Collmenter not afraid of a little challenge

From center field, Steve Finley used to marvel at the Randy Johnson could carve up an opponent. Finley almost felt sorry for the hitters. Way different guy these days. Way different style. But from his position in center, Chris Young understands exactly how Diamondbacks rookie Josh Collmenter has been able to control hitters in his first seven weeks in the major leagues. "You don't have too many guys who throw 86 (mph) who will challenge you inside. I think that's what makes him different. He comes in a lot on guys and keeps them off-balance," Young said. Collmenter gave up three hits and a walk in seven scoreless innings in a 4-0 victory over Washington on Friday, when the National had one-extra base hit, an opposite-field double by Ivan Rodriguez on an 11-pitch at-bat in the third inning. Rodriguez was the only Washington player to get as far as second, and he spoke for Nationals everywhere when he slung hit bat to the ground after flying out to right field on a 75 mph changeup to end the seventh inning. Collmenter mixes a high-80s fastball with a changeup and a developing curve, throws them all for strikes, and throws them all in any count. "He just locates so well," Young continued. "That's really what it has to do with. Normally when you have a guy throwing a little softer, you lean out over the plate because you know he is going to try to nibble off the plate and hope that the umpire is giving something outside the zone. You kind of dive out there," Young said. "With Josh you can't do that. It's tough, especially if you haven't seen him before. It's a weird arm angle. It's funky." Collmenter, 4-1 with a 1.25 ERA, went seven innings for the first time in his career Friday. He has given up four earned runs and 16 hits in 29 13 innings in his five starts, joining Oakland left-hander Brett Anderson and then-Minnesota left-hander Francisco Liriano as the only rookies in the last five years to be as stingy in their first five starts. Collmenter mixed his pitches well, throwing a lot of fastballs in the first three innings before getting all three outs in the fourth inning on changeups. He has five strikeouts and six popouts, and the Nationals were out in front most of the night. "Getting back to basics. That's the key to my game is being able to throw the fastball and work the off-speed stuff off of that," Collmenter said. "We threw a lot of fastballs in, which I think resulted in a lot of those flare popups they couldn't get the barrel of the bat to." Collmenter also did not give in after falling behind early in a count. "If I make a couple of pitches that are close and get behind, I know if I throw a good downhill fastball using those angles and that plane, it is hard for them to square it up. I have confidence in my changeup to throw it in hitters' counts," he said. "When I get behind, I don't sweat it too much." THREE AND OH-NO Stephen Drew got the best of former D-back left-hander Doug Slaten with a bases-loaded triple on a 3-0 pitch in the fifth inning, turning a 1-0 game into more comfortable 4-0. The D-backs have done a lot of that this season. "Is that what the count was?" manager Kirk Gibson said, smothering a grin. Gibson has given the D-backs the freedom to swing on 3-0, and Drew has made it work. A fixture at No. 4 in the lineup since mid-April, Drew is 4 for 8 with a double, two triples and six RBIs on 3-0 counts in his career. "It can be. I'm not going to say it's not," Drew said when asked if it was difficult to not try to come out of your shoes on that pitch. "You calm yourself down and try to get a pitch you can handle. You let your talent, whatever you say you work so hard all season, you just let it go." The D-backs have swung away on 14 3-0 counts this season, although opponents starting catching on earlier this month and threw more breaking balls, which the disciplined D-backs hitters were able to lay off. Outfielders Justin Upton and Chris Young have homered on 3-0 pitches this season, Upton's breaking a 3-3 tie in the last of the eighth inning in a 4-3 victory over Colorado at Chase Field on May 3. "It was the game for us tonight." RETRIBUTION? Justin Upton was hit by pitches in his final two plate appearances Friday and has been hit three times in his last five trips in the first two games of the Washington series. It an't all be coincidence. It started Thursday, when Upton was hit in the left shoulder in the eighth inning. The D-backs hit Nationals right fielder Jayson Werth in the elbow in the ninth, and Werth was unable to play Friday because of elbow soreness. Upton was hit in the left shoulder in the fifth and seventh innings Friday, the first time loading the bases for Drew's triple. He was hit by a curve ball in the seventh. While home plate umpire Bruce Dreckman walked out in front of the plate after the play in the seventh, apparently no warning was issued. "It's part of the game. I didn't think anything of it. Hit him on the arm. He can take it. He's got a badge of honor he can wear around. It's not a big deal," Gibson said. "I think it's a big of respect. That's how I look at it. He's been on fire since Sunday in Houston. I wouldn't want to pitch to him either. They are going to have to pitch to him some time or another. It certainly motivated me as a player. I'm sure it motivates 'J-Up.' "Their infielders were all on red alert if there was a ground ball." DID YOU NOTICE? The shutout was the D-backs' fourth of the season already one more than they had in 2010, when they were shut out 11 times. They have only been shut once this year. STAT OF THE GAME 1 Washington runner that reached scoring position. TAKEAWAYS Ryan Roberts appears to have become the de facto starting third baseman, although Gibson would not go quite that far. Roberts has hit safely in seven of his last eight games, and Gibson does not want to tinker with a group that has won 17 of his last 21. Maybe this is a pitcher's park Collmenter has not given up an earned run in 20 13 innings at Chase Field, four in relief and two starts. The D-backs have played 22 straight games without losing two in a row, a streak that will carry through Saturday because of their Friday victory. Washington right-hander Henry Rodriguez, a hard-thrower once in the Oakland organization, hit 99 mph with his second pitch in the eighth inning and 100 with his fourth. Juan Miranda did not start for the second straight game he was ill, Gibson said. LAST CALL A year and a day after throwing a perfect game although the umpire missed the last call for Detroit, Armando Galarraga was touched for 10 runs on 10 hits and four walks in four innings of Class AAA Reno's 18-4 loss at Tacoma. He has given up 16 hits, including three homers, and nine walks in nine innings in two starts since accepting his outright assignment to Reno. Follow Jack Magruder on Twitter