SUNDAY, JUNE 18, 2017 AT DETROIT TIGERS RH Jake Faria (2-0, 1.42) vs. RH Buck Farmer (2-0, 3.52) First Pitch: 1:10 p.m. | Location: Comerica Park, Detroit, Mich. | TV: Fox Sports Sun | Radio: WDAE 620 AM, Radio Luz 760 AM (Sp.) Game No.: 72 (36-35) | Road Game No.: 36 (15-20) | All-Time Game No.: 3,148 (1,456-1,691) | All-Time Road Game No.: 1,572 (655-916) April: 12-14 | May: 17-13 | June: 7-8 FOR THE PAPAS—The Rays are again joining all of Major League Base- FARIA’S NEXT TASK—Today RH Jake Faria makes his third career ball in celebrating Father’s Day and participating in the fight against prostate start…with a win today, he can join RH Jeremy Hellickson (2010) as the cancer…today only, for the first time, a specially-stitched baseball made by only pitchers in Rays history to win his first 3 career games, all as a start- Rawlings matching the color theme of the uniforms will be used in games… er…RH Doug Waechter also won his first 3 career apps for the Rays, but today, like yesterday, players will sport specialty jerseys, caps and socks in one came in relief…he is also attempting to become the fifth pitcher since addition to wristbands and the symbolic blue ribbon on their jerseys…MLB Baseball Reference data is available (1913) to go 6 IP (or more), allow 1 will again donate all royalty payments from the sale of the specialty caps run or fewer and earn the win in his first 3 career apps…the list: STL Andy and jerseys to the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Stand Up To Cancer… Rincon (1980), CIN Wayne Simpson (1970), STL Stu Miller (1952) and in addition, players can use blue equipment including compression sleeves, DET Alex Main (1914). batting gloves, footwear, wrist/elbow/leg guards, and catcher’s equipment. RAYS OFFENSE Ê The Rays are 9-10 all-time on Father’s Day…last season, they ab- RAY-KING RAYS—The Rays have been held ho- A.L. RANKS sorbed a 5-1 loss at home to the Giants, and Giants 3B Matt Duffy suf- merless over the last 2 games, just the third time 334 runs 3rd fered a left Achilles strain that would send him to the DL…6 weeks later this season they’ve failed to homer over multiple 618 hits 4th he was traded to the Rays…their last Father’s Day win came in 2014, games consecutively (3 straight twice: June 4-7 18 3B 1st a 4-3 win at Houston behind 8 strong innings from LH David Price. and April 29–May 1)…the Rays have hit 104 HR, 104 HR 3rd 230 XBH 2nd 4th in the majors behind the Yankees (108), Astros 1,074 TB 3rd RAY MATTER—Yesterday the Rays overcame a 2-1 deficit through 6 in- (106) and Nationals (106)…104 HR are their most .440 SLG 3rd nings to win, 3-2, thanks to a 7th-inning rally that featured RBI singles by ever through 71 games, ahead of 2016 (101)… .767 OPS 3rd 2B Daniel Robertson and CF Mallex Smith…it was their 19th comeback they’ve hit 56 HR on the road, tops in the AL and 40 SB 5th win of the season, tied for 4th most in the majors (LAA 25, ARI 23, HOU 21, tied with the Nationals for the major league lead… 261 BB 2nd TOR 20, CHC 19), and they’ve come from behind in 3 of their last 4 wins… the Rays lead the AL with 18 triples, their most 710 SO 1st last night’s victory snapped a 3-game losing streak and set up a chance through 71 games since 2007 (18)…their 334 runs for a 4-game split with a win today…the Rays are 7-1-2 over their last 10 through 71 games are their most since 2013 (335)…they rank among AL series, the only series loss a 3-game sweep in Seattle (June 2-4). leaders in several other categories (see chart). Ê Only once in the last four seasons have the Rays held a better re- Ê The Rays have 8 back-to-back homers this season, most in the cord through 71 games than their current 36-35…they were 31-40 in majors ahead of the Nationals (6)…the club record is 9 (2008 and 2016, 40-31 in 2015, 28-43 in 2014 and 36-35 in 2013—when they 2007)…3+ consecutive homers counts as one occurrence. made their last postseason appearance (AL Wild Card). Ê The Rays have blown a lead in 24 of their losses, most in the majors, MALLEX SMITH—Delivered the game-winning RBI yesterday, an RBI ahead of the Brewers (23). single