Jeremy Guthrie said he "couldn't have been more pleased" with his 2 1/3-inning performance today against the Boston Red Sox, even though he exhausted his pitch count in the first two innings.
"I did walk two guys and fell behind some guys, but I'm very pleased,'' he said. "I felt strong. I felt I was consistently able to work the fastball."
Guthrie said he was not concerned about the high pitch count, because that is a normal part of getting ready for the season.
"It's just a function of not having pitched any games in awhile,'' he said. "I had only been in one game before today. But I look at the box scores and there are a lot of guys going 1 1/3 innings or two innings."
It was at about this time that Guthrie was out of camp last year for the World Baseball Classic, which may or may not have contributed to a difficult 2009 season. Does being here all spring make a difference?
"Absolutely,'' he said. "This will provide the ability to build on my pitches and have more of a plan, knowing I'll pitch again in five days. I can plan things like in two starts I'll start mixing in my fourth pitch."