Red Sox's Drew Pomeranz: Falls short in pitcher's duel Thursday

Pomeranz (10-10) tossed six innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out a career-high 11 in a 2-1 loss to the Rays on Thursday.

Analysis:

Despite his quality effort, Pomeranz was outdueled Thursday by Jake Odorizzi and tagged with his first loss in five starts. The left-hander induced an eye-popping 23 swinging strikes while lowering his Boston ERA to 4.06, its best mark since being acquired from San Diego in mid-June. After three rough outings to begin his Red Sox career (12 runs in 14.1 innings), Pomeranz has settled in nicely. Over his last five starts, the 27-year-old owns a 2.40 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 30 innings.