Pomeranz overcame some early trouble and finished strong in Friday's start against the Blue Jays, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports. The left-hander allowed three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three over four innings in his first appearance since leaving a start early due to tightness in his triceps.
All of the damage against Pomeranz came in the first two innings, but his mechanics clicked while warming up to start the third. After realizing he was leaking out early with his curveball, Pomeranz stayed back on his left foot and, voila, the outing dramatically shifted. He retired six of the next seven hitters. He'll focus on those final two frames Friday and build on that next Wednesday when he's scheduled to pitch five innings while piggybacking on Rick Porcello's start. Manager John Farrell is hopeful Friday's performance represents a breakthrough, improving Pomeranz's chances of breaking camp on the active roster. His first regular-season start would be April 8 or April 9 in Detroit.