WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014 at BALTIMORE ORIOLES RH Mark Lowe vs. LH Wei-Yin Chen First Pitch: 1:05 p.m. | Location: Ed Smith Stadium, Sarasota, Fla. | TV: None | Radio: None Game No: 19 (12-4-2) | vs. AL: 9-2-1 | vs. NL: 3-1-1 | Home: 7-2 | Road: 5-1-2 Day 34 of Spring Training | 12 Days Until Opening Day—Monday, March 31 vs. TOR (4:10 p.m.) SPRINGTIME SUPREMACY—The Rays BEST RECORDS, MLB, WOUNDED WARRIORS—Ten members TODAY’S STARTING LINEUP have won 4 straight games and 7 of their SPRING TRAINING of Wounded Warriors will visit Rays camp 9 Wil Myers (R) RF last 8…with only 10 games remaining on Cleveland 15-4 .789 the next two days, and will participate in 15 Wilson Betemit (S) 1B the Grapefruit League schedule, the Rays Tampa Bay 12-4 .750 the team’s warm-ups and shag balls dur- 20 Matt Joyce (L) LF sit atop the Grapefruit League standings at Seattle 14-5 .737 ing batting practice. 1 Sean Rodriguez (R) 2B 12-4-2 (.750) and rank 2nd in the majors to Miami 13-7 .650 10 Logan Forsythe (R) 3B Cleveland (15-4, .789)…they are seeking Baltimore 10-6 .625 ALL FOR THE KIDS—The Rays Sixth 5 Brandon Guyer (R) CF 16 Jayson Nix (R) SS their third Grapefruit League title—and the Annual BaseBALL Dinner & Auction ben- 68 Jerry Sands (R) DH two previous times they won (2008, 2010) they went on to win the AL East. efiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Charlotte 63 Curt Casali (R) C Ê If the Rays can win 3 of their remaining 10 games, they will record 15 County will be held this Friday, March 35 Mark Lowe RHP wins for the 6th time in 7 springs since becoming the Rays in 2008… 21 at 6:30 p.m., at the Charlotte Harbor in 10 springs prior to that, they had never won 15 games. Event & Conference Center in Punta Gor- Rays IN da…to purchase tickets call (941) 979- SPRING TRAINING LAST NIGHT—The Rays recorded 20 hits and 6 doubles in their 11-1 win 8379…expected this year are Manager W-L-T Home Att. over the Twins last night at Hammond Stadium…the 20 hits were a spring re- Joe Maddon and his coaching staff plus 2014 12-4-2 51,329 2013 15-17-2 90,935 cord in the “Rays” era (since 2008), breaking the prev. mark of 19 (March 31, RH Grant Balfour, RH Heath Bell and C 2012 10-16-6 87,916 2010 at MIN, won 10-3)…14 different players recorded hits…RF . Wil My- Ryan Hanigan 2011 15-14-2 95,859 ers hit leadoff for the first time in his professional career and doubled in his 2010 20-8-2 97,971 first 3 at-bats, finishing 3-for-4 on the night with 1 RBI and 2 runs…Myers PRICE GETS BALL FOR OPENER— 2009 15-16-1 103,255 and 2B Logan Forsythe (2-for-2) combined for 5 hits out of the leadoff Manager Joe Maddon announced Thurs- 2008 18-8-2 54,960 spot…1B James Loney went 2-for-4 with 3 RBI…2B Ben Zobrist drew 3 day that LH David Price will be the Rays 2007 10-19-2 79,044 walks…CF Desmond Jennings went 2-for-3 with 2 doubles…starter LH Opening Day starter (March 31 vs. TOR)… 2006 13-16-1 70,756 Matt Moore totaled 4.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R/ER, 6 BB, 4 SO, 92 pitches, 48 strikes… it will be his third Opening Day assignment 2005 13-16-0 61,261 the 3-hour, 34-minute game ended at 10:39 p.m. (2011, 2013), a feat matched by only one 2004 11-8-0 43,916 2003 8-19-3 51,234 other pitcher in Rays history: RH James 2002 10-16-1 49,043 —The Rays haven’t recorded 20 hits in a regular- (four, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012). FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH Shields 2001 12-15-1 57,081 Ê season game since Sep 5, 2007 vs. BAL, when they banged out 22. Price leads all Grapefruit League 2000 14-17-0 67,089 pitchers with a .149 opp avg. (7- 1999 14-14-1 59,230 THE AFTERMATH—After last night, the Rays now rank: for-47)…he ranks 3rd in the majors 1998 12-18-0 66,781 Ê 3rd in the Grapefruit League with 41 doubles. after KC James Shields and CLE Total 222-241-26 1,187,550 Ê 3rd in the Grapefruit League with a .284 batting avg. Justin Masterson (both .146). Ê 3rd in the Grapefruit League with a .342 OBP. Ê 1st in the Grapefruit League with a .443 SLG and 3rd in the majros SIX YEARS AS THE RAYS—Since changing their name to the Rays in behind the Royals (.469) and Rockies (.457). 