Press Box Documents › bit.ly/3f0l9jz TAMPA BAY RAYS (71-45) at MINNESOTA TWINS (50-66) RH Michael Wacha (2-3, 5.49) vs. RH Kenta Maeda (5-4, 4.69) Saturday, August 14, 2021 First Pitch: 7:10 p.m. Location: Target Field TV: Bally Sports Sun Radio: WDAE 95.3 FM, WMGG 1470 AM (Sp.) Game No.: 117 (71-45) Road Game No.: 60 (36-23) All-Time Game No.: 3,679 (1797-1941) All-Time Road Game No.: 1,870 (822-1047) April: 13-14 May: 22-6 June: 12-14 July: 16-8 August: 8-3 September: 0-0 October: 0-0 Pre-ASB: 53-37 Post-ASB: 18-8 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 Starting Pitchers (Rays vs. Opp.) TV & Radio Sun., 8/15 at MIN 2:10 p.m. RH Luis Patiño (2-3, 4.64) vs. TBD Bally Sports Sun, WDAE 95.3 FM/620 AM, WMGG 1470 AM (Sp.) ROSTER MOVES—The Rays have selected LH Adam Conley (#55) from ABOUT THE OFFENSE—The Rays lead the Durham and designated RH Evan Phillips for assignment to make room majors with 6.84 runs per game since Nelson RUNS/GM. LEADERS, on the active and 40-man rosters…Conley signed with the Rays as a mi- Cruz made his Rays debut on July 23…this SINCE N. CRUZ DEBUT nor league free agent on May 3 and went 2-1-3 with a 4.35 ERA (31-IP, 15- season the Rays rank 2nd in the majors with Tampa Bay Rays 6.84 ER) and 1.16 WHIP in 27 apps for the Bulls…Phillips made his Rays debut a club-record 5.21 runs per game behind the Cincinnati Reds 6.29 last night and recorded his first career save, going 3 IP in the 10-4 win…he Astros (5.37)…the Rays have achieved this Milwaukee Brewers 6.21 was the seventh pitcher in club history with a save in his Rays debut, first output despite leading the majors with 1,162 Oakland Athletics 5.50 since Aaron Slegers on Aug 23, 2019 at BAL, fourth of the 3+ IP variety. SO and ranking near the bottom of the AL Houston Astros 5.39 in avg. (.237, 11th), avg. with RISP (.242, 11th) RAY MATTER—The Rays have won back-to- and avg. with RISP/2 outs (.221, 11th)…the Rays rank 2nd in the AL with back games and are 7-1 in their last 8 games to MOST COME-FROM- 435 BB, 6th in the AL with a .318 OBP and rank 7th in the majors with 157 reach a season-high 26 games over .500, their BEHIND WINS, 2021 HR…no team in modern major league history (since 1900) has finished a most since ending the 2019 season at 96-66… Tampa Bay Rays 36 season at 5.21 runs a game with a batting avg. as low as the 2021 Rays. this is only the fourth season in club history the Boston Red Sox 34 Ê This season the Rays are batting .281 (180-for-641) with RISP in the Rays have reached as many as 26 games over Cincinnati Reds 33 71 wins, compared to .168 (56-for-334) with RISP in the 45 losses. .500 (2019, 2010, 2008)…the Rays are an AL-best New York Yankees 31 11-3 in their 14 games since July 29 and an AL- Milwaukee Brewers 30 POWER BALL—The Rays rank 7th in the majors and 3rd in the AL with best 18-8 since the All-Star break, 2nd in the 157 HR, and their 44 HR in 22 games since July 20 rank 2nd in the majors majors behind the Brewers (17-7)…the Rays remain the only AL club with behind the Reds (46)…the Rays have 17 HR in their last 6 games and 31 at least 70 wins, and their 71-45 record is the best through 116 games in HR in their last 14 games since July 29…the Rays have homered in 14 con- team history…with 46 games remaining, the Rays are on pace to go 99-63, secutive games, their longest such streak since Aug 19–Sep 8, 2017 (18)… which would set a franchise record for wins in a season (97-65 in 2008). they have multiple homers in five of their last 6 games and eight of 14. Ê The Rays haven't trailed in either of their last 2 games after trailing Ê The Rays have a club-record eight grand slams, most in the AL and at some point during each of the previous eight, going 5-3 over that tied for 3rd in the majors behind the Braves (10) and Dodgers (9). stretch…the Rays have trailed in 50.7 pct. (36 of 71) of their wins Ê DH Nelson Cruz has 441 HR in his career, which ranks 43rd on the this season and their 36 come-from-behind wins lead the majors. all-time list and is one shy of matching Dave Kingman for 42nd. Ê The Rays are 24-9 (.727) since July 4 and 52-26 (.667) since May 13, Ê Rays catchers lead the majors with 29 HR, passing 2017 (28) for both of which are the best record in the majors on those stretches. the single-season club record…Mike Zunino has homered in three Ê The Rays are 12-5 this season against the AL Central (7-1 in their consecutive games, tying Aug 18-22, 2016 (with SEA) for the lon- last 8 games) and 45-25 (.643) vs. right-handed starting pitchers. gest such streak of his career…he is the second catcher in franchise history to do so, joining Wilson Ramos (3) from April 26-28, 2018. WHERE WE STAND—The Rays own a season-high-tying 5-game lead in Ê Last night Kevin Kiermaier hit the third inside-the-park homer of the AL East…they were a season-high-tying 4.5 GB of the Red Sox as re- his career, following May 23, 2019 at CLE and May 31, 2014 at BOS… cently as the end of play on July 5, but since then the Rays are 22-9 and it was the first inside-the-park homer for the Rays since Avisaíl the Red Sox are 13-19…the Rays took over first place in the division after García on May 28, 2019 vs. TOR…his three career inside-the-park the middle game of a July 30–Aug 1 sweep over the Red Sox and enter homers are tied with Carl Crawford for the most in Rays history. tonight's games in first place for a 14th consecutive day after 34 straight days in second place (June 27–July 30)…the Rays have gained 7½ games FASHIONABLY LATE—This season the Rays on them in the last 16 days, turning a 2½-game deficit into a 5-game lead. have scored a majors-most 236 runs in the TEAM STATISTICS, 7TH Ê The Rays have the 2nd-best record in the majors, 4 GB of the Giants 7th inning or later, including a majors-most INNING OR LATER (75-41)…they hold sole possession of the AL's best record (Astros, 82 runs in the 8th inning and majors-most Runs Scored 1½ GB of Rays) for an eighth straight day and 30th day this season. 70 runs in the 9th…the Rays are on pace for Tampa Bay Rays 236 Ê The Rays have a 7½-game cushion in regard to a postseason berth. 329 runs in the 7th inning or later, which Los Angeles Dodgers 205 would set a single-season club record over Cincinnati Reds 204 KING OF THE ROAD—The Rays are 36-23 on the road including 11-3 since 2019 (279)…the Rays have outscored oppo- the All-Star break, both of which are the best records in the AL and 2nd nents, 236-134, in these frames, and the +102 Run Differential in the majors behind the Brewers…the Rays are 12-3 in their last 15 road differential leads the majors…their 134 runs Tampa Bay Rays +102 games on the heels of a 10-game road losing streak from June 15–July 3. allowed in the 7th inning or later are the San Diego Padres +71 Ê The Rays have scored a majors-most 344 runs on the road, ahead fewest in the AL and rank 3rd in the majors. San Francisco Giants +43 of the Dodgers (320) and Astros (313)…their 91 HR on the road lead Ê This season, relief pitchers facing the the AL (Twins, 79) and rank 2nd in MLB behind the Giants (100). Rays have combined for a 5.69 ERA (427.1-IP, 270-ER) and .251 opp Ê The Rays have lost in walk-off fashion eight times this season, tied avg. (416-for-1,660), while opposing starters have a 4.12 ERA (603- with the Yankees for most in the AL and tied for 3rd in the majors IP, 276-ER) and .227 opp avg. (519-for-2,290) against the Rays. behind the Marlins (10) and Giants (9)…all eight came within their Ê In their 14 road games since the All-Star break, the Rays have out- first 40 road games, and their most recent was on June 20 at SEA.