THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
FORT MYERS - Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Matt Garza faced his former team for the first time, but the Minnesota Twins had the upper hand.
Garza, named the Most Valuable Player of the 2008 American League Championship Series, struck out five batters but gave up 3 earned runs off eight hits in six innings of a 3-2 loss to the Twins on Monday.
"I just got my work in," said Garza, a first-round draft pick by the Twins in 2005 out of Fresno State.
The Twins traded Garza and shortstop Jason Bartlett to the Rays for infielder Brendan Harris and outfielders Delmon Young and Jason Pridie before last season began.
"I really didn't think about facing my old team or anything like that," said Garza, who pitched well despite the loss in front of a crowd of 5,072 fans, the smallest crowd this spring training at Hammond Stadium.
"I felt great," he said. "I felt lively."
Rays manager Joe Maddon said he enjoyed watching Garza grow in his first season as a Ray. Garza went 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA against the Boston Red Sox during the ALCS.
