Bradley on board with bullpen role

D-Backs RHP still looking forward to starting eventually

WASHINGTON – Right-hander Archie Bradley says he understands the Diamondbacks’ reasoning in bypassing him for their open rotation spot, opting instead to go with right-hander Braden Shipley on Thursday, a decision made in large part because of the value Bradley brings as a reliever.

But the situation has led Bradley to a sort of existential crisis about his future role, one he hadn’t allowed himself to consider in the past. He still sees himself as a starter, he said, but he’s at least beginning to consider the alternative.

“It’s weird,” Bradley said. “Being in this situation, you want to do anything you can to help the team. You have this idea and opinion of where your career is going to go and what you’re going to be, and this is the first time I’ve had second thoughts about what I’m going to do career-wise.

“It’s tough because I am throwing the ball well and this role seems to fit me well, but at the same time I still think I can start and win games as a starter. And also putting the team first and dictating what’s the best role for this team right now. Honestly, it’s one of those things where I’m trying to just roll with it, and whenever that phone rings, be ready.”

Bradley has been dominant out of the bullpen for the Diamondbacks through the season’s first month, giving up just two runs in 16 innings while walking three and striking out 19.

There were indications last week that the Diamondbacks were planning to install Bradley as a starter, and while manager To-

rey Lovullo didn’t come out and say it on Tuesday, it’s likely that closer Fernando Rodney’s struggles in the past week – he blew saves in consecutive appearances – gave the organization pause.

“He’s been throwing the ball extremely well,” Lovullo said of Bradley. “In that role, in that environment, let him continue to have success and blosnings as a reliever. Longterm, as we’ve been talking about, we still want him to be a starter. When and if that happens, we can’t put a date on it, but for right now, what we need coming out of the bullpen and the dominance that he’s had, it just made a lot of sense to leave him there.”

Bradley says one thing that has made the situation easy has been the level of communication between him and the organization.

“I haven’t been in the dark,” he said. “I’ve known every move, every situation. It’s kind of the way they put it is, you’re valuable to us in what you’re doing right now. I understand. I’m good at it and I really have taken a liking to it.”

Shipley, 25, has posted a 4.18 ERA in five starts for Triple-A, with eight walks and 20 strikeouts in 28 innings. He gave up six runs in five innings in his first start but has a 2.74 ERA in his past four, including tossing six scoreless innings in his most recent outing.

Shipley threw 70 insom at the big-league level last season, posting a 5.27 ERA with 28 walks and 43 strikeouts.

Shipley is the second pitcher to get a start following the season-ending elbow injury to Shelby Miller, following right-hander Zack Godley, who gave up two runs in five innings in a start last week against the Padres. at or

WASHINGTON Jake Lamb and Chris Herrmann homered off Tanner Roark, and the Diamondbacks bounced back from an early deficit to beat the high-scoring Washington Nationals 6-3 on Tuesday night.

Erratic starter Taijuan Walker and four relievers combined to blank the potent Washington offense over the final six innings after the Nationals bolted to a 3-1 lead.

Two days after scoring 23 runs against the Mets to cap a record-setting month, Washington went 2 for 12 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10.

Lamb and Herrmann connected in the fourth inning to put Arizona up 4-3, and Jeremy Hazelbaker added a solo shot in the ninth.

Walker needed 117 pitches to get 11 outs and was pulled with two outs in the fifth. He gave up three runs, walked five and struck out six.

T.J. McFarland (1-0) got four straight outs, J.J. Hoover and Jorge De La Rosa each pitched an inning, and Fernando Rodney worked a perfect ninth for his seventh save.

Ryan Zimmerman had two hits for the Nationals, his career-high fifth straight multihit game. But Washington’s offense sputtered after becoming the first team in baseball history to score at least 14 runs five times in April.

Roark (3-1) struck out eight over six innings for the Nationals, but threw a career-high 125 pitches and left with Washington trailing 4-3.

Arizona’s Paul Goldschmidt and Washington’s