2008, the Rays are 550-423 (.565), second-best record in the majors af- ter the Yankees (564-408)…Tampa Bay is one of four teams to reach the JAMES LONEY—Has collected 8 RBI over the past 2 games (5 on Sun vs. postseason four times, along with the Phillies (four), Yankees (four) and BOS, 3 last night)…with 11 RBI on the spring, he is tied for 4th in the Grape- Cardinals (four)…they have five seasons of 90-plus wins in this span, the fruit League with WAS Wilson Ramos…only DET Nick Castellanos (16), only team to make that claim…the Rays and Rangers are the only teams DET Austin Jackson (12) and MIA Giancarlo Stanton (12) have more. with 90-plus wins in each of the past four seasons. Ê Loney has raised his avg. to .423 (11-for-26), which would rank 2nd Ê Since 2008 the Rays have won six BBWAA awards, most in the majors in the GL if he had enough AB to qualify…Jackson (.459) ranks 1st. over that span: Joe Maddon (2008 and 2011 AL Manager of the Year), David Price (2012 AL Cy Young), Evan Longoria (2008 AL ROY), RUN PREVENTION—The Rays have allowed only 61 runs, fewest in the Jeremy Hellickson (2011 AL ROY) and Wil Myers (2013 AL ROY). majors, followed by the Marlins (69) and Orioles (75)…their 3.06 ERA (162- IP, 55-ER) ranks 2nd in the majors behind the Marlins (2.94). STINGY STAFF RETURNS—In the six seasons since becoming the Rays Ê The Rays lead the majors with a .989 fielding pct., and have com- (2008-13), the Tampa Bay pitching staff leads the AL in ERA (3.74), runs mitted a major-league-low 8 errors…only one of those 7 was com- allowed (3,911), opponents’ avg. (.242) and opponents’ OPS (.698)…the mitted by a player expected to be an Opening Day starter (SS Yunel last AL club to post an ERA this low over a six-year span was the 1987-92 Escobar)…in contrast, the Mariners lead the majors with 31 errors. A’s (3.72) and Blue Jays (3.73)…no AL team has allowed so few runs over a six-year span since the 1975-80 Orioles (3,659) and Yankees (3,730). RAY MATTER—Yesterday began a stretch of 11 games in 11 days to close out the Grapefruit League schedule—and 12 games in 12 days including a HOT TICKET—Attendance at Charlotte Sports Park is up by 13 percent March 29 scrimmage at Double-A Montgomery. over last season at this time…the Rays are averaging 5,703 fans per game, Ê Last night’s cuts of C Eddy Rodriguez and OF Jeremy Moore re- compared to 5,068 last year after 9 games…this is the 3rd-best average duced the Rays spring roster to 42 players (20 pitchers, 4 catchers, through 9 games in Rays spring training history, after 2009 (6,344) and 10 infielders, 8 outfielders). 2010 (6,154)…Sunday’s Rays-Red Sox sellout drew 7,852 fans to CSP, Ê After today’s game the Rays play 3 consecutive home games…they breaking the park’s record (prev. 7,834 on March 19, 2010 vs. NYY). are 7-2 at Charlotte Sports Park. NON-ROSTER INVITES TO MAKE RAYS OPENING DAY ROSTER— BACK FIELD ACTION—Today RH Chris Archer and RH Grant Balfour 1998 RH Rolando Arrojo will pitch against Orioles minor leaguers at the Charlotte Sports Complex… 2000 RH Dave Eiland, INF Herbert Perry yesterday three pitchers faced Red Sox minor leaguers at the complex: RH 2001 RH Ken Hill Joel Peralta (18 pitches, 1.1-IP, 0-H, 0-R, 0-BB, 2-SO), LH Jake McGee 2003 OF Rocco Baldelli, LH Jim Parque, RH Steve Parris (20 pitches, 1-IP, 1-H, 1-R, 0-ER, 1-BB, 1-SO) and RH Josh Lueke (13 2005 OF Chris Singleton, RH Hideo Nomo pitches, 1-IP, 1-H, 0-R, 0-BB, 1-SO). 2006 RH Jason Childers, RH Ruddy Lugo, INF Luis Ordaz 2007 RH Gary Glover, 1B Carlos Peña, RH Al Reyes RAYS vs. ORIOLES—The Rays and Orioles had 6 games scheduled but 2008 INF/OF Eric Hinske have played only one, the Feb 28 opener at home (lost 4-2)…March 6 in 2011 RH Juan Cruz Sarasota was rained out…including today, 4 of the Rays remaining 10 games 2013 1B/OF Shelley Duncan, RH Jamey Wright are against the Orioles (Saturday at home, March 26 at home, March 27 in Sarasota)…in 2013 spring training the Rays went 3-1 vs.