SAN DIEGO -- In Drew Pomeranz' final start before All-Star rosters are announced on Tuesday, the breakout southpaw left one last argument for his inclusion on the National League team, helping the Padres earn a 2-1 victory over the Yankees on Saturday night -- with some help from Melvin Upton Jr.'s walk-off homer, of course.
Pomeranz threw seven innings and allowed just one run while scattering five hits and striking out seven. Now, the decision on his All-Star fate is out of his hands.
"I don't really know how all that stuff works anyway," Pomeranz said of the All-Star process. "So whatever happens, happens. Obviously [I want to be on the team]. Who doesn't? Everyone cares about that."
The case Pomeranz has built is solid, but amid a strong group of National League starters, nothing is certain. The 27-year-old former first-round pick has posted a 2.65 ERA (8th in NL), 1.09 WHIP (T-13th) and .191 opposing batting average (3rd), while striking out 109 batters (9th).
He has thrown six or more innings in 10 of his 16 starts and seven innings in four of his last eight. His 10.43 K/9 is the eighth-best mark in the Majors.
Padres manager Andy Green supplemented his No. 1 starter's All-Star campaign after the game.
"You look at his hard-hit rate, you look at his punch-rate, you look at his ERA, strikeouts -- everything lines up with top-of-the-rotation guys," Green said. "He's pitched like an ace."
Regardless of what happens on Tuesday, though, Pomeranz and the Padres will take solace in the progress that they have seen this season, and the strides he is poised to continue taking.
"Everything worked good," Pomeranz said. "Fastball, cutter, curveball -- everything's kind of coming together now. I feel like I have four solid pitches that I've used these last two times out. I've been pretty efficient; pretty effective with everything. …
"It's going well."