Some quick hits from today's victory over the Twins:
-James Shields pitched well in earning his first win of the spring. The Opening Day starter went five innings, striking out three and walking none while allowing one run on four hits, with the lone run being a homer by someone named Luke Hughes.
-Sean Rodriguez continues to impress. He went 2-3 today, bumping his average up to .433, and made a diving catch in center field on a Denard Span fly ball. Centerfield is the fifth position Rodriguez has played this spring. With Matt Joyce and Willy Aybar currently sidelined with injuries Rodriguez is taking full advantage of his opportunity. It's going to be hard to keep him off the Opening Day roster if he keeps this up.
-It was nice to see closer Rafael Soriano make his spring debut today. He pitched one shutout inning with two strikeouts. We know he's a strange individual, already stating he was going to appear in just seven games this spring. Soriano added this quote for good measure; "Everything was fine. Today I think everybody was happy to see me." Thanks for gracing us with your presence, Rafael.
-The wins runs the Rays spring record to 11-3.
-Next up for the Rays is a stop in Tampa to play the Yankees at 7:05 on MLB Network.