clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Diamondbacks spring training round-up: McCarthy unsatisfied

Brandon McCarthy felt he could have done better yesterday, allowing ten hits in six innings. Kirk Gibson was less concerned. Miggy and Taco Bell get together again, and there's another honor for Nelson Figueroa.

By Jim McLennan
USA TODAY Sports

Quotes of the day

  • "On the whole, it was kind of a continuation of last time where I just wasn't sharp, wasn't able to repeat and that kind of led to hits in counts I didn't want and some situations I should be able to avoid. I was able to make some pitches when I needed to, it was just kind of every pitch was, 'This might be a really good one, this might be a really bad one.' There were enough good ones so I was able to keep moving through innings and enough bad ones where I was in jams and some situations that I should be able to avoid."
    -- Brandon McCarthy
  • "[McCarthy] is going to say that everyday. You ought to know that by now. There's always going to be a little something here or there. I got a little cough today too, so that's the way it is. But we won the [freaking] game."
    --     Kirk Gibson
  • "He was really efficien. He got into some trouble and made some pitches. His changeup was really good today. He kind of got them off his fastball with his changeup and kept that down well."
    -- Gibson, less facetiously

Closer in waiting

Couple of pieces about David Hernandex, who is back with the team after his stint in the World Baseball Classic with Team USA. Seems he would like to be a closer, saying, "It has that feeling, when you do it once, you want to do it again. Then you do it again, and you want to do it again. At the end of the day I want to be a closer, I want to have that opportunity. I feel like I'm ready for that next step." And he's also working on his change-up: "It's something I've gone into this spring training trying to develop. I threw it pretty well (Tuesday) and that's a good sign going forward. I feel like if I can have that third pitch to keep batters off my fastball and curveball, I think I should be more successful."

Nelson Figueroa makes WBC All-World Team

The icing on the D-backs' pitcher's trip to the WBC is making the all-tournament team announced yesterday. He's the only one of the seven Arizona players to be so honored, though that's not surprising, considering Canada's Michael Saunders and America's David Wright are the only members whose teams didn't make the semis. Here's the full list:

  • C. Yadier Molina, Puerto Rico
  • 1B Edwin Encarnacion, Dominican Republic
  • 2B Robinson Cano, Dominican Republic
  • 3B David Wright, United States
  • SS Jose Reyes, Dominican Republic
  • OF Angel Pagan, Puerto Rico
  • OF Nelson Cruz, Dominican Republic
  • OF Michael Saunders, Canada
  • DH Hirokazu Ibata, Japan
  • P Kenta Maeda, Japan
  • P Nelson Figueroa, Puerto Rico
  • P Fernando Rodney, Dominican Republic

Kirk Gibson also said Figueroa "has not been ruled out of contention for the Diamondbacks' fifth starter spot," but a lack of work and time remaining probably makes it very difficult for him to get a roster spot.

Getting Miggy with It...

The question is... Does he actually eat those things?

Around baseball

  • Short schedule in the Cactus League today, with only five games. Most interesting line was the 0-0 tie at Scottsdale, between Milwaukee and San Francisco, where even a 10th inning couldn't separate them. Chris Narveson one-hit the Giants for six innings; Ryan Vogelsong struck out seven Brewers in his six frames.
  • How do you get an invite to spring training? Send your resume to the Tigers.
  • Adrian Gonzalez's father, David, is suing MLB on behalf of pitching prospect Daniel Pesqueira.Get a cup of coffee and find out why...

More From AZ Snake Pit