels of the second AL pen- Team USA in the 2017 World Baseball Classic…was the Rays nomi- nant in team history…in 2020, the Rays went 40-20 (.667), the best nee for the Roberto Clemente Award in both 2015 and 2016. winning pct. in club history…it was the fourth straight season they Ê His full bio is on Page 59 of the Rays 2021 Media Guide. improved their winning pct., all under Manager Kevin Cash. MINOR MATTERS—The Rays enter the 2021 season ranked by Baseball SLICE OF GRAPEFRUIT—Last month, MLB released a revised, region- America, Baseball Prospectus, ESPN and The Athletic as the No. 1 farm alized Grapefruit League schedule to mitigate travel…27 of the Rays 28 system in the game…the Rays will attempt to complete the sweep when games are against the Braves (6), Orioles (3), Pirates (2), Red Sox (8) and MLB.com releases their organizational rankings in mid-March…MLB.com Twins (8)…the only exception is the final game—March 30 in Lakeland— placed eight Rays prospects on its preseason Top 100, most of any team. after the Rays move their major league operations to Tropicana Field. Ê INF Wander Franco is the consensus No. 1 overall prospect in the Ê The Rays entered camp with a club-record 77 players on their minors…he became the fourth player to rank as Baseball America's spring roster: 42 pitchers, 8 catchers, 15 infielders and 12 outfield- top prospect in consecutive years…he followed OF Bryce Harper ers…prior to 2021, their largest camp roster was 76 players (1999)… (2011-12), C Joe Mauer (2004-05) and OF Andruw Jones (1996-97).