Press Box Documents › bit.ly/3f0l9jz TAMPA BAY RAYS (44-31) vs. BOSTON RED SOX (44-30) RH Michael Wacha (1-2, 5.19) vs. RH Nick Pivetta (6-3, 4.36) Thursday, June 24, 2021 First Pitch: 7:10 p.m. Location: Tropicana Field TV: Bally Sports Sun Radio: WDAE 95.3 FM, WGES 680 AM (Sp.) Game No.: 76 (44-31) Home Game No.: 36 (20-15) All-Time Game No.: 3,698 (1770-1927) All-Time Home Game No.: 1,848 (961-886) 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 Fri., 6/25 vs. LAA 7:10 p.m. TBD vs. RH Griffin Canning (5-4, 5.07) Bally Sports Sun, WDAE 95.3 FM/620 AM, WMGG 1470 AM (Sp.) Sat., 6/26 vs. LAA 4:10 p.m. TBD vs. RH Alex Cobb (5-2, 4.41) Bally Sports Sun, WDAE 95.3 FM/620 AM, WMGG 1470 AM (Sp.) Sun., 6/27 vs. LAA 1:10 p.m. TBD vs. LH Patrick Sandoval (2-2, 3.69) Bally Sports Sun, WDAE 95.3 FM/620 AM, WMGG 1470 AM (Sp.) ROSTER MOVES—The Rays have placed SS Taylor Walls (right wrist ten- since April 16, the best in the majors over that stretch (NYM: 3.15). dinitis) on the 10-day IL, retroactive to June 23, and recalled RH Drew Ê Last night the Rays snapped a streak of allowing 5 runs (or more) Rasmussen from Triple-A Durham…Rasmussen was active for 2 games in six straight games, their longest since May 27–June 4, 2017 (8). last week in Seattle and pitched once, retiring all 5 BF including 4 SO. Ê Rays starters have pitched to a 3.69 ERA (360.2-IP, 148-ER), 9th in Ê The Rays have traded INF/OF Wyatt Mathisen to Seattle for cash the majors and 3rd in the AL behind CHW (3.16) and HOU (3.29). considerations…he was designated for assignment on Tuesday. Ê The Rays have allowed three grand slams, all in the last 11 games. Ê The Rays currently have nine pitchers on the 60-day IL. RAY MATTER—With last night's win, the Rays snapped a 7-game losing streak, their longest since May 31–June 8, 2018 (8)…the win set up a rub- WHAT A RELIEF—The bullpen has an AL-best 3.10 ERA (322.1-IP, 111-ER) ber match tonight in a game that will also decide 1st place in the division… this season, 3rd in the majors behind the Cubs (2.63) and Padres (2.80)… tonight is the second time this series the Rays and Red Sox are meeting the bullpen has a 2.15 ERA (79.2-IP, 19-ER) in 19 games since June 2, 2nd in with 1st place on the line, something they hadn't done since July 29, 2013 the majors over that stretch behind the Giants (1.97)…the bullpen ranked at BOS…the Rays are 1-7 in their last 8 games and have been outscored, 26th in the majors with a 5.07 ERA through games of April 21, but since 45-33 (-12), with four extra-inning losses, three walk-off losses, three April 22 their 2.43 ERA ranks 2nd in the majors behind the Cubs (2.28). 1-run losses and one shutout loss…this stretch has seen the Rays go from Ê Since the beginning of June, the Rays are 0-6 in extra-inning games a season-high-tying 3-game lead in the AL East to 0.5 GB of the Red Sox. and the bullpen has allowed 16 runs (9 ER) in 6.2 IP in extra frames Ê Last night fell behind, 1-0, but recorded their 20th come-from-be- compared to a 1.29 ERA (76.2-IP, 11-R/ER) in regulation innings. hind win, tied for 2nd in the majors…the top three teams in come- from-behind wins are all in the AL East: Red Sox (25), Rays (20) and WEB GEMS—According to Sports Info Solutions, the Rays lead the ma- Yankees (20), then followed by the Brewers (19) and Indians (19). jors with 58 Defensive Runs Saved, ahead of the Astros (48) and Nationals Ê The Rays have lost back-to-back series after a stretch of nine con- (43)…the Rays outfield leads the majors with 20 Runs Saved, ahead of the secutive unbeaten series, going 7-0-2 from May 14–June 13…the Marlins (14), and the infield (1B, 2B, 3B, SS) ranks 1st in the majors with 31 Rays are 9-11 since the start of June after going 16-1 from May 13- Runs Saved ahead of