SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 2014 at PITTSBURGH PIRATES LH David Price vs. LH Wandy Rodriguez First Pitch: 1:05 p.m. | Location: McKechnie Field, Bradenton, Fla. | TV: None | Radio: WDAE 620 AM Game No: 2 (0-1) | vs. AL: 0-1 | vs. NL: 0-0 | Home: 0-1 | Road: 0-0 Day 16 of Spring Training | 30 Days Until Opening Day—Monday, March 31 vs. TOR (4:10 p.m.) SLICE OF GRAPEFRUIT—The 2014 baseball season is underway as the Maddon are the longest-tenured GM/ TODAY’S STARTING LINEUP Rays begin their 17th spring training and sixth in Charlotte County…today is manager pairing in baseball. 1 Sean Rodriguez (R) 2B the second of 29 games on the Grapefruit League slate and first of 15 road 20 Matt Joyce (L) RF games, plus a March 29 exhibition at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, EVAN EYES CARLOS & CARL—3B 10 Logan Forsythe (R) 3B Ala., home of the Rays Double-A affiliate Montgomery Biscuits. Evan Longoria enters 2014 within 9 Wil Myers (R) DH Ê Since becoming the Rays in 2008, the club is 93-80-15 (.538) in striking distance of a number of fran- 24 Ryan Hanigan (R) C Grapefruit League play and has won 15-plus games in 5 of 6 sea- chise records…his 162 HR are one 30 Vince Belnome (L) 1B sons, after having none in their first 10 springs as the Devil Rays. shy of Carlos Peña’s club record…his 16 Jayson Nix (R) SS 544 RBI are 48 shy of Carl Crawford’s 5 Brandon Guyer (R) LF YESTERDAY—The Rays lost their spring opener, 4-2, to the Orioles at mark (592)…his 200 doubles are 15 39 Kevin Kiermaier (L) CF Charlotte Sports Park…starter LH Erik Bedard (1-IP, 3-H, 3-R/ER, 2-BB, shy of Crawford’s team record…his 14 David Price LHP 1-SO, 25 pitches, 15 strikes)…reliever RH Heath Bell made his Rays de- 373 extra-base hits are 51 shy of Craw- but, giving up 1 ER on a wild pitch in the 2nd inning…SS Yunel Escobar ford (424). Rays IN went 2-for-2, including a 1st-inning double off of Orioles starter Chris Till- SPRING TRAINING man…Rays scored in the 4th via Jerry Sands’ double to left field, scoring INFIELD INTACT—The Rays opened W-L-T Home Att. Sean Rodriguez…Justin Christian’s base hit in the 7th plated Mikie Mah- spring training with all four of the in- 2014 0-1-0 5,017 took…Rays pitchers LH Cesar Ramos, RH Brandon Gomes, RH Josh field starters from Opening Day 2013, 2013 15-17-2 90,935 Lueke, RH Jake Odorizzi, RH Nate Karns, RH Kirby Yates, and LH C.J. all of them Gold Glove Award finalists 2012 10-16-6 87,916 Riefenhauser threw 7 scoreless innings of relief (1-BB, 5-SO). last season: 1B James Loney, 2B 2011 15-14-2 95,859 Ben Zobrist, 3B Evan Longoria and 2010 20-8-2 97,971 RAYS vs. PIRATES—Today is the first of four Grapefruit League games SS Yunel Escobar…on only two other 2009 15-16-1 103,255 between these clubs, two at home (March 8, March 13) and two on the road occasions has the Rays Opening Day 2008 18-8-2 54,960 (today, March 15 split-squad)…last spring the Rays went 3-2 vs. Pittsburgh, starting infield come to camp the fol- 2007 10-19-2 79,044 2-1 at McKechnie Field and 1-1 at Charlotte Sports Park. lowing year: 1998-99 and 2008-09… 2006 13-16-1 70,756 Ê The Rays will host the Pirates from June 23-25—just the Bucs’ sec- Rays infielders committed only 36 er- 2005 13-16-0 61,261 ond visit ever to Tropicana Field…the other was more than a decade rors, fewest in baseball, and only 3 2004 11-8-0 43,916 ago, June 13-15, 2003, when the Pirates took 2 of 3 in the series…it more than the major league record of 2003 8-19-3 51,234 will be only the fourth time the clubs have met, the last being 2008 at 33 by the 1999 Mets (1B John Olerud, 2002 10-16-1 49,043 PNC Park when the Rays won 2 of 3 games. 2B Edgardo Alfonzo, 3B Robin Ven- 2001 12-15-1 57,081 tura, SS Rey Ordoñez). 