Wander Franco and Francisco Mejia appear as they can’t wait for April 8th the Rays opening day. The Rays slugged feasted this afternoon banging out 20 hits scoring 9 runs. Franco and Mejia were 3 for 3 apiece with Franco scoring three times and Mejia scoring twice. Franco had a double in the first and scored one of his runs on an infield single by Harold Ramirez. They Rays also got two long balls from Roberto Alvarez and Harold Ramirez, both solo shots.

The plated runs early and often as they scored one in the first and second, two in the third and one again in the fourth.

The Rays starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen also appears to be ready for the regular season as he pitched 3 1/3 solid innings with an impressive line.

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
TB 1	1	2	1	0	0	3	0	1	9	20	1
PITT 0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	7	0

WIN D. Rasmussen(1-1)3.1 IP, 1 ER, 6 K, 0 BB

LOSSM. Keller(1-1)3.2 IP, 4 ER, 5 K, 2 BB

Rays Hitting

HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG
B. Lowe2B	3	0	0	0	0	1	.292	.414	.500
O. Basabe2B	3	0	2	2	0	0	.500	.500	.750
M. ZuninoDH	4	0	1	0	0	3	.214	.313	.643
W. FrancoSS	3	3	3	0	0	0	.276	.267	.414
A. WilliamsSS	2	0	2	0	0	0	1.000	1.000	1.500
A. MeadowsLF	1	0	1	1	0	0	.217	.280	.304
J. QsarLF	4	0	1	1	0	1	.250	.308	.250
H. Ramirez1B	4	2	2	2	0	2	.364	.364	.636
F. MejiaC	3	1	3	0	0	0	.368	.400	.421
a – R. AlvarezPH-C	2	1	1	1	0	1	.500	.500	2.000
T. Walls3B	3	1	3	0	1	0	.381	.519	.476
B. PhillipsCF	2	0	0	1	2	1	.136	.296	.182
D. BakerCF	1	1	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000
G. WitherspoonRF	5	0	1	0	0	0	.143	.133	.214
TEAM	44	9	21	8	3	10

a-homered to right for Mejía in the 7th

• BATTING
• 2B: Franco 3 (4, Keller 2, Peters); Witherspoon (1, Vieaux); Williams (1, Bednar)
• HR: Ramirez (1, 7th inning off C. Stratton 0 on, 0 Out); Alvarez (1, 7th inning off C. Stratton 0 on, 0 Out)
• RBI: Meadows (4), Ramirez 2 (4), Phillips (1), Alvarez (1), Qsar (1), Basabe 2 (2)
• 2Out RBI: Meadows, Ramirez, Phillips, Qsar
• GIDP: Witherspoon (2)
• Team RISP: 5-16 (Meadows 1-1, Ramirez 1-1, Phillips 0-1, B. Lowe 0-1, Alvarez 0-1, Walls 1-1, Witherspoon 0-4, Qsar 1-4, Basabe 1-1)
• Team LOB: 11

• FIELDING
• E: Williams (1, throw)
• DP: 1 (Franco-B. Lowe-Ramirez)

Rays Pitching

PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	ERA
D. Rasmussen (W, 1-1)	3.1	5	1	1	0	6	0	4.32
S. Mullen	0.2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00
J. Beeks	2.0	2	1	1	0	2	0	3.60
M. Wisler	1.1	0	0	0	0	2	0	5.06
R. Thompson	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	0	3.00
TEAM	9.0	7	2	2	0	12	0

• PITCHING
• WP: Rasmussen
• HBP: Owen (by Thompson)

Pirates Hitting

HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG
C. TuckerSS	4	0	1	0	0	1	.258	.324	.548
B. ReynoldsCF	3	0	1	0	0	0	.300	.323	.633
S. PolancoCF	1	0	0	0	0	1	.000	.000	.000
B. GamelRF-LF	3	1	1	0	0	1	.316	.316	.737
D. WalkerRF	1	0	0	0	0	1	.000	.000	.000
Y. Tsutsugo1B	2	0	1	0	0	1	.381	.519	.667
T. Davis1B	2	0	1	0	0	0	.091	.231	.091
G. AllenLF	1	1	1	0	0	0	.294	.538	.765
H. Owen3B	2	0	1	1	0	0	.154	.214	.385
D. Castillo3B-RF	2	0	0	1	0	2	.321	.355	.857
R. PerezC	2	0	0	0	0	1	.208	.286	.375
B. MadrisRF-LF	2	0	0	0	0	0	.389	.450	1.000
M. Chavis2B	2	0	0	0	0	0	.192	.222	.346
J. VanMeterDH	3	0	0	0	0	3	.118	.118	.118
TEAM	32	2	7	2	1	13

• BATTING
• 2B: Gamel (2, Beeks)
• 3B: Allen (1, Rasmussen)
• RBI: Owen (4), Castillo (10)
• SF: Castillo
• GIDP: R. Pérez
• Team RISP: 1-5 (R. Pérez 0-1, T. Davis 1-1, Owen 0-1, Castillo 0-2)
• Team LOB: 6

• FIELDING
• DP: 2 (Chavis-Tucker-Tsutsugo , Chavis-Tucker-Tsutsugo)
• Assists: Castillo (Williams at 2nd base); Walker (Witherspoon at Home)

Pirates Pitching

PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	ERA
M. Keller (L, 1-1)	3.2	8	4	4	2	5	0	2.92
D. Peters	2.1	5	1	1	1	3	0	10.13
D. Bednar	1.0	1	0	0	0	2	0	0.00
C. Vieaux	1.0	3	1	1	0	0	0	3.00
TEAM	9.0	17	6	9	3	10	0

• PITCHING
• WP: Peters

Scoring Summary

INNING	TB	PIT
		1st	Meadows singled to right, Franco scored.	1	0
		2nd	Witherspoon grounded into double play, second to shortstop to first, Mejía scored, Phillips out at second, Walls to third.	2	0
		2nd	Castillo hit sacrifice fly to center, Allen scored.	2	1
		3rd	Ramirez reached on infield single to third, Franco scored.	3	1
		3rd	Phillips walked, Ramirez scored, Walls to second, Mejía to third.	4	1
		4th	Qsar singled to left, Franco scored.	5	1
		6th	Gamel scored, Owen safe at first on throwing error by shortstop Williams, Owen out at second in rundown, T. Davis safe at third on error.	5	2
		7th	Ramirez homered to left.	6	2
		7th	Alvarez homered to right.	7	2
		9th	Basabe singled to right, D. Baker scored, Witherspoon thrown out at home.	9	2