Not coincidentally, he was far more efficient with his pitches than he was in his first spring start. Running up high pitch counts early in games was an issue for Ray last season, one he has vowed to rectify.
"I was able to get some ground balls when I needed it," Ray said of Monday's outing. "I think that's a big thing, being able to, when guys get on base, not go for the strikeout and get a double play. I think that was a big step forward. It's part of the growth. Just learning that a double play and getting two outs with the same amount of pitches is better than getting one.