Rafael Soriano picked up his eighth save of the season last night and has yet to blow one since taking over the closer’s spot for the Yankees.
Joe Maddon, who saw Soriano stop a Rays rally cold last night, isn’t surprised by how much better he has been since going back into the role he excelled in for Tampa Bay two years ago.
“Rafael likes that moment,” Maddon said. “When we got him, he and I talked a lot in the beginning and he has strong opinions on how to do that role. He feels very confident in himself.”
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Last night’s 4-1 win only should help that. After Ivan Nova gave up consecutive triples to start the ninth, Soriano came in to face the heart of the Rays’ order — such as it is.
And he quickly got Matt Joyce to pop out to Russell Martin, struck out Ben Zobrist then finished the game when Nick Swisher tracked down Hideki Matsui’s fly ball to the track in right.
He’s now 8-for-8 in save chances and hasn’t given up a run since May 10. The right-hander looks like a different pitcher than the one who couldn’t hold on to the eighth-inning role during his first season in The Bronx a year ago.
“Just because he knew he wouldn’t be closing here doesn’t make it any easier to change,” Maddon said. “There’s nothing like the last three outs. I think he’s found that out.”
He seems well-suited to the role.
“Having been a closer on a consistent basis, it’s tough to meander back into the seventh inning,” Maddon said. “He might have gotten criticized for that, but it’s not an easy thing to do. Now that they have him back [in the closer’s] role, where the adrenaline rush is higher, you’re seeing a better Soriano.”
It’s one that reminds Maddon of the guy who saved 45 games for the Rays in 2010.
“That elevated fastball, that’s Rafael,” Maddon said. “He’s not just a closer. He’s a pitcher. He knows how to pitch. He watches in the bullpen. He’s a great observer. He watches other hitters and knows that. He knows what he wants to do in advance. It’s not happenstance.”
Still, it’s not always easy.
“I’m sure he’s had to make a lot of adjustments since he’s been here,” Maddon said. “With me and Rafael, we just had a lot of conversations. He was in a role he wanted to be in. But he’s a guy you’ve got to talk to. We had a great relationship.”
And if he continues to convert every save opportunity, Soriano and manager Joe Girardi likely will have a great relationship, too.
dan.martin@nypost.com
Rafael Soriano, Nick Swisher, Russell Martin, Rays, Ben Zobrist, Ivan Nova
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