Taijuan Walker ties career-high with 11 Ks

The Diamondbacks and Padres conclude their series tonight.

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Walker ties career high with 11 Ks

By striking out the side in the eighth, right-hander Taijuan Walker matched a career high with 11 strikeouts as the Diamondbacks owned a 5-2 lead.

Walker was doing it primarily off his fastball, a pitch that sat in the mid-to-upper 90s throughout the evening.

He threw 12 pitches in the eighth inning to Cory Spangenberg, Hector Sanchez and Manuel Margot. All but one was a fastball, and each of the Strike 3 pitches – all swinging strikes – were on heaters. The rest of his outing wasn’t too different.

D-Backs pound Weaver, grab lead vs. Padres

Chris Owings launched his second home run of the game and Yasmany Tomas hit a two-run shot in the fourth inning as the Diamondbacks jumped ahead against Padres right-hander Jered Weaver.

They added another run in the sixth to make it 5-1 on another hit by Tomas, an RBI double into the left-center field gap that scored Paul Goldschmidt.

Meanwhile, Taijuan Walker cruised through six innings, giving up just one run on three hits with seven strikeouts. His fastball has consistently sat in the 95-96 mph range, and he’s gone to it often, overpowering Padres hitters with it.

D-Backs, Padres even after three

The Diamondbacks and Padres were tied at 1 through three innings on Thursday night.

The Padres scored first, with Yangervis Solarte’s run-scoring single following Wil Myers’ two-out double in the first off Diamondbacks right-hander Taijuan Walker.

Chris Owings led off the third with a solo home run, drilling a hanging breaking ball from Padres soft-tosser Jered Weaver.

Bradley again a rotation option for D-Backs

With Zack Godley sent back to the minors after his spot start on Wednesday night, the Diamondbacks again have a vacancy in their starting rotation, and, once again, right-hander Archie Bradley is a candidate to fill it.

The Diamondbacks entered their series-finale Thursday night against the San Diego Padres with four games left on their homestand, followed by an off day on Monday, a day off that, manager Torey Lovullo said, “gives us the ability to juggle some things.”

If the club wanted, it could keep each of its four remaining pitchers on a regular five-day schedule, meaning a fifth starter wouldn’t be needed until May 5, when the Diamondbacks are scheduled to open a three-game series in Colorado.

But Lovullo said the club is weighing its options, doing so one day at a time.

“We’re still trying to piece together, in 24-hour increments, as to what we’re doing for the five days,” Lovullo said. “We still don’t exactly know what’s going to happen for that next start. But we’re working on it. We’re trying to figure out the best solution for us.”

Bradley had another electric appearance out of the bullpen on Wednesday night, giving up one run in three innings with no walks and five strikeouts. His fastball was again sitting in the mid-to-upper 90s.

While Lovullo said he sees no reason why Bradley’s stuff wouldn’t translate in a starter’s role, he added that the decision will take everything into account.

“Without having seen him start, it’s easy to say that leaving him in the bullpen would be most beneficial to this ballclub,” Lovullo said. “But where the strongest need arises, we’ll fill the gap with the best option. We’re still trying to figure out what that best option is.”

Not a consideration

Lovullo said he gave “zero” thought to the idea of leaving Bradley in the game to start the ninth inning, despite the fact that Bradley had mowed through the Padres’ lineup in the eighth inning, striking out the side.

“Fernando Rodney is our closer,” Lovullo said. “We’ve said it all along. We have a closer who has done it for a long time. That’s his role.”

Lovullo said Rodney’s potential reaction to being bypassed for a save opportunity was a factor.

“He’s here to be our closer, and I thought that if I were to pull the plug on something like that without having even one discussion about it, it probably would have left him a little bit frustrated,” Lovullo said. “Out of respect to him and what he means to this team, I would never do something like that.”

Short hops

• Left-hander T.J. McFarland had his contract purchased from Triple-A Reno, giving the Diamondbacks another fresh arm for their bullpen. McFarland, 27, had yet to allow a run in 11 innings for Reno. Lovullo is familiar with McFarland from watching him pitch in the AL East for the Orioles the past four seasons. “I know he had some hiccups last year with some arm injuries, but he was throwing the ball very, very well in Triple-A, and I think that’s probably what we’re going to see again here at the big league level,” Lovullo said.
• Second baseman Brandon Drury’s knee injury from Wednesday night is not considered significant, but Lovullo said the club decided to give him Thursday off just to be on the safe side. Drury is expected to be back in the lineup on Friday. “We’ve just got to make sure we rest guys when it’s the right time,” Lovullo said.
• Lovullo said outfielder Gregor Blanco was scheduled to play Thursday night for High-A Visalia, which would be his first game action outside of extended spring training since he suffered a strained oblique late in camp.
• Right-hander Jake Barrett, who missed spring training with a shoulder injury, will likewise make his first rehab appearance for Visalia on Saturday, Lovullo said.

Diamondbacks vs. Padres

When: 6:40 p.m.

Where: Chase Field.

Pitchers: Diamondbacks RHP Taijuan Walker (2-1, 4.57) vs. Padres RHP Jered Weaver (0-1, 3.91).

TV/Radio: FSAZ/KMVP-FM (98.7), KHOV-FM (105.1).

Walker didn’t factor into the decision in his last outing, allowing four runs on seven hits during an 11-5 victory over the Dodgers. In two career starts against the Padres, he is 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA with 13 strikeouts and one walk. Over his last 10 starts in April since April 21, 2015, Walker has gone 5-2 with a 2.44 ERA with 60 strikeouts and 15 walks. … The Padres have lost in each of Weaver’s first four starts this year, although he has only allowed two earned runs in each of his last three. He’s allowed seven home runs in 23 innings thus far. Paul Goldschmidt is 3 for 4 against Weaver in his career with a double and a home run.

Shelby Miller was succinct in summing up his thoughts after learning he has a torn ulnar collateral ligament: 

“It sucks,” the Diamondbacks right-hander said Thursday in a meeting with reporters.

Miller is considering undergoing Tommy John surgery, a procedure that would end his season and likely sideline him until at least the middle of 2018.

Miller, who sought medical opinions from three doctors, said he’s still deciding the best course of action, whether it be surgery or a rest-and-rehab route that also includes platelet-rich plasma and/or stem-cell injections meant to stimulate healing.

In a procedural move, Miller was transferred to the 60-day disabled list, opening a spot on the 40-man roster for left-hander T.J. McFarland, whose contract was purchased from Triple-A Reno on Thursday.

D-Backs lineup

Second baseman Brandon Drury gets the night off after landing awkwardly as he ran to first base on Wednesday night. Chris Owings gets the start at second- his first of the year. 

Drury said he is sore but fortunate that he was able to avoid a more serious injury. He said he expects to be back in the lineup Friday.

Coming up

Friday: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray (2-0, 3.42) vs. Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (2-1, 3.32).

Saturday: At Chase Field, 5:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Zack Greinke (2-2, 2.93) vs. Rockies LHP Tyler Anderson (1-3, 7.11).

Sunday: At Chase Field, 1:10 p.m. LHP Patrick Corbin (2-3, 3.10) vs. Rockies RHP German Marquez (0-1, 18.00).