in the 7th scoring Daniel Robertson…it was his first go-ahead RBI Ê The Rays are 22-18 outside the AL East, 14-17 inside the division… since a bases-clearing triple on May 30, 2016 vs. SF (with ATL)…the only they are currently playing 27 of 29 games (May 22–June 21) outside other time he has recorded a go-ahead RBI that late in the game was his the division, going 12-11 outside it thus far and 1-1 at TOR. first career RBI: on April 17, 2016 at MIA (with ATL), his 10th-inning RBI single off RH Edwin Jackson handed the Braves a 6-5 victory. HOMEWARD BOUND—The Rays are 2-3 on the 6-game road trip that ends today (1-1 at TOR, 1-2 here)…they are 8-8 on getaway days, but have won 6 THE MALLEX EFFECT—OF Mallex Smith’s 4 bunt singles on the season of their last 8…tomorrow the Rays open a 6-game, 7-day homestand against equals the total from the rest of his Rays teammates combined…is tied for the Reds (Mon-Wed) and Orioles (Fri-Sun)…the Rays have won 7 of their the AL lead with SEA Jarrod Dyson and TEX Delino DeShields Jr. … last 9 home games…the Reds will be only their second interleague opponent Smith was recalled to take the roster spot of injured CF Kevin Kiermaier this year, as they went 3-1 in a “home-and-home” series vs. Miami…their 3-9 (right hip fracture) on June 9…in 9 games since then: (.333) record all-time vs. the Reds is their worst against any opponent in Ê he has compiled a 9-game hitting streak, the longest of his career baseball…they went 0-6 as the Devil Rays, but are 3-3 in the Rays era (since and matching Corey Dickerson (May 24–June 3) for the longest by 2008)…this will be the Reds third visit to Tropicana Field (1-5)…Tampa Bay a Ray this season. suffered a 3-game sweep in 2003 and lost 2 of 3 games in 2011…they last Ê he is batting .441/.500/.618 (15-for-34) with 10 runs scored, 1 2B, 1 met April 11-13, 2014 at CIN, where the Rays won 2 of 3 games. 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 4 SB and 3 bunt singles. Ê he leads the Rays in avg., OBP, hits, runs scored and SB. WHERE THEY STAND—The third-place Rays gained a game on the Yan- kees yesterday in the AL East standings, and are now 4.5 GB of first place DANIEL ROBERTSON—Went 2-for-3 with 3 RBI on Friday, and 2-for-4 and 3.5 GB of second-place Boston…the Yankees have lost 5 straight… with 2 RBI yesterday…he is the first rookie middle infielder in Rays history Rays have spent the last 7 days in third place in the AL East, after spending to have multiple hits and RBI in back-to-back games, as well as the first only one day of the previous eight weeks in third (end of play May 20)…last Rays rookie middle infielder with multiple RBI in back-to-back games since time they were alone in third place this late in the year was end of play Sep Josh Wilson, July 21-22, 2007…has driven in a run in 3 straight games 12, 2015 (141 games)…last time they were this close to first place at least (6 RBI total)…prior to this 3-game stretch, he had only 8 RBI in 48 career 71 games into the season was end of play Aug 12, 2015 (4.5 GB)…Rays games and only 2 RBI in his last 31 games (May 7–June 14). and Rangers are tied for third place in the AL Wild Card race, trailing the Ê Has reached base safely (via H, BB or HBP) in 17 straight starts, lon- Twins by a half-game for the second Wild Card spot. gest streak of his career…has started 27 of the Rays last 30 games, batting .253/.317/.374 (23-for-91) with 4 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 8 BB SEVERE SPLITS—The Rays have the 2nd-best record in the AL against and 10 runs over that stretch. right-handed starters (28-19, .596; trailing Houston, 37-15, .712) and the 2nd-worst record in the AL against left-handed starters (8-16, .333; ahead ALEX COLOMÉ—Recorded a 5-out save yesterday, his first since June 3, of Toronto, 5-11, .313)…the Rays have posted an .807 OPS against right- 2016 at MIN (also 1.2)…it was his fifth save of the season of 4 outs or handed starters, 3rd best in the AL behind the Yankees (.845) and Astros more, tying LAD Kenley Jansen for the major league lead…since the start (.823)…they have a .684 OPS vs.