THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015 vs. NEW YORK YANKEES RH Kevin Jepsen vs. RH Adam Warren First Pitch: 1:05 p.m. | Location: Charlotte Sports Park, Charlotte County, Fla. | TV: Sun Sports | Radio: MLB.com Game No: 21 (10-9-1) | vs. AL: 8-5-0 | vs. NL: 2-4-1 | Home: 5-5-0 | Road: 5-4-1 Day 32 of Spring Training | 11 Days Until Opening Day—Monday, April 6 vs. BAL (3:10 p.m.) WELCOME, COMMISH—New Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob MEDICAL MATTERS—Yesterday RH TODAY’S STARTING LINEUP Manfred is visiting Rays camp today…he will meet with Rays players at Alex Colome (pneumonia) threw a 7 David DeJesus (L) DH 9 a.m., with media at a time TBA and with the Yankees after their BP. 25-pitch bullpen session…he is sched- 5 Brandon Guyer (R) RF uled to take two days off, then throw an- 13 Asdrubal Cabrera (S) SS GET INKED—Today from 6–7 p.m., RH Alex Cobb will sign autographs other Saturday…LH Drew Smyly (left 3 Evan Longoria (R) 3B courtesy of Pepsi at Port Charlotte Walmart Supercenter (19100 Murdock shoulder tendinitis) is expected to throw 21 James Loney (L) 1B Cir., Port Charlotte FL, 33948). a bullpen session today, after throwing 30 8 Desmond Jennings (R) LF 39 Kevin Kiermaier (L) CF pitches in his last one on Monday…RH 11 Logan Forsythe (R) 2B HOT STOVE TONIGHT—RH Jake Odorizzi and rookie first base coach Ronald Belisario (left shoulder fracture) 20 Curt Casali (R) C Rocco Baldelli will be guests on this week’s edition of the Hot Stove radio is expected to throw his first bullpen to- 40 Kevin Jepsen RHP show, airing on WDAE 620 AM from 7 to 8 p.m. tonight live from Hoot- day…LH Matt Moore (Tommy John sur- ers (1360 Tamiami Trail, Port Charlotte, FL 33948)…hosts Dave Wills and gery) and LH Jake McGee (offseason el- RAYS IN Andy Freed will be joined by Neil Solondz. bow surgery) are both scheduled to throw SPRING TRAINING bullpens tomorrow. 2015 10-9-1 49,357 SATURDAY IS COMMUNITY DAY—Saturday’s game vs. Boston is Com- Ê Rene Rivera (left calf tightness) 2014 16-7-4 78,264 munity Day at Charlotte Sports Park, where the Rays will recognize the and Steven Souza Jr. (right fore- 2013 15-17-2 90,935 2012 10-16-6 87,916 team’s community partners in Charlotte County and the important work they arm tightness) returned to the line- 2011 15-14-2 95,859 do locally…the Rays will recognize the Charlotte County Family YMCA and up yesterday at Minnesota, starting 2010 20-8-2 97,971 Charlotte County Habitat for Humanity…employees and volunteers from at C and RF, respectively. 2009 15-16-1 103,255 each organization will attend as special guests…during the pregame on- Ê INF Nick Franklin suffered a left 2008 18-8-2 54,960 field presentation, each group will receive a $5,000 donation from the Rays oblique strain, and is not expected 2007 10-19-2 79,044 Baseball Foundation and deliver a ceremonial first pitch. to return in time for Opening Day. 2006 13-16-1 70,756 2005 13-16 61,261 RAYS ON THE TUBE—Today and Saturday will be the second and third of IN THE SALT MINES—Yesterday Lo- 2004 11-8 43,916 four spring training games broadcast live by Sun Sports…today Dewayne gan Forsythe played 6 innings at 1B in 2003 8-19-3 51,324 2002 10-16-1 49,043 Staats and Todd Kalas are in the booth, with newcomer Emily Austen a minor league game at the complex and 2001 12-15-1 57,081 providing in-game coverage…on Saturday, Staats will be in the booth and had 5 AB, including a double…mean- 2000 14-17 67,089 Orestes Destrade will give in-game updates. while, Brandon Guyer (mild ankle sprain) 1999 14-14-1 59,230 Ê Today at 4 p.m., Sun Sports premieres the Rays Preseason Special, logged 6 AB as the DH, legging out a dou- 1998 12-18 66,781 hosted by Kalas with analysis from Staats and Destrade…the show ble and triple…Forsythe and Guyer are Total 236-253-29 1,264,402 features many interviews with Rays players and coaches. both expected to play today…RH Chris Archer and RH Jake Odorizzi will both RETIRING NO. 66—On Opening Day, the Rays will retire No. 66, the last start in minor league games on Saturday. uniform number worn by longtime senior advisor Don Zimmer, in a pre- game ceremony on Opening Day…No. 66 signified his 66 years in profes- YESTERDAY’S