Bradley takes try, try again approach with curve

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Archie Bradley has been around long enough to understand the purpose of Spring Training is getting ready for the regular season, and the D-backs right-hander reminded himself of that prior to his appearance Friday against the Brewers.

Bradley, who is battling to be the closer, was determined to throw his curveball often, no matter the results.

The curve is an important pitch for him, and it was one that he did not have in his arsenal last year due to a recurring split in the fingernail of his right forefinger.

“I was trying to throw as many first-pitch curveballs as I could, and my goal was, if I missed, to come back and throw it right back in the zone,” Bradley said Saturday. “I’ve said this before, but truly yesterday was one of those outings where I had a plan to go in and throw more curveballs and I didn’t care about counts, I didn’t care who was on, I didn’t care who was up. I was determined to throw some strike curveballs.”

So while Bradley did give up three hits and a run in his inning of work, he walked away from the outing feeling really good about it.

“It’s kind of hard to go out there with the mentality of doing something different than your bread and butter,” he said. “But with my lack of throwing curveballs last year, I want to start seeing some curveballs that I know I’m going to have to throw in the season, and there’s no better time.

“If you truly look at it in a professional sense, I’m doing this to get better for the season, and I don’t care what any fan thinks here, I don’t care what a teammate in the dugout thinks. I have a specific plan, and I’m going to try to execute that plan.”

Working out of it

Luke Weaver, who started Saturday’s 13-5 victory over the Royals at Salt River Fields, found himself in jams in each of the first three innings.

The right-hander, who is penciled into the rotation, was able to work out of them in the second and third innings while limiting the damage to one run in the first.

“That was a big part of last year,” Weaver said. “Sometimes those innings would get away from me. Today was a huge step in controlling the situation, throwing some good pitches and letting that defense work a little bit. So, there was a huge plus in that.”

Improving his curveball so that it’s an effective weapon to go along with his fastball and changeup has been an area of focus this spring for Weaver.

In the second inning Saturday, he threw three first-pitch curves.

“It’s feeling really good,” said Weaver, who lasted 3 1/3 innings and allowed the one run on six hits with no walks and three strikeouts. “The spin looks good, the breaks look good, being able to hit it for strikes. A couple of swings and misses down. So that’s a great pitch right now.”

Quiet but productive

With half of the squad, including manager Torey Lovullo, in Monterrey, Mexico, over the weekend, the D-backs who remained in Scottsdale were able to get their work in a little easier.

Pitchers got some more time in the cage, primarily working on their bunting.

“Once you cut down the roster, it makes it a lot easier for everybody,” said bench coach Jerry Narron, who filled in for Lovullo.

Up next

Merrill Kelly will get the start for a D-backs split squad on Sunday against the Reds in Goodyear. Matt Koch will get the nod for the D-backs against the Rockies in Monterrey.