Colorado @ Tampa Bay Game Overview

For starters, the team finally put the "Tampa" in Tampa Bay Rays, playing their first-ever game in the city across the bay from St. Petersburg and their hurricane-damaged, domed home at Tropicana Field. They also played a home game outside at Steinbrenner Field, forcing manager Kevin Cash and his players to discuss the wind and don sunglasses while sporting home whites.

"The fireworks were different, the plane coming over was different," Cash said of the experience of being in an outdoor park for a home game. "It'll probably take a couple of days to appreciate the differences."

Something else that was different was that all three runs in the 3-2 win were driven in by bench players -- Jose Caballero, Jonathan Aranda and Kameron Misner.

Misner was the hero, roping a leadoff pitch in the ninth for a walk-off homer -- the first of his career.

The former first round pick (No. 35 overall) of the Miami Marlins in 2019 only broke camp with the Rays because outfielder Richie Palacios fractured his finger.

"The coaches rave about him ... the way he carries himself," Cash said. "He's a pretty easygoing guy who can give it out and take it. He's good for the clubhouse."

However, there were some bad familiar things as well.

The club could produce only seven hits from seven players against the majors' worst pitching staff last season.

Worse still, oft-injured outfielder Josh Lowe, counted on to produce in a run-starved lineup, hurt an oblique during a fifth-inning single and will miss some playing time.

"You feel for him," Cash said. "Josh battled injuries for six months last year. To have a healthy, dominant spring and go down in his (second) at-bat ..."

Zack Littell, a right-hander who went 8-10 with a 3.63 ERA last year, will start Saturday and is 0-1 with a 3.66 ERA in 12 appearances (two starts) against the Rockies.

The aforementioned worst staff in baseball last season -- Colorado had a bloated 5.47 team ERA and allowed 1,604 hits -- got the start it wanted from Kyle Freeland on Friday.

It definitely was not a typical outing by a Rockies pitcher.

The left-hander looked like a staff ace over six scoreless innings and needed just 67 pitches to limit the Rays to two hits.

Rockies manager Bud Black, a strong southpaw in his playing days, was thoroughly impressed with Freeland and hopes his No. 1 pitcher sets a high bar for the rest of the staff.

"That was outstanding; he pitched great," said Black, who was 121-116 in 15 major league seasons from 1981 to 1995. "He set the tone in Game 1. Hopefully, the other starters can follow suit. ... It was as efficient as I've ever seen Kyle.

"If you would have told me Kyle Freeland would've gone six innings on Opening Day with zeros, would we take it? Absolutely."

Antonio Senzatela will be tasked to take the pitching baton from Freeland and run with it in his debut against the Rays.

Coming off Tommy John surgery, the Venezuelan right-hander only started three games in 2024, going 0-1 with a 6.57 ERA over 12 1/3 innings that yielded 15 hits and eight walks.

--Field Level Media