ACTION—The Rays won in the 9th inning yesterday at sional baseball…Zim, who passed away on June 4, 2014, spent 11 years Minnesota, 2-1, extending their spring winning streak vs. MIN to 9 games… (2004-14) in a Rays uniform—his most of any of the 14 major league teams they swept the “Knutson Classic” (Rays-Twins spring series) for a second that employed him as a player, coach or manager…No. 66 will be displayed straight year (5-0) after going 4-0 in 2014…RH Matt Andriese turned in 5 high above the left-center field wall, where it will join the Rays two other solid innings as he makes a strong bid for a rotation spot (3-H, 0-R, 1-BB, retired numbers: No. 12 (Wade Boggs, retired in 2000) and No. 42 (Zim’s 6-SO, 75 pitches, 48 strikes)…C Rene Rivera returned to the lineup after former teammate Jackie Robinson, retired by all teams in 1997)…in his missing 5 days with left calf tightness, and homered to CF on the second first three seasons in the majors, Zim was a teammate of Robinson’s for pitch he saw in the 1st inning…the Twins tied it in the 6th on Kennys Var- the Brooklyn Dodgers (1954-56), and he was the Yankees bench coach for gas’ solo homer off LH Jeff Beliveau, and the Rays won it in the 9th when two years while Boggs played there (1996-97)…no other team has retired 3B Leonardo Reginatto beat out an infield single, allowingJoey Butler to No. 66, or No. 12. score…RH Steve Geltz worked a perfect 9th to earn his first save. SLICE OF GRAPEFRUIT—The Rays have won 9 of their last 13 games, COME SEE US—Plenty of general admission tickets remain at Charlotte recovering to a 10-9-1 record…prior to this stretch, they were 1-5-1 through Sports Park for Saturday’s game vs. Boston…for Tuesday’s game vs. Bos- March 10, worst record in the Grapefruit League on that date…today is the ton, tickets are available in all categories…tickets are available via phone at 11th of 14 scheduled home games at Charlotte Sports Park this spring… 1-800-745-3000 and online at raysbaseball.com, or at the Charlotte Sports they are also scheduled to play 16 road games and one home game at Park box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, the Rays Tampa Store (400 N. Tropicana Field (April 4 vs. DET). Tampa St.) and the Tropicana Field box office. Ê This is the Rays 18th spring in the Grapefruit League and seventh calling Charlotte Sports Park home…the 2014 Rays recorded the RAYS vs. YANKEES—Today is the second of 3 spring games between the best spring record in the majors at 16-7-4 (.696), their third Grapefruit AL East rivals…the Rays fell, 4-3, in Tampa on March 9…the Rays return to League title in a span of 7 seasons (also 2008, 2010). Steinbrenner Field on Wednesday…the Rays went 1-0-1 vs. NYY in spring Ê Since becoming the Rays in 2008, 2014…on the 2015 regular season docket, the clubs first meet April 17-19 BEST RECORDS, MLB, the team has recorded at least 15 SPRING TRAINING, 2008-15 at Tropicana Field—and beginning with that series, the Rays will play the wins in six out of seven spring train- LA Angels 136-97 .584 Yankees 10 times in a span of 26 games through May 14. ings—something they never did in 10 Kansas City 134-99 .575 Ê The 2014 Rays went 11-8 vs. the Yankees after going 12-7 in 2013 springs as the Devil Rays…they can Tampa Bay 119-95 .556 and 10-8 in 2012—the first team to beat the Yankees in 3 straight extend this streak by winning at least St. Louis 118-96 .551 season series since the Angels won 5 straight from 2004-08, and 5 of their remaining 11 games. Detroit 130-106 .551 the first AL team to do so since the 1990-94 Blue Jays (Elias Sports Bureau)…they are also the first team since the 1973-75 Red Sox to RUN PREVENTION—The Rays lead the majors with a 2.69 ERA (177-IP, record at least 10 wins in three straight seasons vs. NYY…the Rays 53-ER)…they’ve allowed only 14 HR, tied for 4th fewest in the majors… haven’t lost the season series since 2009 (52-40 since 2010)…since their .238 opp avg. is 2nd lowest in the majors to the Cardinals (.228). June 23, 2013, Rays are 19-10. Ê The Rays have committed 24 errors, 2nd most in the Grapefruit Ê The 2014 Rays became the first team with nine different pitchers re- League to the Yankees (27).