Despite struggles, Ray feels a 'step forward'

Despite allowing six runs over five innings in his last start Wednesday against the Astros, D-backs left-hander Robbie Ray said there were some positives to take from his outing.

“Results aside, I feel like my last outing was a big step forward,” Ray said. “I feel like I’m starting to piece it together.”

Ray shortened his arm swing in his delivery during the offseason, and in his first two starts of the season, he was trying to find his timing with it.

Between his second and third starts, Ray added a bit of a glove tap during his windup to help with the timing.

“This has just kind of allowed me to keep my rhythm that I got going with my delivery and get that rhythm of my hand in the glove and out of the glove," Ray said. "It feels really good.”

The biggest issue for Ray against the Astros was his inability to land his breaking pitches for strikes. Ray missed with his slider, and he spiked several curveballs well in front of the plate. That allowed Astros hitters to sit on his fastball, and if they saw a breaking ball coming out of his hand, they immediately knew to take the pitch.

“The ones I was throwing short were curveballs,” Ray said. “I honestly think it was kind of a visual thing. It was breaking so much that I didn’t have my sights set high enough. It was something that I need to make an adjustment on, and I was having trouble doing that. Later, it got better as I was setting my sights higher.”

Lots of messages
D-backs rookie infielder/outfielder Andy Young has gotten a lot of congratulatory texts and calls since his promotion to the big leagues this week, particularly from those in his hometown of Fargo, N.D.

“There’s so many people from back home reaching out and supporting me,” Young said. “Hopefully, I am getting to all of them. I feel like the whole state of North Dakota is following me, which is so cool.”

Young drew a key walk to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning Thursday night as the D-backs scored a pair of runs to walk off vs. the Astros.

More leverage for Young?
Left-hander Alex Young, who lost out on the No. 5 spot in the rotation to Merrill Kelly, has pitched well out of the bullpen, compiling a 1.80 ERA in five innings over four games.

Young started the year as a long man in the bullpen, but with his success has come more important roles. On Thursday, he came in to pitch the seventh with the D-backs clinging to a 3-2 lead, and he retired the side in order.

“He's been throwing the ball really well,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. “And he just pounds the zone and he has an ease to making every pitch in landing the ball in the right spot at the right time. So, there's a lot of value in that.”