WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014 vs. BALTIMORE ORIOLES LH David Price vs. RH Chris Tillman First Pitch: 7:05 p.m. | Location: Charlotte Sports Park, Charlotte County, Fla. | TV: Sun Sports | Radio: WDAE 620 AM Game No: 25 (15-6-3) | vs. AL: 12-4-2 | vs. NL: 3-2-1 | Home: 8-5 | Road: 7-2-2 Day 41 of Spring Training | 5 Days Until Opening Day—Monday, March 31 vs. TOR (4:10 p.m.) SPRINGTIME SUPREMACY—The Rays BEST RECORDS, MLB, WIL THE THRIL—OF Wil Myers will be TODAY’S STARTING LINEUP are 1-2-1 in their last 4 games after winning SPRING TRAINING honored as the 2013 American League 20 Matt Joyce (L) DH 9 of their previous 10 contests…despite this, Tampa Bay 15-6 .714 Rookie of the Year in a pregame presenta- 9 Wil Myers (R) RF they still hold the majors’ best record this Cleveland 17-8 .680 tion at Tropicana Field on Saturday, April 21 James Loney (L) 1B spring at 15-6-3 (.714) and have a chance Miami 17-10 .630 5, the day his bobblehead will be given to 3 Evan Longoria (R) 3B to finish with the majors’ best spring record Seattle 17-10 .630 the first 20,000 fans (presented by Sagi- 7 David DeJesus (L) LF for the third time in 7 years…when they did it San Francisco 16-10 .615 cor Life Insurance). 8 Desmond Jennings (R) CF 10 Logan Forsythe (R) 2B previously in both 2008 (18-8, tied Oakland) BEST RECORDS, MLB, 24 Ryan Hanigan (R) C and 2010 (20-8), they went on to win the AL SPRING TRAINING, 2008-14 YESTERDAY—The Rays were handed 11 Yunel Escobar (R) SS East…in the past 17 seasons (1997-2013), 9 LA Angels 121-88 .579 a 4-2 loss by the Red Sox at Charlotte 14 David Price LHP of the 17 teams to finish with the majors’ best Kansas City 120-88 .577 Sports Park, after an 18-minute pregame spring record went on to the postseason and Detroit 119-91 .567 delay due to a wet field…the Rays were Rays IN 12 of 17 finished with winning records. Tampa Bay 108-85 .560 limited to 4 hits, 3 of which came during a SPRING TRAINING Ê The Rays have clinched their fifth St. Louis 107-88 .549 2-run 3rd inning when they took a 2-1 lead W-L-T Home Att. winning spring in club history (2004, on an RBI double by C Jose Molina and 2014 15-6-3 74,292 2013 15-17-2 90,935 2008, 2010, 2011)…in the four previous seasons, they went on to the RBI single by RF Wil Myers…starter RH 2012 10-16-6 87,916 postseason three times (2008, 2010, 2011). faced one batter in the 6th Jake Odorizzi 2011 15-14-2 95,859 Ê Their 15-6-3 record (.714) is currently tied for their best spring record inning and took the loss, totaling 5 IP, 4 H, 2010 20-8-2 97,971 in club history (.714, 20-8 in 2010). 3 R/ER, 2 BB, 5 SO, 1 HR, 92 pitches, 58 2009 15-16-1 103,255 Ê Since becoming the Rays in 2008, the team has recorded at least strikes…RH Joel Peralta, LH Jake Mc- 2008 18-8-2 54,960 15 wins in 6 out of 7 spring trainings…they never achieved this in 10 Gee and RH Josh Lueke worked a score- 2007 10-19-2 79,044 springs as the Devil Rays…the Rays have compiled a 108-85 (.560) less 7th, 8th and 9th inning, respectively. 2006 13-16-1 70,756 spring record during this span, 4th best in the majors (see chart). 2005 13-16-0 61,261 PITCHING PROPERLY—The Rays own 2004 11-8-0 43,916 2003 8-19-3 51,234 FINAL DECISIONS—Today the Rays granted non-roster invite RH Mark a 3.03 ERA (217-IP, 74-ER) this spring, 2002 10-16-1 49,043 his release…yesterday they informed OF he will best in the majors, ahead of the Yankees Lowe Brandon Guyer 2001 12-15-1 57,081 make the Opening Day roster, and told INF Wilson Betemit and INF Jay- (3.18) and Marlins (3.35)…they have al- 2000 14-17-0 67,089 son Nix they are not expected to break camp with the team…they also lowed the fewest runs in the majors (73) 1999 14-14-1 59,230 reassigned C Mayo Acosta and INF Ray Olmedo to minor league camp and their 192 hits allowed are fewest in 1998 12-18-0 66,781 and granted LH Erik Bedard his release…these moves reduce the spring the Grapefruit League…they rank 3rd in Total 225-243-27 1,210,513 roster—which technically still includes Betemit and Nix—to 30 players: the majors in opp avg. (.236) and 2nd in Ê 14 pitchers: RH Chris Archer, RH Grant