Davis too ‘amped up’ before settling down

Posted Mar 11, 2010 by Tribune Sports

Updated Mar 11, 2010 at 07:22 PM

BRADENTON - Yes, Wade Davis gave up five runs in the first inning to the Pirates in his first start and second appearance of the spring Thurdsay at McKechnie Field. But the favorite for the fifth starter’s job in the Rays’ rotation also settled down and looked sharp in his second inning of work.

“His adrenalin was flowing the first inning,” said Rays bench coach Dave Martinez, who managed a split-squad 16-15 victory. ” He talked to me and said he was too amped up the first inning. That’s going to happen. He’s young and he wants to go out there and pitch.”

Davis started out well enough, striking out former Rays teammate Akinori Iwamura and getting Jose Tabata to fly out. But then he gave up a single, two walks, a three-run double and a two-run home run to Ronny Cedeno.

In the second, he opened with a walk but got Iwamura to hit into a double-play. He then struck out Tabata. So in two innings (52 pitches), the Lake Wales native allowed five runs on three hits with three walks and two strikeouts.

“I was doing a lot of jumping and rushing early, trying to throw 100 mph on the corners instead of just getting ahead and going from there,” Davis said. “I made the adjustment in the second inning, and I knew what I needed to do. I think I’ll be able to go with that.”

Davis threw some sharp curveballs and sliders and had command of his four-seam fastball in the second inning. He said he isn’t concerned about his 14.73 ERA after two spring appearances.

“When you’re out there on a pitch count rather than to pitch a whole game, there’s a little different mentality,” he said. “There shouldn’t be, but unfortunately I think I had one today. My next outing, I’m going to concentrate more on what I usually do.”

Thanks to a 20-mph wind with gusts above 40 mph to to center field, the Rays and Pirates combined for seven home runs and 15 extra-base hits, as the Rays, who finished off the Blue Jays earlier in Port Charlotte, won their ninth straight to improve to 9-1 in Grapefruit League play.

Carl Crawford, Pat Burrell, Justin Ruggiano and Angel Chavez hit home runs for the Rays. Ruggiano and Chavez had consecutive homers in a 7-run Rays seventh.

The most interesting extra-bagger was actually a single. Sean Rodriguez hit a shot to center that CF Jose Tabata allowed to get by him, and Rodriguez, beckoned by acting third base coach Bobby Ramos, came all the around to score.

Rodriguez, Reid Brignac and Ruggiano – all fighting for one of the last few roster spots – all had strong games. Brignac came up with the bases loaded in the second inning, and he delivered a two-run double to the left-center gap. Ruggiano, a long shot in the competition for the RF job, went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and raised his spring average to .529.

“Those guys are having a great spring training,” said bench coach Dave Martinez, who managed the Rays in Bradenton. “They’re making it interesting for us as an organization. … They’re going to make Andrew’s (vice president for baseball Friedman) job tough.”

- Tony Fabrizio