SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Tommy Henry didn't hesitate when asked what he wants to accomplish this spring -- get ahead of hitters.
The left-hander did that in his first Cactus League start of the year, allowing just one run over three innings against the Rockies as the D-backs dropped their opener, 5-3, on Thursday afternoon at Salt River Fields.
Last year with Double-A Amarillo, Henry walked 53 and allowed 116 hits in 115 2/3 innings over 23 starts. He issued no walks on Thursday.
"If I'm reflecting on myself in the past, I didn't do a good job of that,” said Henry, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the D-backs' No. 16 prospect, “and so that was my main goal for this year -- to really get ahead [in the count] and control the game, control the pace.
"You do that by getting ahead and commanding the strike zone. So that was my main goal coming in today. And it worked out."
Henry was selected by the D-backs in the second round of the 2019 Draft out of the University of Michigan, and he spent the 2020 season at the team's alternate training site. Last year, he pitched in Amarillo, which has a very hitter-friendly ballpark. That forced some introspection on Henry's part.
"I think over the course of the full season, it allowed me a chance to learn a lot about myself," Henry said. "Mistakes might get magnified, but mistakes are mistakes. If you really remove the emotion from it and step back and try and learn from it, you can really evaluate where you need to get better."
Game notes
• Outfielder Corbin Carroll, the team's top pick in the 2019 Draft, started Thursday at designated hitter. He picked up a hit and almost had a second, but his line drive to the left side was snagged by the shortstop.
• Left fielder Dominic Canzone made a nice diving catch in the gap in left-center.
• Catcher Andy Yerzy drove a homer high up on the grass berm in right-center, an estimated distance of 470 feet.
Honoring Roland Hemond
The D-backs’ Spring Training jerseys have a patch with "RH" on their right sleeves in honor of longtime front office executive Roland Hemond, who died last December at the age of 92.
Hemond's front office career lasted 70 years and included time with the Boston/Milwaukee Braves, Angels, White Sox, Orioles and D-backs.
Regulars coming soon
The D-backs once again will field a starting lineup of mainly Minor Leaguers on Friday but then will start working in more of the 40-man roster players starting Saturday against the Angels in Tempe.
Originally, D-backs manager Torey Lovullo had said he would not put 40-man roster position players in until after the weekend, given that they had only reported to camp Monday.
"I've been pleasantly surprised by the shape these guys were in," Lovullo said. "What they were doing during the time down is showing me that they're ready to ramp up a little bit quicker than I originally expected."
What's ahead
The D-backs play the Rockies again Friday afternoon at Salt River Fields, with left-hander Kyle Nelson getting the start. Sean Poppen, Keynan Middleton and Jesús Liranzo also are scheduled to see action.