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Rays: Clean-shaven Roberts confuses daughter

 
Tampa Bay Times
Published June 30, 2013

Rays vs. Tigers

When/where: 1:40 today; Tropicana Field

TV/radio: Sun Sports; 620-AM, 680-AM (Spanish)

Tickets: $14-210, available at Tropicana Field box office, Ticketmaster, raysbaseball.com, team Tampa store; $3 surcharge within 5 hours of game time.

Promotion: Matt Joyce race car to kids 14 and younger; historic moment canvas with Tampa Bay Times ticket tandem.

Probable pitchers:

Rays: RH Jeremy Hellickson (6-3, 5.11)

Tigers: RH Rick Porcello (4-5, 5.27)

On Hellickson: Has won two straight and four of five with a chance to tie team record today with five wins in a month. Has a 1.96 ERA in four starts vs. Tigers but a 1-3 record, last facing them June 30, 2012.

On Porcello: Roughed up in his past two starts, by Orioles and Angels, allowing 13 earned runs and 19 hits in 101/3 innings. Is 2-1 in four starts against the Rays with a 2.33 ERA that is his best vs. any team he faced at least thrice.

Key matchups

Rays vs. Porcello

Desmond Jennings 3-for-7

Matt Joyce 1-for-5

Ben Zobrist 1-for-6

Tigers vs. Hellickson

Miguel Cabrera 3-for-8

Torii Hunter 1-for-7

Austin Jackson 4-for-11, HR

On deck

Monday: at Astros, 8:10, Sun Sports. Rays — LH Matt Moore (10-3, 3.95); Astros — LH Dallas Keuchel (4-4, 4.34)

Tuesday: at Astros, 8:10, Sun Sports. Rays — LH David Price (1-4, 5.24); Astros — LH Erik Bedard (3-3, 4.44)

Wednesday: at Astros, 8:10, Sun Sports. Rays — RH Roberto Hernandez (4-9, 4.98); Astros — RH Bud Norris (5-7, 3.35)

Marc Topkin, Times staff writer

Face time

Getting sent down to Triple A was an adjustment in several ways for INF Ryan Roberts, including shaving his beard to comply with team rules. "I probably stood in front of the mirror and stared at myself for a good 30-45 seconds," Roberts said after rejoining the Rays on Saturday. "I hadn't seen my cheeks or my chin in about seven years. So it was definitely eye-opening to me. … It's funny. I Skyped with my (nearly 4-year-old) daughter, and she wouldn't even look at the phone. She kept saying, 'Where's daddy's beard?' "

Stat of the day

0-for-32

Ex-Ray Stephen Vogt's career batting line until a homer Friday night for Oakland.



Dressed to thrill

There should be some interesting outfits today as the Rays head out for what manager Joe Maddon deemed the "Accidental Preppie" road trip. "I was going to go with 'Accidental Tourist,' looking for like total dissonance in dress and just have nothing match whatsoever," he said. "(But) Houston's got a preppie flare to it a little bit, so I went with 'Accidental Preppie.' I'm really hoping for things that don't match. Even if they want to wear some knee socks, it'd be kind of cool." Maddon is also encouraging the players to wear shorts to and from the stadium due to the heat.