Tampa Bay Rays news and notes

Number of the day

7,681 Charlotte Sports Park record crowd for Saturday's game.

Did you know?

Sean Rodriguez is named after Sean Connery, his father's favorite actor.

Reminder of the day

Tickets remain for Saturday's Port Charlotte autograph signing by Evan Longoria, Matt Garza, David Price and B.J. Upton to benefit a Tampa woman diagnosed with cancer. Tickets are $25 for each player.

The dish Rays at Phillies

When/where: 1:05 today; Bright House Field, 601 N Coachman Road, Clearwater

Radio: 620-AM

Tickets: $12-33, available at stadium, phillies.com or by calling (215) 463-1000

Rays information: 1-888-326-7297 (FAN-RAYS)

Pitchers: Rays — James Shields, Grant Balfour, Joaquin Benoit, Dan Wheeler, Lance Cormier, Jason Cromer, Heath Phillips; Phillies — J.A. Happ, Phillippe Aumont, Drew Naylor, Jesus Sanchez, David Herndon, Yohan Flande, Joe Savery

Heads-up

RHP Joaquin Benoit, who has looked sharp so far, makes the second appearance of his comeback bid after missing 2009 following shoulder surgery.

On deck

Monday: vs. Pirates, Port Charlotte, 1:05. Rays: Matt Garza; Pirates: Brad Lincoln

Tuesday: at Orioles, Sarasota, 1:05. Rays: Jeff Niemann; Orioles: TBA

Spring schedule

Tickets: Reserved $18-25, berm/boardwalk $8 Mon-Thu/$10 Fri-Sun available for all games but March 19 vs. Yankees. Available through raysbaseball.com and Ticketmaster, at Tropicana Field and Charlotte Sports Park box offices and Tampa team store.

MARCH

10: at Red Sox

11: at Pirates (ss)

11: Blue Jays (ss)

12: Phillies

13: Marlins

14: at Tigers

16: Red Sox, 7:05

17: Twins

18: at Yankees, 7:05

19: Yankees, 7:05

20: Twins

21: at Twins (ss)

21: at Pirates (ss)

22: at Red Sox

23: at Phillies

24: Blue Jays

25: Twins

26: at Blue Jays

27: at Astros

28: Pirates

29: at Red Sox, 7:05

30: Red Sox

31: at Twins

APRIL

1: Orioles

2: Mets at Tropicana Field, 6:10

Quote of the day

"Definitely not how I drew it up."

RHP Andy Sonnanstine after starting his spring with three straight walks

Honors of the day

Jim Morrison, who managed Class A Charlotte to the FSL finals, was named the Rays' player development man of the year. Kevin Elfering, the Tampa-based East Coast cross-checker, was named their scout of the year.

Media training of the day

"I have no comment. Actually, that's what they told us not to say."

INF Dan Johnson on what the Rays learned in Saturday's session