the Astros (30)…the catchers have 5 Defensive Runs 31 and 22-6 in May, a club record for wins in a calendar month. Saved, tied for 3rd in the majors behind the Pirates (9) and Rangers (6)… Ê The Rays have blown a lead in their last 5 losses, and blown multi- according to StatCast, the Rays lead the majors at 25 Outs Above Avg. run leads in three of those 5 losses…the Rays have held a lead in 60 Ê The Rays lead the majors with a .98952 fielding pct., ahead of the of their 75 games and have blown a lead in 16 of the 31 losses…their Astros (.98908)…their 29 errors are tied for fewest in the majors. 16 blown leads are twice as many as the shortened 2020 season. RAYS vs. RED SOX—The Rays are 1-4 against the Red Sox this season and Ê The Rays were .500 through games of May 12 (19-19) but are 25-12 have been outscored, 37-22…last night the Rays won for the first time since May 13, the 3rd-best record in the majors over that stretch. since Sep 12, 2020, and the 5-game losing streak in between marked their ABOUT THE OFFENSE—Last night the Rays scored 8 runs, their most longest since March 30–April 8, 2018 (6)…the Rays were swept from April since June 3 at NYY (9) and most at home since May 15 vs. NYM (12)…it 5-7 at Fenway Park (0-3) despite entering the series with an 8-game win- marked their 11th game with 3 HR but only their second at home, follow- ning strk. there, the longest streak at an opponent's park in club history. ing May 16 vs. NYM…last night was the third time they homered three Ê Since the start of the 2019 season, the road team has gone 22-12… times with runner(s) on base, joining May 21 at TOR (3) and May 18 at BAL the Red Sox are 10-8 here and the Rays are 12-4 at Fenway Park. (5), and their first such game at home since Aug 6, 2019 vs. TOR (3)…the 9 Ê Tonight is the sixth of 19 meetings between the Rays and Red Sox BB were their most in a 9-inning game since Aug 8, 2020 (G2) vs. NYY (9). this season (10 at Tropicana Field, nine at Fenway Park)…13 of the Ê In the last 8 games, the Rays are batting .201 overall and .155 (11-for- 19 games will come over a stretch of 41 days from July 30–Sep 8. 71) with RISP…in June, the Rays are batting .220 overall and .210 Ê The Rays went 7-3 against the Red Sox in 2020 (3-3 at home, 4-0 (38-for-181) with RISP, down from .237 overall and .278 with RISP on the road) to win the season series for a second straight season. during May…the Rays are averaging 4.65 R/G this month (14th in UP NEXT: ANGELS—The Rays are 4-0 against the Angels this season, and the majors), compared to 5.71 R/G in May (2nd in the majors)…in have clinched the season series for a fifth consecutive time while improv- June, their .220 avg. ranks 26th and .210 avg. with RISP is 27th. ing to 5-0-1 over the last six season series…the Rays swept a 4-game series Ê The Rays rank 5th in the majors with 366 runs…the Rays have av- from May 3-6 at LAA, the second 4-game sweep over them in franchise eraged 4.88 runs per game despite a .228 avg. that ranks 25th in the history (also Aug 16-19, 2012 at LAA)…the Rays have outscored them, 26- majors and 13th in the AL…from 1900–2020, 568 teams averaged 10 (+16), this season, are batting .256 (10-for-39) with RISP and have made 4.88 R/G but none did it with an avg. as low as the Rays—the low- 1 error, compared to the Angels' 6 errors…the Rays are 88-101 (.466) all- est avg. for a team scoring 4.88 R/G was .244 by the 2017 Rangers. time against the Angels (42-49 at home, 46-52 on the road), including 56- Ê The Rays lead the AL and rank 3rd in the majors with 293 BB… 38 (.596) as the Rays after going 32-63 in the Devil Rays era (1998–2007). they rank 9th in the AL with a .315 OBP and 8th with 91 HR…the Ê Since 2010, the Rays have the best record at Angel Stadium (min.