Upton showing signs of hitting to right field

CF B.J. Upton homered to right field in consecutive at-bats Saturday at Charlotte Sports Park. This is important, because Upton hit two opposite-field home runs in 560 at-bats in 2009.

"That's kind of what got me here," Upton said of going to the opposite field. "The last couple of years I kind of got away from it. I'm working on getting back that way. To see two balls go that way, even if the second one was a pop-up, just to be able to hit the ball that way with some authority is good."

Upton's first home run landed on the boardwalk in right-center field. His second, two innings later, landed in the Rays' bullpen in right. Those were his first home runs and first RBIs of the spring.

Upton got away from hitting the ball to right field during the past two seasons because of the shoulder injury that required surgery in November 2008, and it wasn't fully healed last season.

Rays manager Joe Maddon wants Upton to get at least 70 at-bats this spring in hopes that he will start hitting the ball to right.

"That's always been his, maybe his biggest strength, coming up," Maddon said. "When he's lined up and hitting the ball effectively to that side, then he starts hitting the ball well to left-center. He's not really a pull hitter. He's more of a gap-to-gap kind of a guy, so those were really good at-bats, and that's a good sign."

Streak snapped

The Marlins ended the Rays' nine-game winning streak with an 8-5 victory.

RHP Matt Garza allowed three hits and two runs in five innings. He struck out four. Garza has 10 strikeouts in 10 innings this spring.

"Just trying to work on certain pitches, certain counts, trying to see where I can use and can't use (different pitches)," he said.

1B/DH Hank Blalock made his Rays debut and was 0-for-3 with a walk. He was robbed of at least a double in the fourth inning by a diving catch by LF Chris Coghlan. IF Willy Aybar got his first hit of the spring, a wind-aided home run into the Rays bullpen in right field in the ninth.

Injury update

Both C Dioner Navarro (bruised left thumb) and OF Matt Joyce (strained right elbow) said they felt much better Saturday.

Navarro played catch and hit in the batting cage. He will catch a bullpen session today.

"That's when we're going to test it," Navarro said.

Navarro said he expects to play Tuesday.

Joyce also hit in the cage Saturday and said his elbow felt much better Saturday than it did Friday.

Odds and ends

IF/OF Sean Rodriguez will start in right field today as the Rays continue to see how many positions he can play. ... The autograph session with 3B Evan Longoria, LHP David Price, Upton and Garza raised $15,950 for a friend who has cancer. That includes $5,000 donated by the Rays.

Roger Mooney