FORT MYERS, Fla.Before Saturdays outing against the Rays, it had been almost five years, since his first professional season, that Daniel Bard had pitched three full innings.
I really didnt feel much different, he said. Body feels good. Felt like I had more pitches in me. Hopefully that feeling keeps up. Im sure therell be some kind of ceiling I hit and I start to feel the fatigue. But it was good.
Against the Rays, he went three scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks with one strikeout. He threw 49 pitches, 30 strikes, throwing first-pitch strikes to seven of the 13 batters he faced, He left the Red Sox with a 4-0 lead.
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After striking out lead-off batter Desmond Jennings, he walked Ben Zobrist with two outs in the first. Bard walked Stephen Vogt with one out in the second. He held the Rays to two singles, Elliot Johnsons in the second and Zobrists in the third.
Both my walks I think it was kind of the same deal, Bard said. I was kind of cruising through the first two hitters that first inning, and the first hitter of the second inning, and was throwing the ball really well. Then thought OK, let me work on some stuff on this next guy and got a little too fancy. Just trying to be a little too perfect with some pitches.
The way my body and mind work I cant do that I have to stay aggressive in that competitive mindset. When I lose track of that, and start thinking like bullpen mode, trying to work on stuff, perfect locations and thats usually not good. So kind of took a walk and got under my skin and then I got the juices flowing again.
Bard knows he has a spot on the team. But hes not taking for granted that its in the rotation.
Just because until Im told otherwise thats how it has to be, he said. Thats not going to change the way I prepare, how hard Im working. I dont think thats going to change if they came up to me tomorrow and said, hey, we need you in the bullpen or hey, were going to go ahead and let you know youre starting. Its not going to change anything.
Still, hes trying to find that balance between preparing for the season and competing for a starters job.
I think its the same thing for me really, he said. The past two years in spring Ive been able to really take it slow. I knew I was going to be in the bullpen either way, no matter how I pitched here. Now my roles up in the air. So I have things to prove. So that definitely gives me the motivation to go out there and tell myself these games mean something because they do mean something.