By Jack Magruder
FOXSportsArizona.com
Granted, he may not be going out on much of a limb, but manager Kirk Gibson said the Diamondbacks' bullpen will be better this season.
Early results continued to encourage Gibson, whose bullpen gave up only one hit in six shutout innings Saturday in a 3-2 walkoff victory over Texas, although three of those innings were by starter Armando Galarraga as he followed Barry Enright.
Sam Demel threw a 1-2-3 ninth inning to get the victory while matching David Hernandez, Mike Hampton and Joe Paterson with his third straight scoreless appearance. Kam Mickolio has given up one run in three outings, as have Zach Kroenke and Rafael Rodriguez. Juan Gutierrez, who had a strong second half in 2010, is the only reliever who has struggled much this spring, although Jordan Norberto has walked three in two innings, his trouble spot last season.
"We're better off than we were in the past," Gibson said.
The D-backs need to be. The Diamondbacks relief ERA was 5.74 last season, almost two runs over the league average, and they failed to convert 24 saves.
"They've pretty much come in and thrown strikes. They're pretty clean," Gibson said.
All of which serves to keep the competition open for what appear to be at the most three jobs behind closer J.J. Putz, who is scheduled to make his first spring appearance on Monday.
Gutierrez, Hernandez and Demel are believed to be ahead of the pack in the running for setup spots, but that leaves jobs open for the group that includes lefties Hampton, Paterson and Kroenke, newcomer Mickolio and returnees Esmerling Vasquez and Norberto. Aaron Heilman will move to the bullpen if he does not break camp in the starting rotation.
Gibson's one request when he succeeded A.J. Hinch as manager last July 1 was adding a lefty to the bullpen, so Norberto was recalled from Class AAA Reno. Two lefties are a possibility. Paterson, a Rule 5 pick from San Francisco, must be offered back to the Giants at $25,000, half the price the D-backs paid. At the same time, performance will be the determining factor.
"It would be nice," general manager Kevin Towers said of having at least one left-hander out there, but he continued, "one of the best bullpens I had, in '96, I didn't have any."
What Gibson and pitching coach Charlie Nagy want is consistency in command.
"Ultimately, we'd like to have guys who can locate, so we can defend location as opposed not really knowing where the ball is going. Charlie has made some good suggestions. He's done his homework," Gibson said.
PIGGY-BACKING STARTERS
Barry Enright and Armando Galarraga pitched three innings apiece Saturday, with Enright giving up bases-empty home runs to Ian Kinsler and Mitch Moreland in his first spring start. Galarraga gave up only two base runners, walking Moreland and hitting Kinsler. The two fli--flopped, after Galarraga started and Enright relieved the last time through the rotation.
Enright was pleased with the progress of his changeup, which he hopes to polish this spring. He said he threw six or seven, getting AL MVP Josh Hamilton to swing through one in the first inning and Ian Kinsler to foul one off with an awkward swing in the third.
"Probably a first for me," Enright said the swinging strike on changeup. "The changeup was probably my No. 1 pitch today, which is funny to say. I've been working on that a lot. That's going to be an essential pitch for me in my career. That's the positive. Build off that."
Enright ran into trouble with the long ball late last season, giving up 13 homers in 32 2/3 innings in September, when he lost his last five starts after beating the Padres on Sept. 1.
"I've been known to give up a few home runs in my day. It's nothing out of the ordinary, but it's good to keep
