THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016 vs. BALTIMORE ORIOLES RH Erasmo Ramirez vs. RH Miguel Gonzalez First Pitch: 1:05 p.m. | Location: Charlotte Sports Park, Charlotte County, Fla. | TV: None | Radio: MLB.com Game No: 2 (0-1-0) | vs. AL: 0-0-0 | vs. NL: 0-1-0 | Home: 0-1-0 | Road: 0-0-0 Day 12 of Spring Training | 31 Days Until Opening Day—Sunday, April 3 vs. TOR (4:05 p.m.) BASEBALL IS BACK—Today is the Rays BEST RECORD, MLB, any other visiting player in that span… TODAY’S STARTING LINEUP second of 29 games on the Grapefruit SPRING TRAINING, 2008-15 among all players with as many at-bats at 13 Brad Miller (L) SS League schedule, and second of 14 dates W-L-T Pct. Tropicana Field (73), his career .644 SLG 8 Desmond Jennings (R) LF at Charlotte Sports Park…not included Royals 141-101 .583 ranks 2nd to Travis Hafner (.648). 10 Corey Dickerson (L) DH is the March 22 game in Havana, Cuba, Angels 139-104 .572 11 Logan Forsythe (R) 2B against the Cuban National Team…the Rays 124-100 .554 NEW TO THE 40-MAN ROSTER (8)— 28 Steve Pearce (R) 1B Cardinals 121-100 .548 5 Brandon Guyer (R) CF schedule includes two split-squad days: Ê Signed as Free Agent (2): INF/OF Tigers 135-113 .544 38 Taylor Motter (R) 3B March 13 (vs. BOS, at TOR) and April 1 Steve Pearce, RH Ryan Webb 44 Rene Rivera (R) C Ê (at ATL, at DET). Acquired in Trades (5): C Hank 68 Jaff Decker (L) RF Ê This is the Rays 19th spring in the Grapefruit League and eighth call- Conger, OF Corey Dickerson, RH 30 Erasmo Ramirez RHP ing Charlotte Sports Park home…since becoming the Rays in 2008, Danny Farquhar, INF Brad Miller, the team has recorded at least 15 wins in seven out of eight spring 1B/OF Logan Morrison RAYS IN trainings…they never achieved this in 10 springs as the Devil Rays… Ê Claimed off Waivers (1): RH SPRING TRAINING the Rays have compiled a 124-100 (.554) spring record during this Chase Whitley W-L-T Att. span, 3rd best in the majors (see chart)…the Rays are three-time 2016 0-1-0 4,432 2015 15-13-2 80,406 Grapefruit League champions (2008, 2010, 2014). — KEY LOSSES (11) 2014 16-7-4 78,264 Ê Free Agent (5): SS Asdrubal Ca- 2013 15-17-2 90,935 RAYS vs. ORIOLES—Today is the first of 4 games this spring between the brera, RH Brandon Gomes, DH 2012 10-16-6 87,916 clubs…they meet again Saturday in Sarasota (Orioles are a split-squad), John Jaso, OF Daniel Nava, OF 2011 15-14-2 95,859 March 19 here, and March 20 in Sarasota…last spring the Rays went 2-1-1 Grady Sizemore 2010 20-8-2 97,971 with one rainout vs. Baltimore…the Rays haven’t lost at Sarasota’s Ed Smith Ê Traded (4): RH Nathan Karns, LH 2009 15-16-1 103,255 Stadium since March 1, 2011, going 6-0-2 since then. Jake McGee, LH C.J. Riefenhaus- 2008 18-8-2 54,960 Ê In 2015, the Rays went 9-10 against the Orioles (5-8 at Tropicana er, RH Kirby Yates 2007 10-19-2 79,044 2006 13-16-1 70,756 Field, 4-2 in Baltimore), despite outscoring them 78-64 and outhom- Ê Released (1): C J.P. Arencibia 2005 13-16 61,261 ering them, 24-19…Rays pitchers limited Baltimore to a .210 avg. Ê OF Joey Butler Waived (1): 2004 11-8 43,916 and .607 OPS…they had never before held an AL East opponent to 2003 8-19-3 51,324 such a low OPS while losing the season series. HOT STOVE TONIGHT—INF Brad Mill- 2002 10-16-1 49,043 er, bullpen coach Stan Boroski and major 2001 12-15-1 57,081 NATIONALS 6, RAYS 2—Yesterday the Rays opened their Grapefruit league coach Jamie Nelson are guests 2000 14-17 67,089 League schedule with a 6-2 loss to the Nationals here at Charlotte Sports on this week’s edition of the Hot Stove ra- 1999 14-14-1 59,230 Park…starter RH Jake Odorizzi retired the side in order in the 1st inning dio show, airing on WDAE 620 AM from 1998 12-18 66,781 (1-SO, 8 pitches, 6 strikes)…C Curt Casali made an errant pickoff attempt 7 to 8 p.m. tonight from Charlotte Sports Total 241-258-30 1,299,883 in the 3rd, putting the Nationals ahead, 1-0…the unearned run was charged Park…hosts Dave Wills and Andy Freed to LH Enny Romero (2-IP, 1-R, 0-ER, 2-SO)…the Rays claimed the lead will be joined by Neil Solondz. BEST RECORD, MLB, REGULAR SEASON, 2008-15 in the 3rd on a 2-out double by LF Desmond Jennings, scoring