PEORIA, Ariz. -- Josh Collmenter was a week removed from pitching to live batters but the Diamondbacks pitcher showed few signs of offseason rust Saturday in his spring debut against the Seattle Mariners.
After allowing a hit to Seattle leadoff man Austin Jackson, Collmenter settled in and made the most of 18 pitches in the 4-3 D-backs' victory in Peoria. His day was so brief he also went through extra work in the bullpen after he was pulled following the second inning.
Collmenter didn't strike out anyone and his fastball didn't surpass 92 mph. But that's how he might win the top spot in the D-backs rotation.
"I felt good. The biggest thing for me is the fastball command," Collmenter said. "I threw all fastballs except for one, was able to get a curveball in for a strike.
"For me it's always been the third pitch and so it's continuing to develop the curve ball. And it's to the point where I'm more comfortable with it each time I go out. Fastball command for me, that's where my building blocks come from. If I don't have fastball command, I'm not going to be very good."
Arizona manager Chip Hale won't announce his Opening Day pitcher until closer to the end of spring, but it's hard to imagine Collmenter isn't in the lead. On Saturday, he preceded Andrew Chafin, who took in his second spring outing with uglier results than his first game action against ASU on Tuesday.
Hale wasn't deterred about Chafin, who is vying for a back-end spot in the rotation.
"I thought he threw the ball well," Hale said. "He tired a little bit in the third inning (that he pitched), but that's that thing -- it seems like whether it's the guys going two innings for the first time, we've had an issue in that second inning. His stuff looked good, threw a couple pitches and got wacked. That's OK."
The Diamondbacks were first on the board in the fourth inning thanks to a solo homer by right fielder Mark Trumbo. They went deep into the pitching staff when Chafin was pulled, then needed two runs off hits from Blake Lalli and Jamie Romak to rally late.
Josh Collmenter
Aside from a flyout that was caught relatively easily by center fielder Nick Buss at the warning track, Collmenter earned six outs by forcing easy ground balls and choppers.
Andrew Chafin
Chafin held up through his first two innings but allowed four hits, including a solo homer by Mariners left fielder Rickie Weeks that began an ugly fifth inning.
Chafin threw 27 strikes in 41 pitches and couldn't keep things away from Seattle's bats. He allowed the Weeks homer and then a double, had a visit to the mound, and then allowed an RBI single before he was pulled with a runner on and no outs.
Yasmany Tomas recorded his first hit of the spring with a double off the center field wall. Hale hasn't had issue with Tomas' at-bats to this point but said getting that first hit was a good thing for Tomas mentally. "I think for him, he felt a lot better after he got the hit, which is important. I can feel great and he can still be upset. He swung at only a few bad pitches. He settled down and he's had good two-strike approach" ... A fourth-inning homer to left in 1-0 count aside, Mark Trumbo said he's comfortable taking strikes early in at-bats. "The majority of my at-bats I've gotten two strikes, which I'm totally fine with, 'cause statistically you're going to be in two-strike counts, I think, roughly half the time. Why not see a few early on? I'm not trying to miss balls, but if I do get there (with two strikes), no problem." ... Hale said Danny Dorn, who started at first base Sunday, could see some games in the outfield. The D-backs have heard good things about the 30-year-old non-roster invitee who has spent his career in the minors and are curious whether they'll have a spot for him on the roster.
Right-hander Kevin Munson will ramp up his program after being held back at the start of spring because of arm soreness ... Allen Webster was sick with possible food poisoning following the Friday night game against the As.
Arizona will go through its first day of split-squad action Sunday in games against the San Francisco Giants.
Probable pitcher: RHP Daniel Hudson, RHP Yoan Lopez, RHP J.C. Ramirez, RHP Evan Marshall
Probable pitchers: RHP Jeremy Hellickson, RHP A.J. Schugel, LHP Justin Marks, LHP Oliver Perez
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