SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Trevor Bauer was unable to do quite his full pregame routine – his long-toss warmup did not extend from foul pole to foul pole, for one thing – and he had his roughest outing of the spring Wednesday.
Bauer gave up six hits and two runs to the San Francisco Giants in three innings, one fewer than the D-backs had hoped to see. He struck out two and did not walk a batter, but he had difficulty with his location. Bauer threw first-pitch strikes to six of the 15 batters he faced, and his high pitch count – 53, 35 strikes – led to his early departure.
Asked what was working, he said: "Not a lot. Everything sucks today. Flip a coin, pick one, and hope they don't hit it out of the park.
"My mechanics were off a little bit," he added. "I've had four outings, and this is probably the worst I've thrown the ball. What are you doing to do? They hit one ball hard. I broke two bats on base hits. They chopped a ball on the ground and roll it through the hole. A bad swing on a curve ball and he flares it for a hit.
"I think I did a pretty good job of disrupting their timing. Not a whole lot to be displeased with, other than being behind in the count a lot."
Bauer is 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA in 10 innings, having given up 11 hits and one walk with nine strikeouts. It might have been his last spring start, unless the D-backs opt to use one of their starters in a minor league game, as Ian Kennedy did Tuesday. They have 15 spring games remaining in which to extend their starters to prepare for the regular season.
"I think I've thrown the ball better than I was hoping to," Bauer said in evaluating his four appearances. "I'm really pleased with the offseason changes I made in my mechanics. I'm throwing a lot more strikes, and quality strikes at that. Overall, I'm pretty pleased. I haven't given up a lot of hard-hit balls."
Manager Kirk Gibson: "He's young, and he has a lot to learn."
CORBIN IMPRESSES IN RELIEF
Less-publicized rookie Patrick Corbin, acquired with Tyler Skaggs in 2010 Dan Haren deal, struck out six in four scoreless innings against the Giants, giving up a single and two walks while lowering his ERA to 0.84. He leads the staff with 12 strikeouts and has given up seven hits and five walks in 10 2/3 innings.
"He threw good. He made some good pitches on some pretty good hitters. He works fast. Works efficiently," Gibson said. "He's been right up there with everybody. He's throwing the ball very well. He's able to hit his spots. You face good hitters, you need to place the ball when you want it, where it needs to be. If you don't, you are going to get hurt."
KENNEDY FACES MINOR LEAGUERS
Ian Kennedy gave up three hits and one run in five innings while pitching in a Class AAA game against San Francisco minor leaguers at the D-backs' complex. It was his fourth start of the spring.
The D-backs' strategy was to keep the Giants' major-league hitters from learning any more about Kennedy, who was 3-0 with a 1.22 ERA against them last season and is 4-2 with a 1.91 ERA against them in 10 career starts.
Kennedy and Tim Lincecum are scheduled to oppose each other in the season opener April 6 at Chase Field, the first game of a three-game series.
"I know when ‘Gibby' was deciding, it was too close to the season to throw" against a division opponent," Kennedy said. "I know a lot of teams do this."
Kennedy struck out five and walked two while throwing 65 pitches, 46 strikes. The D-backs will try to get him to the 90-pitch range in his next start before tapering off in his last spring start. He also got a single.
"I was like, 'Dang it, I wasted it,'" Kennedy said.
WEDNESDAY PROBABLES
D-backs right-hander Daniel Hudson, who has been dominant at times this spring, will made his fourth start against Milwaukee's Yovani Gallardo (1-1, 4.32) at Salt River Fields on Wednesday. Hudson (1-0, 4.00) has thrown 1-2-3 innings in six of his last seven innings over two starts. He has 10 strikeouts in nine innings, and opponents are hitting .182 against him.
Charles Brewer and David Hernandez also are scheduled to pitch for the D-backs.
SHORT HOPS
A.J. Pollock's walkoff home run with one out in the ninth inning off Giants' left-hander Wilmin Rodriguez gave the D-backs a 4-3 victory, their fifth in the last seven games. Pollock, who set a Class AA Mobile record with 41 doubles last season, is hitting .346. It was his first home run. "He's a pretty complete player," Gibson said. … Barry Enright threw 4 2/3 shutout innings in a minor league game against the Giants' Class AA roster, giving up four hits and striking out four.
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