2000 14-17-0 67,089 ROLL CALL—So far, 62 of 64 players invited to camp have reported…RH 1999 14-14-1 59,230 Juan Carlos Oviedo and INF Wilson Betemit are still dealing with visa is- JOE-TATO HEAD AMONG 2014 GIVE- 1998 12-18-0 66,781 sues…only once in the previous 8 seasons (since 2006) have the Rays invit- AWAYS—In its Franchise issue last Total 210-238-24 1,141,438 ed more players—in 2013 they invited 66 due to the World Baseball Classic. September, ESPN the Magazine rated Ê Major league camp includes players coming from eight different the Rays promotional items as the best countries—the U.S., Australia, Canada, Cuba, the D.R., Mexico, in all of sports…the Rays 2014 promotional schedule includes, among other South Korea and Venezuela—as well as Puerto Rico and Hawaii. items, the Joe Maddon Mr. Potato Head (Aug 2 vs. LAA), Wil Myers Rookie of the Year Bobblehead (April 5 vs. Rangers), DJ Kitty Plush Hat (May 10 DREAM MAKERS—The Rays will be presented with the 2014 Dream- vs. CLE), Chris Archer Christmas Stocking (July 27 vs. BOS) and Evan Maker Award by the Children’s Dream Fund at their annual DreamMaker Longoria ’80s Hair Band Drummer Bobblehead (Sep 6 vs. BAL). Luncheon on Tuesday, March 4 at 11:30 a.m. at the Floridan Palace Hotel in Tampa (905 N. Florida Ave.)…since the team began its involvement with SEASONED VETERANS—Of the 31 active catchers with at least 400 the Children’s Dream Fund in 1997, the Rays have made dreams come games played, Ryan Hanigan and Jose Molina rank 3rd and 5th, respec- true for hundreds of Tampa Bay-area children undergoing treatment for life- tively, in career caught stealing pct. …Hanigan has caught 36.3 pct. of threatening illnesses through programs such as DreamsBatted In, Tues- would-be thieves (90 of 248), and Molina has caught 34.5 pct. (185 of 537). day’s Champion, Dream Day with the Rays, Rays on the Runway, grants Ê Hanigan owns a career catcher’s ERA of 3.63, lowest of any active from the Rays Baseball Foundation, and personal meetings with players. catcher, and his .995 fielding pct. ranks 2nd to Chris Snyder (.998). SIX YEARS AS THE RAYS—Since changing their name to the Rays in NON-ROSTER INVITES TO MAKE RAYS OPENING DAY ROSTER— 2008, the Rays are 550-423 (.565), second-best record in the majors af- 1998 RH Rolando Arrojo ter the Yankees (564-408)…Tampa Bay is one of four teams to reach the 2000 RH Dave Eiland, INF Herbert Perry postseason four times, along with the Phillies (four), Yankees (four) and 2001 RH Ken Hill Cardinals (four)…they have five seasons of 90-plus wins in this span, the 2003 OF Rocco Baldelli, LH Jim Parque, RH Steve Parris only team to make that claim…the Rays and Rangers are the only teams 2005 OF Chris Singleton, RH Hideo Nomo with 90-plus wins in each of the past four seasons. 2006 RH Jason Childers, RH Ruddy Lugo, INF Luis Ordaz Ê Since 2008 the Rays have won six BBWAA awards, most in the majors 2007 RH Gary Glover, 1B Carlos Peña, RH Al Reyes over that span: Joe Maddon (2008 and 2011 AL Manager of the Year), 2008 INF/OF Eric Hinske David Price (2012 AL Cy Young), Evan Longoria (2008 AL ROY), 2011 RH Juan Cruz Jeremy Hellickson (2011 AL ROY) and Wil Myers (2013 AL ROY). 2013 1B/OF Shelley Duncan, RH Jamey Wright STINGY STAFF RETURNS—In the six seasons since becoming the Rays UPCOMING PROBABLES— (2008-13) the Rays pitching staff leads the AL in ERA (3.74), runs allowed Sat., March 1 at PIT, 1:05 p.m. (3,911), opponents’ avg. (.242) and opponents’ OPS (.698)…the last AL Ê TB—LH David Price (start), RH Mark Lowe, LH Jake McGee, RH club to post an ERA this low over a six-year span was the 1987-92 A’s (3.72) Brad Boxberger, RH Matt Andriese, LH Mike Montgomery, LH Enny and Blue Jays (3.73)…no AL team has allowed so few runs over a six-year Romero, LH Jeff Beliveau, RH Alex Colome span since the 1975-80 Orioles (3,659) and Yankees (3,730). Ê PIT—LH Wandy Rodriguez (start), RH Jeanmar Gomez, RH Vin Mazzaro, RH Duke Welker, RH Josh Kinney, RH Casey Sadler, RH RAYS ON THE RADIO—Today is the first of 12 games this spring airing Zack Thornton on the Rays Radio Network…6 additional games will air on MLB.com… Sun., March 2 vs. MIN, 1:05 p.m. broadcasters Andy Freed and Dave Wills are entering their 10th season Ê TB—RH Alex Cobb (start), RH Grant Balfour, RH Joel Peralta, LH together in the Rays booth…among all 30 major league broadcast teams, Adam Liberatore, RH Steve Geltz, LH Braulio Lara, RH Sam Runion, only three have a longer tenured radio broadcast duo: RH Santiago Garrido Ê Tigers—Dan Dickerson & Jim Price entering 12th season together Ê MIN—RH Ricky Nolasco (start), RH Anthony Swarzak Ê Orioles—Joe Angel & Fred Manfra entering 11th season together Mon., March 3 vs.