FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The pitching line wasn't anything to get excited about and Daniel Bard would have preferred not to walk two hitters in the second inning, leading to all three Toronto runs scored off him Tuesday night.
But after a rough outing five days ago, Bard saw definite signs of improvement.
"There was a lot of good stuff to build on," said Bard after he allowed three runs on three hits in five innings. "Obviously, I'd like to have that second inning back. But I think I learned some good things."
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Bard had walked four hitters in his last start against St. Louis, then issued three against the Jays.
"But it was a lot different mentality that led to them," he said. "I felt like I stayed aggressive despite falling behind. I wasn't aiming the ball, picking at corners and pitching away from contact. I just straight up came out of my mechanics for a few pitches and ended up walking them. But that's pretty standard at this point in spring training."
And when Bard threw strikes, he got better results and fewer hard-hit balls.
"I felt like when I was in the zone," he said, "they weren't squaring many balls up. I think they hit two balls on the barrel well. I definitely thought it was a more aggressive outing on my part."
To be sure, there's still things to learn as Bard goes about the transition from the bullpen to the rotation. Most, however, are mechanical and should come in time.
"Going back and forth between the windup and stretch," he said, "trying to get that timing so it's the same and where the arm's getting out on time. But it's close. I felt like I had it the last three innings, to be honest with you."
Another factor which buoyed Bard was the stamina he was able to show as he threw 83 pitches, the most he's thrown this spring.
"I honestly felt like I settled in and got real comfortable as the game went along," he said. "I felt the best in the fourth and fifth inning. Fatigue has not been an issue.
"It's a matter of getting the mechanics settled early. I feel like if I can get into that groove early in the first or second inning, it's something I can carry later into the game."
Earlier Tuesday, manager Bobby Valentine, asked if Bard had won the No. 4 starter's spot, answered: "I'm not there yet."
But Bard didn't take that as a slight and said he's happy with the progress he's making.
"I think today was a good building block," he said. "I showed I can get through five innings in a reasonable amount of pitches. I think it was good, mentally, for me, to get through five. I take a lot of positives from it."