Rays announce ticket specials, some as low as $9, for final homestand

ST. PETERSBURG — The Rays are offering $9 tickets and reduced prices on some concession items and parking during the final 10-game homestand under a “Push for the Postseason” program announced Thursday.

For the games against the Rangers (Sept. 16-18), Astros (Sept. 19-21) and Blue Jays (Sept. 22-25), the Rays are offering discounts of up to 40 percent, including:

• Tickets starting at $9, with discounts varying by seat location

• Discounts (on mobile orders placed through the the MLB Ballpark app) on concession items, such as: $2 chips; $3 bottled Coca-Cola products, candy and Cracker Jack; $4 Nathan’s hot dogs and peanuts; and $5 nachos

• A 40-percent reduction in parking at stadium lots, with prices in select lots starting at $12

For more information, see RaysBaseball.com/Offer.

Brandon Lowe honored

Second baseman Brandon Lowe is the Rays’ nominee for the league-wide Roberto Clemente Award, given annually to a player “who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.”

Lowe since 2019 has run a “Home Runs for Hope” campaign in which he and the Rays each donate $100 for each of his homers to the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay to help destigmatize and raise awareness of mental health issues, a total in excess of $15,000.

He and his wife, Madison, also created a “Lowe’s Legends” program that provides youth baseball and softball teams special experiences (such as instructional camps, attending games, meeting the Lowes) and financial support. They selected the Baby Quest Foundation to receive the $7,500 Roberto Clemente Award donation.

Roberto Clemente Day will be celebrated league-wide Sept. 15; the Rays will do so after returning home on Sept. 16 and recognize Lowe for his philanthropic efforts before the game.

Roster shuffling

The Rays will have to drop two players from the active roster before Friday’s game to make room for shortstop Wander Franco (coming off the injured list) and starter Drew Rasmussen (paternity list).

Position-player candidates to go would seem to include Jonathan Aranda and Isaac Paredes (who have minor league options), and Yu Chang (who doesn’t). Among pitchers, the options include Yonny Chirinos, Garrett Cleavinger, Calvin Faucher and Ryan Yarbrough.

Rasmussen, the American League pitcher of the month for August, was to start Tuesday, but those plans were shuffled when his wife, Stevie, went into labor early that morning and delivered their son, Rhett, at about 4:30 a.m. Rasmussen popped into Tropicana Field Wednesday to play catch and was expected to fly with the team Thursday afternoon to New York and start Friday’s game.

“I think he’s fine,” manager Kevin Cash said. “Obviously, a busy day (Tuesday), long night the night before, but this will work out good. …. Hopefully, (he’ll) pitch like he has been, because it’s been pretty good. Really good.”

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There will be further shuffling next week when the Rays have to replace unvaccinated players who can’t go to Canada for the series against the Blue Jays and can add a player for Tuesday’s doubleheader.

Miscellany

Though 7-9 in 16 games against the Yankees, Rays pitchers have allowed only a 2.23 ERA (35 earned runs in 141-1/3 innings) with a .179 average and two (of their nine) shutouts. … Derek Jeter is slated to throw out the first pitch Friday as the Yankees honor his 2020 Hall of Fame induction, with fans getting replicas of his plaque. It will mark Jeter’s first appearance at the stadium since his No. 2 was retired May 14, 2017. ... The Rays have a team-record 25 pitchers with wins, most for any team in the majors since the 2019 Blue Jays also had 25. … The Rays have won a majors-most 26 games without hitting a homer. ... Wednesday was the 40th 1-0 win in 25 seasons of play for the Rays and seventh over Boston.

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