Burrell, Rays clobber Blue Jays

David Price turned in a scoreless spring-training debut, flashing the lively left arm that made him a post-season star last year.

The Tampa Bay Rays think he has more work to do.

Price, Tampa Bay's top pitching prospect, threw a pair of shutout innings in relief and Pat Burrell hit a grand slam for his first spring home run in an 11-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays at Port Charlotte, Fla., on Tuesday.

Blue Jays starter Matt Clement, still trying to return to baseball's major leagues after surgery on his right shoulder in 2006, allowed two runs in the first inning before settling down to throw three scoreless innings.

"I had to work," Clement said. "Today was a big step. I feel I'm getting stronger and stronger each time out."

Travis Snider had a two-run double and Curtis Thigpen hit his first homer of the spring for Toronto.

The 23-year-old Price, a hard-throwing lefty, walked the leadoff batter in each inning but did not allow a hit and finished with three strikeouts.

"It felt good to finally be out there," Price said. "It went all right.

"I can't complain. I kept zeros on the scoreboard, so that's what you're going after."

Price tabbed as future starter

Price, drafted No. 1 overall in 2007, reached the majors last September and helped pitch the Rays to a berth in the World Series by recording a win and a save against the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series.

While he worked out of the bullpen during the playoffs, his future with the Rays will be as a starting pitcher. How far off in the future is the question.

Price is one of four candidates for the fifth spot in the rotation, but Rays manager Joe Maddon has hinted that Price will start the season with the triple-A Durham Bulls so that he can work on his fastball command, develop his changeup and get more experience as a starter.

Price started 19 games in the minors last season, climbing from class-A to triple-A.

He threw 109 2/3 innings before his promotion to the Rays and only 19 2/3 innings after that.

"We still consider him in the developmental process, whereas a lot of people, I think, see him as the finished product," Maddon said. "That's where the confusion lies from the outside looking in, and I understand that.

"I get it, I totally get it because, if you're watching the playoffs last year, you see him as the finished product. If he doesn't make it out of camp as the fifth starter, we see that as OK because we have these other things we think he needs to work on."

Garza, Sonnanstine make spring debuts

Also making their spring debuts for the Rays on Tuesday were Matt Garza and Andy Sonnanstine, the No. 3 and 4 starters, respectively, in the rotation.

Garza, named the most valuable player in last year's ALCS, started and allowed three hits and three runs in two innings.

He was hurt on two drives that centre-fielder Fernando Perez couldn't come up with.

Perez injured his wrist while diving for the second of those shots in the first inning and left the game. He was later examined by doctors.

Rays vice-president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said he wouldn't discuss the extent of the injury until team doctors had a chance to examine Perez.

Friedman said he expects Perez to miss at least a week.

Sonnanstine worked a perfect fifth inning.