PHILADELPHIA -- There would be no meltdown for Archie Bradley this time around. The D-backs right-hander was determined that what happened in his start against the Dodgers last week was not going to be repeated on the mound at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday afternoon.
So when he ran into trouble in the fifth and sixth innings, Bradley was able to limit the damage as the D-backs beat the Phillies for the third day in a row, 5-1.
"I'm a pretty high-energy guy, so it's about finding a way to keep my emotions under control, but then at the right time let them come up and give me that extra boost of energy or burst or whatever you want to call it," Bradley said. "That extra kick to get you through those big situations."
Last Tuesday against the Dodgers, Bradley had a no-hitter through the first 4 1/3 innings and looked dominant.
But then Joc Pederson hit a home run, and Bradley proceeded to walk two batters and throw a wild pitch as the Dodgers scored three in the fifth. In the sixth, he gave up a pair of homers, including another to Pederson, and his night was done.
"I didn't do a good enough job of letting go of the home run last time," Bradley said, referring to Pederson's first homer. "I kind of held on to it. Even coming back out for the sixth inning, I still was kind of holding on to it. This game is hard enough as it is. You have to focus on the next pitch, because that's the most important pitch of the game. Truly understanding it and believing that, and then letting my defense work behind me."
Sunday, Bradley cruised through the first four innings, and when the Phillies put a pair of runners on in the fifth with one out, he was able to get out of the frame without any runs scoring.
Then in the sixth, he limited Philadelphia to just one run despite facing a bases-loaded, no-out situation.
"Today I told myself that good or bad, whatever happens, I'm going to get on the mound and I'm going to work pitch to pitch," Bradley said. "And I did that. Even falling behind in that sixth, bases loaded, I knew I had to make a quality pitch, and I did exactly what I wanted to do. I minimized the damage. I let that one run score, but that was it."
It was clearly a step forward for the 23-year-old.
"He is maturing here, and we're seeing it right in front of us," Hale said. "His stuff to start the game was electric. He was throwing fastballs, and guys were swinging like it was 100 mph."