FORT MYERS, FLA. - Nick Blackburn's outing Friday wasn't his best of the spring. In a 9-7 loss to the Red Sox at Hammond Stadium, he gave up two runs on five hits and two walks in five innings, including a two-run homer to Cody Ross. And he needed 86 pitches to get through his start.
Still, Blackburn was all smiles after his day.
He was very pleased with his last two innings, which came after pitching coach Rick Anderson identified a flaw in his mechanics. Blackburn's correction enabled him to put up zeroes in the fourth and fifth.
"That's something pitchers go through quite a bit," Blackburn said. "[Anderson] watched me for one more inning and said he could immediately tell my head was out away from my body. Once I made that adjustment I was good."
Damage control is one way Blackburn can pitch deeper into games, a big goal of his this season. He has a 2.12 ERA this spring.
"The fact that you can make an adjustment in the game was a big thing for me right now," Blackburn said. "I don't think I could have done that a couple years ago."
Asked to name the pitcher who has impressed the most, Anderson's first answer was Blackburn. "From the first three [innings] to the last two, it was like night and day," he said.
LA VELLE E. NEAL III
