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For starters: Rays vs. Red Sox, for the first of 19 times

The Rays know what challenges await despite the difference in records.
 
Guillermo Heredia will start in center field and bat sixth today for the Rays. [DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times]
Guillermo Heredia will start in center field and bat sixth today for the Rays. [DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times]
Published April 19, 2019|Updated April 19, 2019

UPDATE, 5:58: Sadler had an interesting trip down from Durham. He got word of call-up around 12:20 am, and by 1 he was on road with his wife and 2-year-old daughter. That’s because they live in a camper they pull behind their SUV. With a home in the Bradenton area, they unplugged and headed south, delayed a bit by the storms and heading right to the Trop. So as Sadler is settling in, his family is taking a nap in the camper in the Trop parking lot.

UPDATE, 5:55: Both Cash and Boston counterpart Alex Cora raved about the other’s team. Cash said the Rays are well aware the 6-13 Sox can turn things around quickly, and Cora said he knew last year how good the Rays were and that if the season was two weeks longer they would have made the playoffs. ... Joey Wendle (hamstring) said he is ready to come off the DL, but that move may be predicated on what kind of shape the Rays pitching staff is in after the game. ... By calling up Casey Sadler the Rays have a right-handed option to pitch after opener Ryne Stanek tonight in addition to lefty Ryan Yarbrough. .... Rays lefty Jalen Beeks got his World Series ring before tonight’s game; he pitched two games for the Sox before being traded to the Rays last year.


UPDATE, 5:50: Here is the Rays lineup, with Kevin Kiermaier getting a day off:

Diaz 1b

Pham lf

Meadows dh

Garcia rf

Robertson 3b

Heredia cf

Lowe 2b

Adames ss

Perez c

Stanek p

DEVELOPING: Off to an MLB- and franchise-best 14-5 start, the Rays are set tonight for the first of their 19 games and six series with the defending World Series champion Red Sox.

And despite the Sox’s 6-13 start, the Rays know the challenge that awaits, as they play three games this weekend and three more next weekend in Boston, followed by 13 more.

Both teams made a series of roster moves today.

The Rays placed C Mike Zunino on the three-day paternity list and called up Nick Ciuffo to take his spot and also called up RH Casey Sadler to add a fresh arm to the pitching staff, sending down RH Emilio Pagan, who threw two innings last night.

The Red Sox placed Eduardo Nunez on in the injured list, DFA’d ex-Ray Erasmo Ramirez, and called up INFs Tzu-Wei Lin and Michael Chavis.

Here is the Red Sox lineup:

Benintendi LF,

Betts RF,

Moreland 1B,

Martinez DH,

Bogaerts SS,

Devers 3B,

Vázquez C,

Bradley Jr. CF,

Lin 2B,

Rodriguez LHP.