Merrill Kelly's Stuff Sharp in Final Spring Tuneup
Merrill Kelly's stuff looked sharp in his final spring training tuneup against the Milwaukee Brewers in Maryvale on Sunday.
Back for his first spring training start since appearing in the World Baseball Classic, Kelly went 4 2/3 innings, getting in 61 pitches as he worked to get stretched out. Kelly will start the second game of the season in Los Angeles against the Dodgers on Friday.
Kelly began with a quick 1-2-3 inning in the first, despite getting charged a ball due to a pitch clock violation against the first batter of the game. He got a strikeout to start the second inning, and then gave up a ground ball single up the middle to Luis Urias. He picked Urias off first base, and then walked a batter on four pitches and was visibly annoyed with himself. But a 5-3 groundout ended the inning.
He allowed a swinging but single to start the third, but retired the next three. A ground out, another walk, and a nifty 4-6-3 double play turn by Nick Ahmed ended the 4th. It wasn't until the fourth inning that Kelly allowed a hard hit ball, a double to William Contreras. He struck out he next two batters, but then Joey Weimer hit a long double to the right center field gap and Kelly's day was done. He was relieved by Cole Sulser, who promptly gave up a homer to Christian Yelich, allowing the inherited runner to score. (Sulser rebounded to post a scoreless 6th inning)
Kelly's final line was 4 2/3 IP, 4H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Prior to the Brewers three run fifth, the D-backs had scored three runs off Brandon Woodruff in the top half of the inning. Woodruff had been perfect through four, mowing down the D-backs hitters. But Christian Walker doubled to left to start the 5th. Corbin Carroll walked and then Jake McCarthy hit a hustle double to shallow left center that scored Walker. Both Carroll and McCarthy later came around to score on a wild pitch.
It was not a good day for the top of the D-backs order. Josh Rojas and Ketel Marte each went 0-4 and Kyle Lewis went 0-3. Marte struck out twice looking and grounded out weakly to second base in his other two at bats. It's been a tough spring at the plate for Marte and the team must be hoping he can turn the corner quickly when the season starts on Thursday.
Recently optioned P.J. Higgins hit a go ahead homer off the batter's eye in center field in the top of the 9th. But Raffi Vizcaino gave up two singles and then walked two straight batters, bringing in the tying run. So the final game of spring training ended in a 4-4 tie.
