In this instance, it's a performance the Red Sox will take, as Bard made some important strides in just his second career big-league start.
Bard allowed one earned run on four hits while striking out seven in 6 2/3 innings during Monday's 1-0 loss to the Rays. That's good enough to be categorized as a quality start, and is a pitching line most hurlers will gladly take on any given night.
But the tall righty also issued seven free passes, and was forced to toss 111 pitches to get through those six-plus frames. That's a line similar to what one would have seen from Matsuzaka in '08, as the Japanese righty consistently filled the bases, despite limiting the total number of runners that actually crossed the plate.
In other words, Bard wasn't great when you factor in the loss and the sporadic control issues — which eventually did him in Monday — but he was good. And on most days, it would've also meant "good enough." Only this time, Bard and the Red Sox ran into a starter on a mission by the name of James Shields.
The seven strikeouts, seven walks, 111 pitches and 6 2/3 innings for Bard are all career highs. And while not all of those milestones are exactly what the Sox were hoping for as they went for a sweep of the Rays, it's the reliever-turned-starter's first taste of going deep into a major league game.
After the contest, the right-hander said he felt good physically despite the unfamiliar wear and tear.
"Staying out there for whatever it ended up being — 105, 110 pitches — I think I learned a lot," Bard said. "I know what it feels like. I know what my body's going to feel like, and it felt pretty good. I think it was more, when you get up that high, it's a big jump from 90 [pitches] to about 100-105, both physically and mentally. It's hard to maintain focus for that long, for that many pitches, so that's probably something I can learn from and improve on."
Bard's exact pitch count in start No. 1 was 96, and the big Texan allowed five earned runs on eight hits in that outing in Toronto, which lasted five innings. It's easy to look past the seven walks on Monday considering all that Bard improved upon, but doing so would also be ignoring the Achilles' Heel that ultimately led to Tampa Bay's lone run — and win.
Bard had two outs with the bases empty in the top of the seventh after getting Jeff Keppinger to ground out and striking out Jose Molina looking. But from there, the control became an issue, as he walked the No. 9 hitter, Sean Rodriguez, despite momentarily battling back to load the count after falling behind 3-0.
After the game, the righty was upset with himself about walking the No. 9 hitter in that situation, especially since he followed it by giving up a base hit to Desmond Jennings and then walking the next two hitters — Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria — to put the Rays on the board.
"I threw him a breaking ball," Bard said of his 3-2 pitch to Rodriguez, which was a slider in the dirt. "I'm OK with the pitch selection because I was throwing that for a strike most of the day. All I've got to do is throw it for a strike there, and nine times out of 10 that's an out. Instead I threw more of a chase pitch and he didn't bite, and that's the guy I need to get."
Bard, known mostly as a flamethrower throughout his time in the bullpen, wasn't pleased with his overall fastball command on Monday either, calling it "terrible" and saying that it wasn't where he wants it to be.
It probably wasn't where the Red Sox wanted it to be either. However, with all that said, once Bard's fastball command is there, the amount of free passes will inherently come down. At that point, Bard could show why the Red Sox have been so willing to give this starting experiment a whirl.
That's if he hasn't shown why already.