Balfour, RH Heath Bell, RH WHIP (1.20). Alex Cobb, RH Brandon Gomes, RH Jeremy Hellickson [arthroscopic elbow surgery], RH Josh Lueke, LH Jake McGee, LH Matt Moore, OFFENSIVE LEADERS—The Rays lead the Grapefruit League with a .436 RH Jake Odorizzi, RH Juan Carlos Oviedo, RH Joel Peralta, LH Da- SLG and OPS (.773)…they rank among GL leaders with a .279 batting avg. vid Price, LH Cesar Ramos. (3rd), .337 OBP (2nd), 57 doubles (3rd) and 82 extra-base hits (3rd). Ê 2 catchers: Ryan Hanigan, Jose Molina. Ê 8 infielders: Tim Beckham [torn ACL], Wilson Betemit, Yunel Esco- RAYS vs. ORIOLES—The Rays are 1-1-1 this spring against the Orioles bar, Logan Forsythe, James Loney, Evan Longoria, Jayson Nix, Ben with 2 games remaining (tonight, tomorrow night at Sarasota)…the Rays Zobrist. also had a 6th game rained out (March 6 in Sarasota)…they played to a 3-3 Ê 6 outfielders: David DeJesus, Brandon Guyer, Desmond Jennings, tie here on Saturday after 10 innings…the Rays won 7-4 last Wednesday in Matt Joyce, Wil Myers, Sean Rodriguez. Sarasota…in 2013 spring training the Rays went 3-1 vs. BAL. Ê In 2013 the Rays went 13-6 against the O’s, their second-best mark CHARLOTTE SPORTS PARK VOTED NO. 1—Charlotte Sports Park was ever vs. Baltimore (15-3 in 2008)…they finished the season series voted by readers of USA Today and 10Best as the Best Spring Training Fa- winning 11 of their last 13 including their first-ever 4-game sweep of cility in all of baseball…it was followed on the list by Goodyear Ballpark (In- the Orioles at Tropicana Field, Sep 20-23…Rays went 5-1 in one-run dians and Reds, Goodyear, Ariz.), Salt River Fields (D-backs and Rockies, games vs. Baltimore in 2013, after going 1-6 in 2012. Scottsdale, Ariz.), McKechnie Field (Pirates, Bradenton, Fla.) and Bright Ê In the regular season, these clubs first meet at the end of the Rays House Field (Phillies, Clearwater, Fla.). first road trip, April 14-16…Baltimore’s first visit to St. Pete is May 6-8. WORKOUT SCHEDULE—Players not on the travel squad for the next SIX YEARS AS THE RAYS—Since changing their name to the Rays in three days have workouts scheduled at Tropicana Field, which will be open 2008, the Rays are 550-423 (.565), second-best record in the majors after to media…the schedule at Tropicana Field is as follows: the Yankees (564-408)…Tampa Bay is one of four teams to reach the post- Ê Thurs., March 27 2:00 p.m. Clubhouse opens to media season four times, along with the Phillies (four), Yankees (four) and Cardi- 3:00 p.m. Workout begins nals (four)…they have five seasons of 90-plus wins in this span, the only 3:15 p.m. Player bus leaves for Sarasota team to make that claim…the Rays and Rangers are the only teams with Ê Fri., March 28 9:15 a.m. Clubhouse opens to media 90-plus wins in each of the past four seasons. (LH David Price available) 9:30 a.m. Player bus leaves for Lakeland STINGY STAFF RETURNS—In the six seasons since becoming the Rays 10:30 a.m. Workout begins (2008-13), the Tampa Bay pitching staff leads the AL in ERA (3.74), runs 12:30 p.m. Sample new menu items & allowed (3,911), opponents’ avg. (.242) and opponents’ OPS (.698)…the view Tropicana Field renovations last AL club to post an ERA this low over a six-year span was the 1987-92 Ê Sat., March 29 8:00 a.m. Clubhouse opens to media A’s (3.72) and Blue Jays (3.73)…no AL team has allowed so few runs over 8:30 a.m. Bus leaves for airport (Montgomery) a six-year span since the 1975-80 Orioles (3,659) and Yankees (3,730). 9:30 a.m. Workout begins EVAN EYES CARLOS & CARL—3B Evan Longoria enters 2014 within FINAL TUNE-UP—Tonight is LH David Price’s final appearance before striking distance of a number of franchise records…his 162 HR are one shy Opening Day vs. Toronto, when he will make his third career Opening Day of Carlos Peña’s club record…his 544 RBI are 48 shy of Carl Crawford’s start, second in Rays history to RH James Shields (four, 2008-10, 2012) … mark (592)…his 200 doubles are 15 shy of Crawford’s team record…his Price started the 2011 and 2013 openers, both Rays losses to the Orioles at 373 extra-base hits are 51 shy of Crawford (424).