CC back to No. 2 in the order

By ROGER MOONEY
rmooney@bradenton.com

TAMPA — All thoughts of having Carl Crawford bat sixth in the Rays order were shelved when the team signed Pat Burrell in the offseason.

Crawford, the Rays left fielder, batted second in both of the Rays spring training games, and that’s where he will stay during the season.

“We’re looking to bring Carl back to the two-hole,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said before Thursday’s 5-1 loss to the Yankees at Steinbrenner Field. “Having him there presents an entirely different perspective on how we’re going to juggle this thing along.”

Crawford was dropped to sixth in the order during the postseason last October. Maddon did that because Crawford missed the final six weeks of the season after having surgery on his finger. Maddon also liked having Crawford hitting sixth, because Crawford is good at driving in runs and his speed gave the Rays essentially a leadoff hitter in the middle of the lineup.

Besides, B.J. Upton hit so well in the two-hole during the postseason that Maddon didn’t want to move Upton out of that slot.

But Burrell will likely hit sixth this season, and Maddon is toying with the idea of having Upton bat leadoff. So Crawford is back to his familiar spot in the order.

“I’ll hit wherever he wants me to hit,” Crawford said. “I like to hit second. Wherever I’ll be most effective, I’ll do my thing there. I’m more comfortable hitting at the top of the order because of the things I can do.”

Crawford said his hamstrings are finally healthy after an offseason workout program aimed toward that end. Healthy legs means Crawford has his speed back, and Maddon wants that speed at the top of the lineup. Plus, Crawford can do a lot with his bat.

“I’ve always believed this about Carl: Carl’s a good RBI man,” Maddon said. “With two outs, Carl doesn’t hit a lot of fly balls. Carl’s more of a line-drive guy. My theory is, with two outs and runners in scoring position, stay out of the air. Fly balls are normally outs. Line drives and ground balls are where your batting average comes from. So with two outs, to maximize your chances of driving in a run, I prefer seeing a line drive or a ground ball. That’s the kind of hitter he is.”

Davis ‘outstanding’
Wade Davis, who will start the year at Triple A Durham, had an impressive debut Thursday, throwing two perfect innings against the Yankees in Tampa.

The right-hander, who split time last season between Double A Montgomery and Durham, struck out three, fanning Mark Teixeira to end the first inning and starting off the second by getting Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano to strikeout.

“I thought Wade was outstanding,” Maddon said. “A wonderful first performance.”

Maddon wants to see strikes from his pitchers this spring, and Davis delivered, throwing his fastball aggressively inside and getting his curve ball over the plate.
Maddon was impressed with the command Davis had with his fastball.

“That’s what he showed (against the Yankees) and I like the fact he showed it inside,” Maddon said.

Orvella’s back
Chad Orvella returned to the mound for the first time since last spring. The right-hander missed the entire 2008 season after having shoulder surgery in May.

Orvella entered the game in the third inning and watched as his first pitch, a fastball, was clubbed over the right field fence by Yankees DH Jorge Posada.

“He jumps me on the first pitch. Welcome back,” Orvella said.

Orvella said his shoulder felt great and was pleased with his one inning of work. After Posada’s homer, Orvella retired the next three Yankees, including Johnny Damon looking to end the inning.

“I feel healthy,” Orvella said. “I feel better than I have in a long time, to tell you the truth. I’m trying to maintain the feeling I’ve had all spring.”

Orvella was waived during the offseason. He resigned with the team, signing a minor league contract with an invite to major league camp. His name hasn’t come up during any discussions with Maddon about the bullpen, meaning Orvella’s path back to the major leagues is going to involve a stay in Durham.

Parking is a pleasure
In an effort to ease the parking delays getting into Charlotte Sports Park, the Rays announced the following ...

Parking lots will open at 10:00 a.m. and stadium gates will open at 11:00 a.m. for all 1:05 p.m. games, 30 minutes earlier than originally planned.

There will be an increase in the number of parking attendants stationed inside both the main Sports Park and Fairgrounds parking lots to increase efficiency in collecting parking fees and directing cars to parking locations.

Clearer signs will be posted to help patrons with special needs and those with passes for reserved lots identify designated parking area.

Fans are also encouraged to arrive early, carpool, and come with exact change when possible.

NOTEWORTHY
The Rays went 15 innings during their first two games without scoring a run. The drought ended with an RBI single by Jon Weber in the seventh inning ... Calvin Medlock allowed a three-run homer to Shelley Duncan in the seventh inning ... Former Ray Rocco Baldelli is scheduled to start Friday when the Red Sox play the Rays in Port Charlotte ... Pat Burrell will make the trip to Clearwater on Saturday and play against his former teammates.