Henry’s quality start providing hope
MILWAUKEE — When Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo got to the mound, he held up his hand for left-hander Tommy Henry to wait. Lovullo was taking Henry out of the game, but he wanted to congratulate his rookie on his season. He told him he should be proud of what he had accomplished.
Henry wrapped up his season with an impressive outing against the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night, giving up just one run in 6 1/3 innings of a game the Diamondbacks lost, 6-5, in 10 innings.
Henry allowed a solo home run to Christian Yelich but nothing beyond that. He mixed his pitches effectively. He limited hard contact. He worked into the seventh inning for the second time in his major league career. He also gave himself a positive on which to build as he heads into the winter, snapping what had been a rough string of starts.
For the Diamondbacks, it was another encouraging night from one of their stable of young starting pitchers. Righthander Drey Jameson gave the Diamondbacks four dazzling starts. Righthander Ryne Nelson pitched well over his 18 1/3 innings in three starts. And Henry pitched effectively for stretches — albeit inconsistently — over his nine outings.
Altogether, the trio pitched to a 3.51 ERA over 89 2/3 innings, with 34 walks and 76 strikeouts, and with another high-end pitching prospect, right-hander Brandon Pfaadt, on the brink of the majors, the Diamondbacks’ pitching inventory has seen its stock rise over the past couple of months.
“First of all, they showed good stuff,” said Dan Carlson, the Diamondbacks’ assistant pitching coach and minor league pitching coordinator. “They showed a lot of poise. They were able to make big pitches in big games to great hitters. I don’t think anybody had really a soft landing. They were challenged right away.
“I think Tommy finishing up like this — it was a great start for him — I know it was another confidence booster to take him into spring training next year.”
The Diamondbacks can feel good knowing they have at least a pair of veteran, dependable starters to build around in right-handers Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly. While left-hander Madison Bumgarner is harder to count on, the encouraging debuts of their young starters should provide some hope that the club’s future rotation might be on solid ground.
“I think it’s definitely changed the landscape,” Lovullo said. “We anticipated they would be ready for this opportunity and they’ve done a very good job of preparing themselves to come into camp and compete for a spot. I expect camp to be very competitive next year.”
Leading off the second, Yelich drove a Henry slider out to left field for a solo homer. Andrew McCutchen followed by working a walk. It turned out to be the type of sequence, Henry said, that allowed him to get his outing on track.
“That was a moment where I had to step off, take a breather for a second and kind of gain control of the game again,” Henry said. “Those are moments when you realize momentum could be shifting the other way and so it forces you to step back and regain control. That can help you settle in at times.”
Henry retired 11 of the next 12 batters and 15 of 17 before departing with one out in the seventh.
“He was in command of all his pitches today,” Lovullo said. “There was a lot
of swing-and-miss, strike-to-ball secondary stuff. It was a really good outing. He made some quality adjustments.”
For years, the Diamondbacks have struggled to develop starting pitching. All of a sudden, they might have several intriguing candidates.
Henry has impressed with his poise, work ethic and aptitude. Nelson and Jameson have more explosive stuff and might have higher ceilings. Pfaadt is an organizational favorite, beloved by coaches, and he has had the most consistent minor league track record.
“I think what we’re seeing is we’re seeing the emergence of some premium starters,” Carlson said. “Every night we have a chance to win. They go out there and they’re not just trying to survive. They’re actually trying to thrive in this type of atmosphere. Especially toward the end of the year, they’re earning opportunities for next year.”
“I think Tommy finishing up like this — it was a great start for him — I know it was another confidence booster to take him into spring training next year.”
Dan Carlson
Diamondbacks’ assistant pitching coach and minor league pitching coordinator