WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2017 vs. NEW YORK YANKEES RH Chris Archer (9-9, 4.00) vs. LH Jaime García (1-2, 4.88) First Pitch: 1:10 p.m. | Location: Citi Field, New York, N.Y. | TV: Fox Sports Sun | Radio: WDAE 620 AM Game No.: 147 (72-74) | Home Game No.: 73 (37-35) | All-Time Game No.: 3,223 (1,492-1,730) | All-Time Home Game No.: 1,613 (817-795) April: 12-14 | May: 17-13 | June: 13-13 | July: 12-13 | August: 13-15 | September: 5-6 | Pre-All-Star: 47-43 | Post-All-Star: 25-31 HOME AWAY FROM HOME—The Rays will return home to St. Pete following Aug 2, 2015 vs. SD (walk-off, 9th inning with Miami)…it was the 10th time today’s game and should reach a decision with local officials today on the sta- in club history but only the second time in the last nine seasons the Rays tus of this weekend’s scheduled Red Sox home series…this series was moved got a go-ahead homer from their No. 9 hitter that late in a game—the last from Tropicana Field to Citi Field due to Hurricane Irma’s arrival in Florida… was Curt Casali on July 18, 2015 at TOR, whose 8th-inning solo shot led Irma is the third hurricane to affect Rays games at Tropicana Field, following the Rays to a 3-2 win…Hechavarria has 14 XBH (6-2B, 4-3B, 4-HR) in his Hurricane Frances (2004) and Hurricane Gordon (2000)…a full description of last 26 games (24 starts), compared to 4 XBH (3-2B, 1-HR) in his first 38 those circumstances can be found on Page 41 of the 2017 Rays Media Guide. games (37 starts) with TB…four times this season he has recorded multiple Ê This series is the fifth time in baseball history that weather concerns extra-base hits in a game, and all those games have come since Aug 20. forced the relocation of games to a neutral site…two weeks ago, the Ê It was his 6th homer of the season, a new career high (5 in 2015). Rangers-Astros series moved to Tropicana Field due to Hurricane Ê Since being acquired via trade on June 26, he ranks 3rd among AL Harvey. shortstops with a .984 fielding pct., behind DETJose Iglesias (.991) Ê Fans wishing to donate funds to benefit the victims of Hurricane Irma and LAA Andrelton Simmons (.986)…prior to his arrival, Rays in the Tampa Bay area may do so at youcaring.com/RaysIrmaRelief. shortstops ranked 14th of 15 AL teams with a .959 fielding pct. Ê Fans holding tickets to Rays-Yankees games at Tropicana Field should check raysbaseball.com/irma and all social media channels HEAVY HITTERS—Both of the Rays runs last night scored on solo hom- for info on exchanges and refunds. ers, by CF Kevin Kiermaier in the 1st and SS Adeiny Hechavarria in the 8th…it was their 61st game this season with multiple home runs, tying the DH IN NATIONAL LEAGUE PARKS—Since the designated hitter was in- club record set last season…the Rays rank 7th in the majors with 206 HR, troduced in 1973, this series is only the fourth occasion that an exclusively the 2nd-highest total in club history (216 in 2016)…they are on pace for 229 National League park hosted games that featured the DH…the Angels and HR…they have hit 39 HR over the last 22 games…strangely, the Rays have Indians played 3 games at Miller Park due to snow (April 10-12, 2007)…the lost 7 of their 10 games since the All-Star break when hitting at least 3 HR; Angels and Yankees played one game at Shea Stadium due to a structural before the All-Star break, they were 17-3 when hitting at least 3 HR. accident at Yankee Stadium (April 15, 1998)…the Blue Jays and Phillies Ê Logan Morrison leads the team with 36 HR, and both Steven Souza played 3 games at Citizens Bank Ballpark due to concerns about civil unrest Jr. and Lucas Duda (12 with Rays) are sitting on 29 HR…only three in Toronto due to the G-8 Summit (June 25-27, 2010)…also of note, Shea sets of teammates in club history have hit 30 HR for the Rays in a sea- Stadium served as the Yankees home in 1974-75 (159 games) while Yan- son, most recently Evan Longoria (36) and Brad Miller (30) in 2016. kee Stadium underwent renovations. OUTLAW ON THE LOOSE—Yesterday