TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2014 at BALTIMORE ORIOLES RH Alex Cobb (9-6, 3.01) vs. LH Wei-Yin Chen (13-4, 3.76) First Pitch: 7:05 p.m. | Location: Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD | TV: Sun Sports | Radio: WDAE 620 AM, WGES 680 AM (Spanish) Game No: 132 (64-67) | Road Game No.: 67 (35-31) | All-Time Game No.: 2,722 (1,259-1,462) | All-Time Road Game: 1,363 (564-798) March: 1-0 | April: 10-16 | May: 12-17 | June: 13-16 | July: 17-6 | August: 11-12 | Since the All-Star Break: 20-14 ROSTER MOVE—The Rays have activated C Ryan Hanigan (left oblique league-best 24-9 (.727) on the road since MAJORS’ BEST W-L, strain) from the 15-day disabled list, and optioned C Curt Casali to Class-A June 4, after beginning the season 11-22 SINCE JUNE 11 Charlotte…Hanigan, who was placed on the DL on July 17 retroactive to on the road prior to that…they have won 8 Baltimore 42-24 .636 July 9, has missed the last 38 games due to his injury…he was shut down of their last 12 road games…the Rays went Los Angeles-AL 41-25 .621 after his first rehab game with Class-A Charlotte on Aug 2, but played 3 more an AL-record 19 consecutive road games Tampa Bay 40-25 .615 games with the Stone Crabs over the weekend, going 3-for-10 at the plate. allowing 3 runs or fewer from July 4–Aug Washington 41-26 .612 22, 2nd-longest streak of its kind in major AL EAST SINCE JUNE 11 RAY MATTER—The Rays lost 9-1 last night, their most runs allowed since league history (1908 Cubs, 21). Baltimore 42-24 .636 June 5 vs. MIA (11-6) and matching their most lop-sided loss of the season Tampa Bay 40-25 .615 (April 13 at CIN, 12-4; April 17 vs. NYY, 10-2)…they allowed 5 HR for the SINCE JUNE 11—This series matches two New York 36-30 .545 Boston 28-39 .418 first time sinceApril 7, 2013 vs. CLE (5)…in the 5th inning, the Rays yielded of the majors’ three best teams since June Toronto 27-38 .415 6 runs on 7 hits, both season highs for a single frame and the highest totals 11…while going 40-25 since that date, the since June 13, 2013 at KC (8 runs, 8 hits in the 6th)…the Rays are 2-2 on Rays have pitched to a 2.86 ERA (595.1-IP, AL EAST ON JUNE 10 Toronto 39-27 .591 the road trip, after winning 2 of 3 games in Toronto over the weekend… 189-ER), 2nd best in the majors to Seattle Baltimore 32-31 .508 Saturday’s loss was played under protest by Manager Joe Maddon, and (2.53)…they have batted .258 (7th in ma- New York 32-31 .508 MLB today announced that the protest was denied. jors) with a .328 OBP (3rd in majors) and Boston 29-35 .453 Ê The Rays are 2 games behind Toronto for 3rd place in the AL East… averaged 4.28 runs per game (11th in ma- Tampa Bay 24-42 .372 they haven’t finished as low as 4th place since 2007 (5th). jors)…prior to June 11, the Rays had aver- Ê The Rays have won 11 of their last 16 series, beginning with their last aged 3.58 runs per game, 28th in the majors. visit to Baltimore, June 27-29—their 32-19 (.627) record during this stretch is 3rd in the majors after the Nationals (34-18) and O’s (33-19). THROUGH THE WRINGER—Today is the 5th in a stretch of 26 straight Ê The Rays have sustained 8 walk-off losses this season, most re- games vs. AL East competition through Sep 17 (9 vs. TOR, 7 vs. BAL, 6 cently Sat at TOR in 10 innings on a Jose Reyes single…this is tied vs. NYY, 4 vs. BOS)—the longest stretch of divisional play of any season with Boston for most in the AL this season and the club’s most since in club history…in 2003, the Devil Rays played their first 25 games against 2007 (10)…the Rays have lost a game in walk-off fashion in four AL East opponents, going 10-15…the longest prev. stretch in the “Rays” era consecutive road series. came Aug 26–Sep 17, 2008 as the team went 11-10 in 21 games. Ê The Rays are 12-6 vs. AL East opponents since June 28. FLUSH IT—In last night’s loss, Rays pitchers allowed 9 runs on 14 hits, Ê The Rays are 10 games (4-6) into a stretch in which they play 28 of 32 