CF Kevin Ê The radio broadcast of today’s W-L-T Pct. Kiermaier and DH Logan Morrison…LF Jaff Decker recorded an outfield game is available at raysbaseball. Yankees 735-561 .567 assist, throwing out 1B Matt Skole at home in the 6th…LH Blake Snell (1- com, Neil Solondz and Doug Cardinals 728-568 .562 IP, 3-H, 3-R/ER, 1-BB) took the loss in his spring debut after allowing a 3-R Waechter are in the booth…Sat- Angels 713-583 .550 home run to 3B Scott Sizemore. urday and Sunday will air on the Rays 707-590 .545 Rays Radio Network, with Dave Dodgers 705-590 .544 THE VITALS—Due to an 8:30 a.m. team meeting, the Rays clubhouse is Wills and Andy Freed in the booth open to media today from 8–8:30, and again after BP from 11–11:30…Man- and Neil providing in-game reports. ager Kevin Cash will be available in his office at 9:30…players will do fun- damental drills at 10:00, and take BP at 10:20…for fans, parking lots open RAYS UP FOR OUR COMMUNITY—This Sunday, March 6 vs. MIN, is Lit- at 10:00 (parking is $10) and gates open at 11:00. tle League Day…Little Leaguers from Charlotte County area little leagues Ê Spring training tickets are available online at raysbaseball.com, by will receive a free general admission ticket at the box office on the day of phone at 888-FAN-RAYS or in person at the Charlotte Sports Park the game by wearing their Little League jersey. Box Office…the Charlotte Sports Park box office opens at 10 a.m. Ê This Wednesday, March 9 vs. TOR, is Heroes Day, when the Rays will honor first responders of the Charlotte County area…employees CUBA TRIP FINALIZED—On Tuesday, Major League Baseball and the of the Charlotte County area’s police departments, fire departments, Major League Baseball Players Association announced the Rays will of- EMTs and other first responder organizations will have the opportu- ficially travel to Cuba to play the Cuban National Team on March 22 at Es- nity to receive a free general admission ticket when they present their tadio Latinoamericano in Havana…ESPN and ESPN Deportes will provide employee identification badge at the Charlotte Sports Park box office live, national coverage of the game, and ESPN’s SportsCenter will have an the day of the game. on-site presence in Havana on March 21-22…the Rays will be only the sec- Ê The Sixth Annual BaseBALL Dinner & Auction benefiting the Boys & ond major league club in the last 57 years to play a game in Cuba…most Girls Clubs of Charlotte County will be held on Friday, March 11 at recently, the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Cuban National Team on March 6:30 p.m., at Charlotte Sports Park…to purchase tickets, fans should 28, 1999 by a score of 3-2 in 11 innings, before 50,000 fans at Estadio call (941) 979-8379…for the seventh consecutive year, the Rays Latinoamericano…see separate “Baseball in Cuba” packet for more details. will be featured at the event…expected this year are Rays Manager Ê Media interested in traveling to Cuba for the event must contact John Kevin Cash, his coaching staff and several players. Blundell of the MLB Communications Department as soon as pos- sible to receive consideration…email [email protected]. EIGHT YEARS AS THE RAYS (2008-15)—Since changing their name to the Rays in 2008, the Rays are 707-590 (.545), fourth-best record in the ROLL CALL—All 64 players have reported to camp, consisting of 33 P, majors after the Yankees (.567), Cardinals (.562) and Angels (.550)…their 7 C, 14 INF and 10 OF…23 are non-roster invites…seven players on the four postseason appearances in this span have been equaled by only the 40-man roster joined the organization since the end of the 2015 regular Yankees (5), Tigers (4) and Rangers (4). season, five of those via trade…19 players on the 40-man roster were ac- Ê During this span, the Rays pitching staff leads the American League quired via trade…only six players on the current 40-man roster made their with a 3.72 ERA, 10,085 strikeouts, a .240 opp avg. and 108 shut- Rays debut prior to 2013: 3B Evan Longoria, OF Desmond Jennings, RH outs…their 5,178 runs allowed are the fewest by an AL team over any Alex Cobb, OF Brandon Guyer, LH Matt Moore and RH Chris Archer.