Cactus League debut a ‘grind’ for D-backs’ RHP Taijuan Walker

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – On the surface, when the goal is two innings and the result is one inning, it would be easy to draw the wrong conclusion.

Of course, it is only spring training, where the results are secondary to a player getting their work in for that day. Especially when that player is a starting pitcher.

In other words, for a first time out, Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Taijuan Walker did just fine.

“It was good. I felt good. I felt strong. My fastball command was really good,” he said Tuesday, following his appearance in the D-backs’ 14-12 loss to the Giants at Scottsdale Stadium.

“I was just kind of going out there working on both side of the plate with my fastball and I thought I did that pretty well. I threw a few breaking balls and a couple of changeups but for the most part it was mostly just fastballs and I felt good with it.”

A high pitch-count was to blame for the short outing.

Walker threw 35 pitches, 23 for strikes including three first-pitch strikes, over the five batters faced. He allowed one run on two hits with two strikeouts; the latter of which bookended his Cactus League debut. Giants second baseman Joe Panik went down swinging to start the game and third baseman Pablo Sandoval took a called strike three to finish the inning.

Panik’s at-bat, which lasted 11 pitches, set the tone for the inning.

Walker quickly got ahead 0-2 but then Panik proceeded to foul off several pitches and eventually worked the count to 3-2.

“I used them all in the first at-bat,” Walker said, laughing, referring to his four-pitch repertoire: fastball, changeup, curveball and slider.

“It was kind of a grind. They were fouling off a lot of pitches, which is fine. It’s spring training, though. I figured their timing is off a little bit, so I feel…when we get closer to the season, they’re going to put some of those balls in play. That’s what I want. Quick outs. Pound the zone and get quick outs.”

Throwing all of his pitches this early in spring, let alone the first inning, was not the plan, according to Walker.

“It’s just the way it happened,” he said. “I was kind of just getting annoyed and I just wanted to try to finish him but (Panik) kept fouling everything off. But, it was good. I was throwing stuff for strikes. One inning, I got to 35 pitches but I felt like it was a good 35 pitches in the first inning. I wasn’t walking anyone or throwing a bunch of balls. I was just pounding the zone.”

BASE HITS

— As planned, the D-backs are stretching out pitcher Archie Bradley this spring. So his second appearance went two innings, and it was a struggle. Bradley surrendered four runs on two hits with three walks and one strikeout in 1.1 innings.

One of the runs came off the bat of right fielder Austin Slater, who led off the fourth inning with a home run over the right-field fence. Bradley had Slater 0-2 before Slater connected on his first homer of the Cactus League season.

— The D-backs appeared to have the game well in hand. They led 10-2 and then 12-8 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, when the Giants plated six runs, highlighted by first baseman Kyle Jensen’s walk-off grand slam.

In the loss, first baseman Kevin Cron, center fielder Kristopher Negron and pinch-hitter Christian Walker each had two RBI. Cron finished 2-for-3 with a run scored.

Shortstop Ketel Marte and left fielder Yasmany Tomas also had RBI.

— Meanwhile, at Chase Field, head groundskeeper Grant Trenbeath and his staff began installing new sod at the ballpark for the upcoming season.

The type of grass is changing from Bulls Eye Bermuda Grass to Platinum TE Paspalum, which is currently being used in Atlanta, Houston and Miami.

The sod is coming from West Coast Turf’s Escondido, CA sod farm and weather permitting, the installation will run through Friday.

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