Zach Davies was knocked around by the Los Angeles Angels as the Diamondbacks fell 7-1 today in Cactus league action.
It was yet another game where a Diamondbacks starting pitcher struggled to complete innings before getting pulled so as to manager their "up/downs". With pitchers on a pitch count limits while they try to get stretched out, the organization has determined it's equally important to make sure the pitchers get up and down at least 5 times a game to simulate regular season conditions. The problem has been pitchers having long innings, requiring them to be pulled in earlier innings, only to be inserted the next inning.
The Angels jumped on Davies right away with a leadoff triple by Brett Phillips. Davies got a couple of ground ball outs, Phillips scoring on the first one. But he gave up a ground rule double to Anthony Rendon and a two run homer to Joe Adell. A double and a base hit led to a run in the third inning. Then in the fourth inning. A walk and two base hits led to another Angels run in the 4th. Davies was pulled from the game and then sent back out for the fifth inning, He recorded two more outs and his day was done.
Davies' final line was 3.2 IP, 7H, 5ER, 1BB, and 6K's. He threw 81 pitches to record just 11 outs.
In contrast, Angels starter Tyler Anderson threw six scoreless innings on 82 pitches, giving up just three hits, walking two, and striking out four.
While it's usually a good idea to discount spring results, especially with veteran pitchers, typically by the last start or two of spring training you'd like to see the rotation rounding into form. Zac Gallen has also had difficulty completing innings and has needed the managers assist to achieve his up/down targets. 5th starter combatants Drey Jameson and Ryne Nelson have each had up and down springs, and Madison Bumgarner has made just two official starts and has just 6.1 IP in the Cactus League. He's gotten in much of his work on the backfields. Merrill Kelly pitched for Team USA in the WBC tonight. He went just 1 1/3 innings after going just three innings in his first start. He's clearly not stretched out. The regular season starts in just nine days and these pitchers all have just one more tuneup start before facing the Dodgers and Padres on the road.
As for the bats, the lone D-backs run came in the 8th inning off a Lourdes Gurriel Jr. line drive double to left, scoring Geraldo Perdomo.
As reported earlier in the day the team learned that they'll be without the services of starting catcher Carson Kelly for the foreseeable future. Backup catcher Gabriel Moreno, will be taking over as the starter. He went 0-1 with a walk today and committed a throwing error on a stolen base attempt. The only other catcher on the 40-man roster, Jose Herrera, replaced him and went 0-2 with a strikeout.
The D-backs have an off day tomorrow. They return to Cactus League play on Thursday with split squad games. They'll host the Dodgers at Salt River Fields at 1:10 P.M. and also play the Cubs at Sloan Park in Mesa at 1:05 P.M.
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