March 1, 2021

By Andrew Hendriks

Canadian Baseball Network

Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Robbie Ray made his first Grapefruit League start and looked dialed in during his club’s 2-2 tie with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Fla.

Scheduled to throw as many as 40 pitches, Ray needed just 26 to navigate his way through two innings. Of the 26, only two drifted outside of the strike zone.

"I felt like that's about as good as my command has been in a while," he said following Monday's outing. "I'm pretty happy with how it went."

The veteran southpaw used Monday's game to work on his off-speed pitches. In doing so, he threw as many sliders (12) as he did fastballs.

"It's a pitch that I've always had to use for strikeouts, but I felt like I was actually able to land it for strikes today, too," said Ray. "That's what makes it the most effective, landing it for strikes and burying it late. Hitters have given up on it in the past because it's very back foot, but If I can land it for a strike, then they have to respect that."

Ray said he's taking his time this spring. Unlike previous years, the 6-foot-2 lefty is using spring training as a means of getting himself fully stretched out.

"I got started off the mound a little later than I normally do. I feel like I've always gone into spring training (having thrown) seven-eight-nine bullpens, and I feel like sometimes you can get burnt out. I felt like starting a little later this year to give myself a little more time to get ready, actually using spring training to get ready."

SHORT HOPS

- Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.) made his spring debut on Monday, turning in a clean frame in the seventh. The 6-foot-5 right-hander touched 99 mph with his fastball and needed just eight pitches to retire his three batters.

- Rowdy Tellez hit a first-inning double for the second day in a row. All but one of the balls he's put into play this spring have registered above 100 MPH off the bat.

- Appearing for the first time since fracturing his elbow last September, former Blue Jay Anthony Alford opened the Pirates scoring with a towering 413-foot home run over the batters eye in center field.

- According to the YES Network, Sunday's Grapefruit League opener between Toronto and New York was the second-most viewed spring training telecast in the network's history (200,000 viewers).

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