Giving up base on balls was something that nagged at Andy Sonnanstine, anyway, and in spring training, the Rays' right-hander began having conversations about the mentality of hitters with a couple of teammates -- veteran Eric Hinske and first-base coach George Hendrick, who accumulated 1,980 hits and 267 homers during his career.

What those lengthy conversations reinforced to Sonnanstine was the peril of pitching into ball-strike counts that greatly favor the hitter, of two balls and no strikes or 3-1. "I was telling [Hinske] of how much better I felt if I threw a first-pitch strike," said Sonnanstine, from Fenway Park, "and he was letting me know how amped he's getting when there's a 2-0 count, or 3-1. He gets excited because he knows that statistically, the chances are he's going to get a base knock."

With those conversations echoing in his head, Sonnanstine has aggressively attacked the strike zone this year, and according to Steve Hirdt of the Elias Sports Bureau, only two other pitchers -- Johnny Cueto of the Cincinnati Reds and Carlos Silva of the Mariners -- have done better than Sonnanstine to avoid the counts of 2-0 or 3-1.