Rediscovered curveball big key to Ray’s recent success

NICK PIECORO

PITTSBURGH – Robbie Ray spent years trying to refine a change-up that he hoped would become a reliable third pitch. Turns out he just needed to go back to a pitch he set aside years ago in the minor leagues.

The curveball has turned into a highly effective pitch for the Diamondbacks left-hander, and he believes the presence of three dependable offerings – there’s also a mid-90s fastball and a slider – has made a world of difference in his effectiveness so far this season.

“It keeps guys honest,” Ray said. “They always have to respect the fastball, but when I have that curveball and the slider working that day, it just makes my fastball that much better. They not only have to respect the fastball, they have to respect the other pitches, too. The curveball, there’s such a difference in velocity there that it kind of keeps them off balance.”

Ray, who starts on Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates, hasn’t allowed a run in 142⁄3 innings over his past two outings, with just four hits and three walks allowed to go along with 15 strikeouts.

Ray said he had a good curveball back when he was a Washington Nationals pitching prospect, but when his velocity began to jump, the organization thought a slider might be a better pitch for him.

He began throwing it again in games last year, but he said the pitch too closely resembled his slider. That began to change this spring.

“I think mechanically I became more consistent so it became more consistent,” he said. “Same grip, it’s just really working on the consistency part with my mechanics and my arm slot.”

In years past Ray was focused on developing a change-up, a pitch that’s often important for left-handed pitchers to get right-handed hitters out. But he pointed to the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw as another left-hander who relies mostly on the same pitch mix.

“There’s another guy in the game that does pretty well with just three pitches,” Ray said. “Sometimes it’s addition by subtraction.”

Left-hander T.J. McFarland fired three innings in relief for the Diamondbacks on Sunday, helping ease the burden on the rest of the bullpen, an important contribution because Monday’s starter, Randall Delgado, is expected to be on a 75-pitch limit.

The outing was the latest impressive performance for McFarland, whom the Diamondbacks signed to a minor league deal in early March, the latest solid reliever they’ve corralled on a bounceback year.

In 11 2/3 innings, McFarland has allowed just one earned run (and three unearned runs) on nine hits and two walks.

“I’m just throwing strikes, getting ground balls,” McFarland said. “We’ve got an incredible defense, so it makes it a lot easier for the pitcher, especially me being a sinkerball guy. Getting ground balls, throwing strikes, getting ahead in the count – that’s kind of the name of the game for me.”

After spending the past four years with the Baltimore Orioles, McFarland was released in spring training on the heels of a season in which he posted a 6.93 ERA in 24 2/3 innings.

McFarland dealt with a knee injury last year and didn’t feel quite right mechanically after coming back. But he also said he just didn’t pitch well – “Plain old had a bad year,” he said – and is happy to be turning the page with the Diamondbacks.

McFarland is one of four relievers in the Diamondbacks bullpen who originally signed minor league deals before the year, joining J.J. Hoover, Jorge De La Rosa and Tom Wilhelmsen. Fernando Rodney got a guaranteed deal but he, too, was coming off a rough season.

“We do talk about it, but kind of just talk about the game and how everyone just deals with their ups and downs,” McFarland said. “It’s really just about grinding through it. Because everyone that’s here has the talent to succeed, but it’s whether or not you stay consistent with it. I think right now we’re all in a good place in the bullpen and the team is doing really well, and we’re just going to keep moving forward.”

Right-hander Taijuan Walker will throw a 60-pitch simulated game on Tuesday, manager Torey Lovullo said, and assuming all goes well Walker could return to face the Marlins this weekend in Miami.

“We’re going to consider tomorrow a start day for him,” Lovullo said, “so if he starts he’s going to need normal rest in between.”

Essentially, that means Walker would start Sunday, which is one day later than his old spot in the rotation. That means the Diamondbacks might need to turn back to Randall Delgado, who faced the Pirates at PNC Park on Monday.

“It could be,” Lovullo said. “There are options that we have and Randall is certainly deserving of it.”

Delgado threw 52⁄3 innings of one-run ball on Monday, departing with the game tied at PNC Park, in a second consecutive solid start in place of Walker.

Delgado threw 92 pitches.