Bumped from rotation, Pfaadt saves 'pen in 1st relief appearance
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PHOENIX -- There are not a ton of positives to take away from a game in which you lose 10-4, but for the Diamondbacks, there was a big one to take away from Sunday’s thumping at the hands of the Blue Jays at Chase Field.
Right-hander Brandon Pfaadt, who opened the year in the starting rotation but was moved to a relief role last week when Merrill Kelly came off the injured list, took a major step in the right direction.
Pfaadt, who compiled a 5.94 ERA in three starts, made his first appearance of the year out of the bullpen -- and it was a beauty.
Things got away from the Diamondbacks early, with starter Ryne Nelson allowing the first eight batters of the game to reach safely. The right-hander struck out Brandon Valenzuela, Toronto's No. 9 batter, for the first out of the game before giving up a three-run double to leadoff man Nathan Lukes. Nelson was then removed by manager Torey Lovullo with eight runs having crossed home plate and only one out recorded.
“It was a weird one,” Nelson said. “The game can be pretty unkind to you at times, and [it] felt like we were one or two balls going a foot or so in the other direction away from getting out of it, and then, hopefully, being able to go out there and throw some more quality innings. But it didn't go that way.”
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It didn’t, and these are the games that can devastate a bullpen after having to cover 8 2/3 innings.
Andrew Hoffmann was the first reliever out of the 'pen as the Diamondbacks have been looking to get him some work. He threw 2 1/3 innings before giving way to Pfaadt.
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Those were the only two relievers Lovullo had to use as Pfaadt covered the remaining 6 1/3 innings while allowing just one run.
“Without Brandon Pfaadt’s 6 1/3 innings coming in, we would be up against it for another three or four days,” Lovullo said. “The fact that he's able to throw 84 pitches and protect the entire bullpen and give them a day off, that was fantastic.”