OAKLAND, Calif. — Left-hander Drew Pomeranz said he learned some valuable lessons during his time in the bullpen, but he is excited to return to his first baseball love, starting games.
Pomeranz made a spot start Wednesday in the second game of a doubleheader against the Seattle Mariners, pitching five shutout innings and allowing just two hits in a 2-0 victory. On Friday, he was moved to the rotation permanently when right-hander Dan Straily was sent to Triple-A Sacramento.
Pomeranz will start Tuesday night against the Chicago White Sox.
“It’s great,” Pomeranz said before the Athletics’ 5-4 victory Monday night against the White Sox. “I’ve been a starter most of my career. I was kind of getting used to being in the bullpen and learning how to do that, but hopefully it will be an easy transition going back to a starter since I have more experience as a starter than I do as a reliever.”
Pomeranz went 4-14 as a starter for the Colorado Rockies over parts of three seasons before being moved into the bullpen late last year. The A’s acquired him from Colorado in the Brett Anderson trade in December.
Pomeranz pitched five scoreless innings over four relief outings last season for Colorado. In nine relief appearances this season, Pomeranz went 1-1 with a 1.98 ERA over 13 2/3 innings. He struck out 11 and walked six. He is 2-1 with a 1.45 ERA overall this year.
What did he learn as a reliever?
“Just being ready when you’re in there,” Pomeranz said. “Just going out there and attacking guys.”
Pomeranz walked 70 batters in 136 2/2 innings for the Rockies. He has walked only six batters in 18 2/3 innings for the A’s. He struck out five and didn’t walk a batter in his start against Seattle.
“He comes with a lot of intensity,” A’s catcher John Jaso said. “He’s got a really good fastball, a really good two-seamer and a good breaking ball as well. I think the big key with him is making sure he’s throwing strikes and getting strike one and just keeping him around the plate so he can go deep in the game.”
Pomeranz threw 68 pitches against Seattle.
“We’ll kick him up a few more pitches,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “We’ve been seeing a pretty consistent performer since spring training to this point. Pitching in a long role can be difficult in that you don’t get reps out there to keep yourself sharper, but he has. In his first start, I don’t think we could have expected much more than that.”