PORT CHARLOTTE — You could see the light towers of the stadium field in the distance from where RHP Jake Odorizzi pitched Wednesday, and that was fine with him.
While the Rays enjoyed their first off day of the spring, Odorizzi stayed on his throwing schedule and faced a Red Sox Class A team. Pitching to C Rene Rivera, Odorizzi threw a spring-high 77 pitches (53 strikes) in a spring-high five innings. He allowed three hits and struck out four.
“The first time you go out there for five innings you feel like you’re out there forever, after you haven’t been out for more than two or three, so it was good to get up and down that many times, especially with the heat out here,” he said.