Sturtze gets the opening call

CLEARWATER -- The advertisements urging fans to buy tickets for the Rays' season opener Tuesday against the Tigers feature pitcher Tanyon Sturtze in full windup.

Coincidence? Um, well

Manager Hal McRae made it official Wednesday that Sturtze will start against the Tigers on Tuesday at Tropicana Field.

"I knew that last year," McRae said. "He confirmed it this spring. Maybe if he doesn't confirm it, you flip-flop (he and Paul Wilson). But I thought he was the guy."

Sturtze has a 4.39 ERA in 21 innings this spring and had a 14-inning scoreless streak before his last outing. He will be followed in the rotation by Wilson, left-hander Joe Kennedy, right-hander Ryan Rupe and left-hander Wilson Alvarez.

While the Rays will throw Sturtze tonight against Detroit, the Tigers opted not to pitch their opening day starter.

Detroit will start former Rays pitcher Julio Santana instead of opening day starter Jeff Weaver, who is scheduled to pitch in a minor-league game today. Santana was 6-10 with a 5.11 ERA in 1952/3 innings during the 1998-1999 seasons with Tampa Bay.

A TWINGE: Russ Johnson, named the starting third baseman on Monday, left Wednesday's 6-3 win at Jack Russell Stadium in the third inning after he stepped awkwardly on first base while trying to run out an infield single.

Johnson bruised his foot and was unsure of how serious the injury was. Trainer Jamie Reed said it shouldn't keep him out long.

"Tomorrow? Maybe," Reed said. "Tuesday? No."

HIT SHOW: His stats suggest otherwise, but Randy Winn said he still senses he can improve.

"I don't want to tip my hand. ... but there are some things I'm not happy about offensively and defensively," he said. "I'm going to continue to work on them the rest of the spring to try and get ready for the season."

Winn extended his spring hitting streak to eight games with a home run on the second pitch of Wednesday's game. He is hitting .411 this spring with three homers and seven RBIs.

Through Tuesday's games Winn ranked eighth among AL hitters with a .412 batting average and 10th with a .686 slugging percentage.

ALMOST THERE: In his final start against major-league batters until the regular season, Alvarez allowed one earned run on three hits. He struck out two and walked one in a 56-pitch outing.

The 32-year-old left-hander, who has missed nearly two years since surgery to repair a partially torn rotator cuff, is expected to make his first start of the season April 6 against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. He is expected to pitch in a minor-league game on Monday

"I'm good, better than what I expected," Alvarez said. "After two years of not facing big-league guys, I'm surprised I've been pitching like this. Everything is fine. I feel good."

SOSA ON BASE: One unexpected advantage to keeping Jorge Sosa on the 12-man pitching staff might be his baserunning ability.

The Rule 5 pitcher the Rays claimed off waivers last week is a converted outfielder and might be a pinch-runner when he isn't scheduled to pitch.

"We don't know if he knows how to run the bases or not," McRae said. "But that could possibly be something you could do. ... If he ran for (Toby) Hall, that would be something possibly."

ODDS AND ENDS: First baseman Steve Cox was 3-for-4 with one run and Hall was 2-for-4 with a run scored. ... The Rays will work out at Tropicana Field at 5 p.m. Monday. The Tigers will work out at 1 p.m. Both sessions are closed to the public. ... Steve Kent, Doug Creek, Sosa and Jesus Colome, the four relievers who came in after Alvarez, allowed three hits and struck out eight. ... After losing nine in a row, the Rays are 2-1-1 in their past four.