Merrill Kelly Uses All His Pitches in Spring Outing vs. Rockies

The Diamondbacks reliable right-hander knows how to keep hitters guessing

The Diamondbacks lost another spring training contest today, this time to the Rockies by a score of 7-5, dropping their Cactus League record to 7-12. Fortunately  for Arizona these games don't count. The team is mostly healthy and the starters continued to get stretched out. 

Merrill Kelly got his work in, throwing three innings and 47 pitches as he continues to get stretched out for his expected March 29th start. He was not quite as sharp as his first spring outing, making several middle of the plate location mistakes. That led to some hard contact among his  five hits and two runs allowed, but he didn't walk a batter and struck out four. 

Kelly threw his entire repertoire including four seam, two seam, and cut fastballs, along with his signature changeup and a slightly altered  slider he's been working on. There was some talk prior to the game about whether or not he might choose to eliminate a pitch or two, as he'll be facing the Rockies in the second game of the season. But they're already a familiar foe and Colorado had most of their starters in the lineup today.  In the end Kelly just used all his pitches and focused on his own work. 

"I'm the type of guy I never really shy away from throwing everything." Kelly said.  "I feel like if anything I know that that means they see it but it also means that they have to think about everything. In my mind the more pitches hitters have to think are coming the better for me." 

Kelly will get two more starts in spring training, with the target of going four innings and 60 pitches the next time out, and then five innings, 75 pitches after that. He believes that will put him in position to go six innings in his first  regular season start against these same Rockies.  It's notable that manager Torey Lovullo said before the game that while there are enough starts and innings on the table to get Kelly and Zac Gallen ready for the opening series, he said it was tight and there is no room for any setbacks. 

Luis Frias pitched a 1-2-3 fourth and Logan Allen pitched a scoreless fifth. He ran into difficulty in the 6th inning however, giving up a couple of runs on two hits, a walk and two errors . He didn't help his own cause with an error on a pickoff throw. Eugenio Suarez  made an error as well, and that was followed by a double and a single as the Rockies plated three runs in the frame. In the 7th Allen was chased after a diving attempt in right field on a sinking liner ended up going all the way to the wall for an RBI triple. He gave up four runs, three earned in 2.2 innings. 

Geraldo Perdomo Injury

Jace Peterson started at shortstop today as Geraldo Perdomo was a late scratch. Perdomo stole a base in a game a few days ago. He executed a hook slide into second base causing him to go into a wide split and appeared to be uncomfortable when he stood up.  Perdomo will be out for a couple more days at least with what Lovullo described as a sore lower half. Lovullo said he had minimal concern about this injury lingering for the the starting shortstop.

In his place Peterson and had two hits a sharply hit double and a single. He also drew a walk. Peterson is fighting for a backup infielder role on the squad. He is owed $5 million for this season, three from the Diamondbacks and two from the A's. He cannot be optioned to the minor leagues, but faces stiff competition from Emmanuel Rivera, Blaze Alexander, and newly signed Elvis Andrus.

All five of the D-backs runs came against reliever Jaden Hill.  Ketel Marte smashed a double, turning around a 99 MPH fastball from Hill, drilling it to the wall in right center, with an exit velocity of 112 MPH. It was Marte's fourth double of spring and he's batting .467, picking up right where he left off last post season. 

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had a sharply hit double into the left field corner and an RBI triple to the right field corner, driving in Marte.

Joc Pederson ripped a solo homer 445 feet to right to start a four run 6th inning. It was Peterson's second homer of spring. 

The D-backs host the Royals on Thursday, game time 1:10 P.M. The game will be broadcast on MLB.TV as the free game of the day.  Fifth starter contestants Tommy Henry and  Bryce Jarvis are both scheduled to pitch with Henry getting the start and Jarvis to follow.