including 5 HR…this after allowing only 6 runs over the last 4 games com- games against teams currently over .500…the Rays have gone 23-16 bined, and 8 HR over the last 21 games combined…starter Jake Odorizzi in their last 39 games vs. teams currently over .500 (since June 25). yielded a career-high 11 hits, 8 runs and 4 HR…twice he allowed back-to- back home runs: by Nick Markakis and Steve Pearce in the 3rd inning CROOKED MATH—The Rays have outscored opponents 93-73 in the and Delmon Young and J.J. Hardy in the 5th, his last 2 batters faced…he month of August yet have a losing record (11-12)…even after last night’s became the first in Rays history to allow back-to-back homers twice in the 9-1 loss, their +20 run differential this month ranks 5th in the majors behind same game, and the first pitcher in the majors to do so since CIN Homer Seattle (+51, 15-7 record), Washington (+40, 17-7), Baltimore (+34, 14-8) Bailey on April 14, 2014 vs. PIT. and Kansas City (+26, 17-6)…this month they are 3-9 in games decided by 2 runs or fewer, and 8-3 in games decided by 3 runs or more…on the BACK TO BACK…TO BACK—After Odorizzi’s exit, Young and Hardy’s season, their +16 run differential (514-R, 498-RA) is 2nd best in the AL East homers were followed by a third straight blast, by Chris Davis off Kirby to Baltimore (+64)…the Reds (+6) are the only other team in baseball with Yates…it was the 7th time Rays pitchers had allowed back-to-back-to-back a positive run differential and a losing record. homers—all coming on the road—but only the second time it happened in the “Rays” era (since 2008)…the last occurrence was also at Camden ALEX COBB—Has gone a club-record 8 straight starts allowing 2 runs or Yards, on July 20, 2010—Luke Scott, Ty Wigginton, Adam Jones in the fewer, longest active streak in the majors and 2nd longest streak in the AL 2nd inning off Matt Garza. this season behind SEA Felix Hernandez (17, an AL record). Ê Prior to the 4 HR and 8 ER allowed by Odorizzi last night, Rays start- Ê Is attempting to become the third pitcher in Rays history to win 8 ers had yielded a combined 3 HR and 18 ER (1.43 ERA) in their last straight decisions, with a chance to join Matt Moore (9 over 2012-13) 17 starts since Aug 6. and David Price (8 in 2012)…Cobb is 7-0 with a 1.99 ERA (63.1-IP, 14-ER) in his last 10 starts. RAYS vs. ORIOLES—The Rays are 4-9 in the season series (1-5 at home, 3-4 here) and must win all 6 remaining games to avoid losing the season KINGS OF K—The Rays lead the majors with 1,181 strikeouts and are on series…since becoming the “Rays” in 2008, they’ve lost the season series pace for 1,460, which would break the all-time record of 1,428 set by the only once, in 2012 (8-10)…their worst season series ever vs. Baltimore is 2013 Tigers…the club record is 1,383 in 2012, which remains 5th in ML 2006 (6-13)…by contrast, the Rays went 13-6 in 2013 and won 11 of their history…they have 54 SO more than any other team (Cleveland, 1,127). final 13 meetings…the Rays won 3 of 4 games in the last series, June 27-29 Ê Brad Boxberger’s 88 SO are T-2nd among ML relievers, tied with here…included was a Friday doubleheader, which the teams split, making PHI Jake Diekman behind NYY Dellin Betances (113)…he’s only up for the April 15 rain/sleet-out. 4 shy of J.P. Howell’s club record for strikeouts by a reliever (92 in Ê In each of the last 2 games between these clubs, one side hit 5 HR… 2008)…all this despite spending most of the first month in the minors. on June 29 here, the Rays had a season-high 5 HR including a 5-for- 6, 2-homer day by Matt Joyce in a 12-7 victory. FIRING BLANKS—The Rays have recorded 17 shutouts this season, ty- ing the club record (2013), including two back-to-back on Thurs vs. DET CHANCE TO MAKE HISTORY—The Rays have gone 3-6 since evening (1-0) and Fri at TOR (8-0)…the 17 shutouts lead the AL and are one shy of their record at 61-61 on Aug 15, their first time at .500 since they were 10- St.