Pena's glove, Bartlett's iPod

Jeff Niemann got Pat Burrell looking at a called third strike to end the top of the first.

Other than allowing a two-out walk – a big no-no in any camp – Niemann looked good.

He especially looked good on the first out of the game when he bounced off the mound and covered first on Jimmy Rollins grounder to Carlos Pena.

Pena caught the ball while running toward home plate and gave what looked like a no-look pass to Niemann, who made the play easy.

They looked like Stockton and Malone.

Sort of.

Jason Bartlett singled up the middle with one out in the first. I think Bartlett might be the Rays best offseason pickup. He’s playing well at shortstop. He’s hitting. And he’s a good clubhouse guy.

For a relatively young guy, he has a veteran presence in the Rays clubhouse.

This morning he was playing Michael Jackson on the stereo near his locker. If you’ve read his profile in a recent “In-Step With” you already know Bartlett is a Michael Jackson fan. So is Chad Orvella by the way.

Everybody now ...

"That this is thriller, thriller night ..."

Anyway, as I type these words, Bartlett steals third. He moved to second on Pena’s single to right.

Alas, the threat dies when Joel Guzman bounced into a 6-4-3 double play.

That's one inning down, 12 to go.