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Cool, Collected Garza Tosses Gem

Associated Press photo

Florida Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla leaps for a high throw as Tampa Bay Rays' Willy Aybar slides for a stolen base during the fourth inning.

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By MARC LANCASTER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 15, 2008

Updated: 06/15/2008 12:11 am

ST. PETERSBURG - The enduring image from Matt Garza's last start was of Dioner Navarro screaming in the pitcher's face on the mound in Texas, delivering a message in the most direct manner possible before the two took it up a notch by scuffling in the dugout.

It was evident as Garza took the mound again Saturday night that Navarro's words, and subsequent sit-downs with Rays manager Joe Maddon and pitching coach Jim Hickey, had taken root in the young starter. On the few occasions Garza found himself in trouble against the Marlins, he didn't rage about a hit that had landed a runner on base or a call that didn't go his way.

Doing his best to fight every natural response, he took an extra moment or two to calm himself down before returning to the task at hand: the next pitch he was about to deliver. The results were stellar, as Garza limited Florida to just three hits and a run in seven innings as the Rays eased their way to a 4-1 victory.

The win was significant: the Rays' 40th of the season in just their 68th game. Remarkably, they didn't hit that plateau until July 30 last year, in their 105th game.

How have they come so far so fast this season? Much-improved pitching and outstanding play at Tropicana Field. Which brings us back to the work Garza did against a powerful Marlins team that entered the game leading the majors with 101 home runs.

"That's a really good hitting ballclub right there," Maddon said. "These guys can take you deep at any moment, almost the entire lineup, and to do as well as he did tonight against them, I thought, was a big moment for him."

Not only did Garza keep the ball in the park, but also he kept it out of the air for the most part - the first 10 outs he recorded came on groundballs or strikeouts. In fact, the first fly ball out he recorded also accounted for the visitors' only run.
Jeremy Hermida led off the fourth with a double and moved to third on a Jorge Cantu groundout. The next batter, Mike Jacobs, then sent a screamer toward the gap in left-center for what looked initially liked another double, but B.J. Upton tracked it down on the dead run to limit the Marlins to a sacrifice fly.

Garza then demonstrated his newfound poise to finish off the fourth. He followed the sacrifice fly by hitting Dan Uggla with a pitch and surrendering a single to Luis Gonzalez to put himself back in trouble, but kept it together and got Cody Ross to ground out, ending the inning.

Garza allowed just one more runner the rest of the way, retiring 10 of the last 11 he faced in a start he considered a sign of progress.

"Huge. It was a huge step in the right direction," he said. "There were times when I got a little upset, but I was able to step off and regroup and come back and get the next guy and keep making my pitches."

Whenever Garza appeared in danger of reverting to his old ways, his batterymate was there to get his attention.

"I was on top of his butt today a little bit," Navarro said. "I recognize every time he's going to get into that thing, so I don't let it get to that point, I catch him before."

That vigilance was enough to get the job done Saturday night, and Dan Wheeler and Troy Percival kept things going with a perfect inning each to wrap up the kind of win the Rays didn't used to get.

No one had to tell that to the two pitchers responsible for all of the Rays' runs Saturday, Mark Hendrickson and Doug Waechter. They weren't bad in their return to the Trop, but their former team was able to piece together enough offense on a Jonny Gomes homer, two-run Jason Bartlett single and double-play grounder off the bat of Justin Ruggiano to prevail.

With that, the Garza-Navarro feud can officially be declared closed, though the catcher reserved the right to revert to the same tactics if necessary in the future.

"Believe me, if I've got to do it again, I'll do it again," said Navarro. "I know this kid is going to help us a lot through the whole season and if he does what he did tonight, we're in pretty good shape."

Reporter Marc Lancaster can be reached at (813) 259-7227 or mlancaster@tampatrib.com.

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