It's lights out when Soriano enters game

By Martin Fennelly

mfennelly@tampatrib.com

ST. PETERSBURG - It was spring training and it was taking forever for Rafael Soriano, the new closer, to throw even an exhibition pitch for the Rays. Fans were getting itchy. Who wasn't?

"Tell them I'm fine," Soriano said. "In April, I'll be there."

And he was. He was there in April, he was there in May, he was there in June.

And he was there again on a Monday night in early July, sleepy eyes always, strolling behind the mound, looking in his ball cap for secret inspiration. He was there again for the Rays, closing out an incredible bullpen night and a riveting, if endless, 6-5 comeback win against the Red Sox to start a large three-game series at the Trop.

He made a few Rays fans sweat, giving up a two-out single to David Ortiz, but then he got the eternally bothersome Kevin Youklis on a fly ball to center.

Soriano's expression didn't change.

The hitters at the plate didn't scare him, like always.

"I don't think of them," Soriano said before the game. "They should think of me."

Yankees and American League All-Star manager Joe Girardi maybe should have thought a little more about Soriano. Make it 22 saves in 23 tries for the big man - the best save percentage in the majors.

Don't let those sleepy eyes fool you:

Rafael Soriano has been on the job all season.

No, don't let the sleepy eyes fool you, or those slow strolls behind the mound between batters, the pause and glimpse into his ball cap for some secret inspiration, or those secret scribbles he draws on the back of the mound, his mound.

"Those are for me," Soriano said.

It's easy to make the case for several Rays as first-half MVP.

It's hard to overlook David Price's 11 wins or Jeff Niemann's steadying hand.

It's hard to forget Carl Crawford. He richly deserves this, his first All-Star start, as three more hits and a sensational diving catch Monday attest.

It's hard to downplay Evan Longoria's contributions, at the plate, in the field - or in B.J. Upton's face last week.

But I keep coming back to Soriano, who moves like a ghost through the Rays clubhouse, headphones in place, never saying much, but who has very nearly delivered every single time out for this team. He has locked down the ninth inning. It's his.

Yes, the Rays fell off that 32-12 pace to begin the season, but they're still near the top of the AL East, and Monday they crept back ahead of Boston into second place behind the Yankees.

They did it from 5-1 down after just four innings. They did it despite starting pitcher Matt Garza lasting just three innings, throwing 49 pitches in the third alone. They did it with this and that, a big two-run single by John Jaso to tie it, and with a Jason Bartlett sacrifice fly to win it.

They did it with bullpen - you know, the pen that was supposed to have caved in a long time ago, with an army of ready, willing and able.

And in the ninth, they did it with Sleepy Eyes.

Soriano lowered his ERA to 1.42 Monday. Opponents are hitting under .170 against him. He has allowed only 19 hits in 31-plus innings. He hasn't walked a batter in his last 16 appearances. He has a WHIP right around 0.75.

He doesn't have the aura or historic résumé of Mariano Rivera or the rings, heat and chatter of Jonathan Papelbon, but he has been better than either of them this season. Rivera has blown two saves, Papelbon two, Soriano one.

He has yet to toss those 98 mph fastballs like everyone said he threw when he was in Atlanta.

But guys never do get a clear shot at him, at least not a lot of guys in a row.

"This guy's baseball IQ is ridiculous," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "He doesn't miss a thing. He analyzes every swing. Every time he goes out, he knows exactly what he's doing. This guy knows how to execute his fastball and his slider. He knows what he wants to do every pitch."

This closer has closed.

Sleepy as he looks, he puts everyone else to bed.

Photo: Rafael Soriano got the final three outs Monday night to earn his 22nd save in 23 opportunities this season.

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