CF Kevin Kiermaier tied his ca- RAY MATTER—Last night the Rays reer high with his 12th home run (2016)…it was the second leadoff homer won, 2-1, on an 8th-inning solo homer A.L. WILD CARD STANDINGS of his career (also Aug 20 vs. SEA)…it was the 14th time in franchise history by SS Adeiny Hechavarria to even New York 78-66 .542 +3.0 there was a leadoff homer on the first pitch seen by the Rays, and the first the series and set up today’s rubber Minnesota 75-69 .521 -- since Desmond Jennings on April 16, 2013 at BAL. match…the Rays are seeking to win the Los Angeles 73-71 .507 -2.0 Ê Since returning from the 60-day DL on Aug 18, Kiermaier has hit fifth of their last seven series…the Rays Texas 72-72 .500 -3.0 leadoff in all 23 games and is batting .323/.359/.552 (31-for-96) with are 12-9 over their last 21 games, dat- Kansas City 72-72 .500 -2.0 17 runs, 5 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 15 RBI and 3 SB. ing back to Aug 20…the Rays passed Seattle 72-73 .497 -3.5 Ê Despite the missed time, he ranks 2nd among major league center Baltimore in the AL Wild Card standings Tampa Bay 72-74 .493 -4.0 fielders with 16 Defensive Runs Saved in only 719.2 innings behind Baltimore 71-74 .490 -4.5 yesterday…they are 4.0 GB of the sec- MIN Byron Buxton (26 DRS in 1,006 innings). ond Wild Card spot, but have five teams ahead of them with 16 games remaining…today is their ninth of 14 con- GO LOMO—1B/DH Logan Morrison’s career-high 36 HR overall are tied secutive games vs. teams currently positioned to reach the playoffs (4-4). with Evan Longoria (2016) for 3rd most in club history behind Carlos Peña Ê The Rays need to finish at least 9-7 to achieveKevin Cash’s best re- in 2007 (46) and 2009 (39)…he has 7 HR and 14 RBI in his last 14 games cord as Rays manager, 10-6 to finish with a winning record and 13-3 (12 starts)…prior to these last 13 games, he totaled 1 HR and 2 RBI over 20 to reach 85 wins for the season…for context, their best 16-game games from Aug 3-25…only two other players can match his combination stretch in Cash’s tenure is 12-4 (last June 4-20, 2015). of home runs and walks (75): NYY Aaron Judge (41-HR, 110-BB) and MIA Ê The Rays are 16-25 (.390) vs. LH starters this season, and 56-49 (.533) Giancarlo Stanton (54-HR, 76-BB). vs. RH starters…they are facing four lefties in 6 games on this road trip. Ê The Rays are 28-34 within the AL East; 44-40 outside the division. THE DUDE ABIDES—After his dou- MOST CONSECUTIVE HITS FOR Ê The Rays have played an AL-most 146 games and have three sched- ble last night, 1B/DH Lucas Duda’s EXTRA BASES, RAYS HISTORY uled off-days remaining: tomorrow, Monday and Sep 25. last 13 hits have gone for extra bas- 13 Lucas Duda 9/15/17–current es (9-HR, 4-2B), extending a club 8* Sean Rodriguez 9/15/13–4/20/14 RAYS vs. YANKEES—If the Rays win today’s game, they can win a third record (see chart)…according to the 8 Carlos Peña 8/10/08–8/22/08 straight home series vs. NYY for the first time since 2012…they won 2 of 3 Elias Sports Bureau, this is the lon- 8 Evan Longoria 6/7/08–6/17/08 games in both their previous home series, their season opener from April gest streak by any player since SD 8 Paul Sorrento 6/8/98–6/25/98 2-5, and May 19-21…the Rays would need to win all 4 remaining games to Jim Edmonds (13), July 25–Aug 25, *4 XBH in 2013, 4 XBH in 2014 win the season series, which they lost each of the last two seasons; they 2008…his last single was Aug 14 at are currently 6-9 overall, 5-3 at home (4-2 at Tropicana Field, 1-1 at Citi TOR…Duda leads the Rays with 12 HR and 23 RBI since being added to Field) and 1-6 at Yankee Stadium…the Rays visit the Bronx for their final their active roster on July 28…this series is Duda’s first time playing at Citi road series of the season, Sep 26-28…since 2010, the Rays are 73-72 Field not wearing a Mets uniform…he has 71 HR in his career here, most in (.503) against the Yankees, but prior to that they were 69-133 (.342) in their ballpark history, ahead of David Wright (49).