Skaggs uses bad throw as learning experience

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The throws that left-hander Tyler Skaggs made to the plate Saturday were pretty good ones.

The one he threw to second, not so much.

A throwing error by the D-backs starter led to a pair of first-inning runs by the Rockies and made his outing -- four earned runs in 1 2/3 innings -- look worse than it was.

"He came out and threw strikes and that's what we asked him to do," manager Kirk Gibson said after his club's 11-2 loss. "He threw the ball well. He made trouble for himself. The game management stuff is part of what he has to understand and what the team has to understand as well."

Skaggs is battling for the No. 5 spot in the rotation with Patrick Corbin and Randall Delgado. He wound up throwing 41 pitches, more than the team had wanted for his first outing.

"Your adrenaline is pumping the whole game, but I really wanted to turn a double play right there and I thought we had it, and I just threw the ball high, rushed my throw a little bit," Skaggs said. "I didn't have the greatest grip. It's my fault, I threw it away and if this was a real game, it definitely would have cost us the game. So I definitely have to work on it."

Skaggs' stuff looked sharp, particularly his curveball.

"I felt good," Skaggs said. "I threw the ball really well. Not a lot of hard hit balls. I was throwing strikes, unlike my first start last Spring training. It felt really good going out there and finally facing hitters in a live game."