Slade Cecconi shuts down the Nationals in impressive start

Following another clunker start on Wednesday, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo was asked if Slade Cecconi would make his next start. At the time, Lovullo said “I want it to be Slade”. Lovullo’s faith in his young pitcher was rewarded six days later, as Cecconi fired six scoreless innings in a 5-0 win over the Washington Nationals.

“He had four tough days,” said Lovullo on the Diamondbacks postgame television broadcast. “The last outing against the Angels wasn’t up to par, he knew that. He was challenged. The pitching coaches did a great job of addressing things.”

Efficiency was the name of the game for Cecconi, as he allowed just three hits, didn’t walk a batter, and struck out six. He only needed 70 pitches to get through those six innings. He jumped ahead of hitters, throwing first-pitch strikes to 16 of the 20 hitters he faced, putting Nationals hitters on the defensive, then mixed in his slider and changeup. His night ended when he froze Lane Thomas on a perfectly dotted 95 MPH fastball on the outer edge after a nine-pitch at-bat.

“I felt like with the first five to seven fastballs he had thrown, he had made statements,” said Lovullo. “He was locked in, had command of the ball glove-side, down and away to right-handed hitters, and he could go to it comfortably at any time. When you have landing spots you know you can go to, when you’re synched up and you’re aggressive the way he was, that was a good remedy.”

With the Diamondbacks waiting for Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, and Eduardo Rodríguez to get healthy and return to the starting rotation, every start for Cecconi is important not only for the team’s chances to compete this season, but also to earn more opportunities down the road. Facing a team they’re chasing in the Wild Card race, and playing very well in all facets of the game, he shut them down. When he walked off the mound following the sixth, he got a big hug from both his manager and pitching coach.

The Diamondbacks gave Cecconi a comfortable lead before he stepped onto the mound. Corbin Carroll walked to the lead off the game, extending his on-base streak to 18 consecutive games. Following a steal of second, Ketel Marte continued to make the case for why he should start the All-Star Game and smoked a line drive into the bleachers in right-center to put Arizona up 2-0. Like in their past 11 wins, they put up a crooked number on the scoreboard early in the game.