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Rays Will See Familiar Face To Start Second Half

photo: Will Vragovic/Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays begin the second half of the regular season tonight, when they begin the first of a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves.  Michael Wacha (2-2, 4.87 ERA) will get the start, taking on former Ray Charlie Morton (8-3, 3.64 ERA).  First pitch is scheduled for 7:20.

Rays Starting Lineup

Lowe RF

Choi 1B

Franco 3B

Meadows LF

Wendle 2B

Kiermaier CF

Zunino C

Walls SS

Wacha P

 

Braves Starting Lineup

Almonte RF

Freeman 1B

Albies 2B

Riley 3B

Arcia LF

Swanson SS

Heredia CF

Smith C

Morton P

Friendly Banter Already Starts Between Rays, Morton

After spending the last two seasons in Tampa Bay before signing with the Braves this past offseason, the Rays and Braves starter Charlie Morton are intimately familiar with each other.  And the two sides have already communicated.

Catcher Mike Zunino said he has already exchanged text messages with his former teammate, who he will step in the batters box against tonight for the first time in the regular season as an opponent.

“I think I’m more excited to see him hit than to face him,” the All-Star catcher said Friday before the game.  “But it’ll be a good time.”

Zunino said there wasn’t any serious trash talking going back and forth, but more of a friendly banter.

“I told him to take it easy on me today,” Zunino laughed.  “And he said the same.”

Former Ray Longoria Adds To Home Lineup

Evan Longoria spent nearly a decade in Tampa Bay, and he and wife Jaime welcomed their first two children, daughter Elle and son Nash, while in a Rays uniform.  The Longorias added to their roster a couple of weeks back, welcoming a third child, a daughter named Lou, on July 1.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by evan longoria (@evan.longoria3)

Longoria has been on the injured list with a shoulder injury for the San Francisco Giants since colliding with teammate Brandon Crawford while trying to field a ground ball on June 5.

Written By

Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.

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