Kennedy efficient in penultimate spring start
Mar 26, 2012, 11:36 PM | Updated: Mar 27, 2012, 12:44 am
Diamondbacks number one starter Ian Kennedy looks like
he’s ready to start the 2012 campaign where he left off
last season.
Kennedy threw seven efficient innings, allowing just one
earned run and five hits while striking out 4 in a 3-2
Cactus League win over the Chicago Cubs Monday at Salt
River Fields.
“It was a good all-around game for us,” said Kennedy, who
evened his spring record at 2-2. “I didn’t get to throw
to [Miguel Montero] the last couple times and it’s nice to
get to throw to him and get the feel and chemistry back
again. We are on the same page.”
Kennedy was staked to a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by his
catcher that drove in Justin Upton.
Upton then scored Willie Bloomquist with another
double in the third and Paul Goldschmidt jacked his third
homer of the spring, a shot to center field off of Cubs’
starter Jay Jackson in the fourth inning.
That was more than enough for Kennedy, who cruised through
most of his 72-pitch outing.
“I feel really happy with how things are coming along and
how my off-speed pitches are coming along,” Kennedy said.
“Overall, I felt like my curveball was pretty good and I
was happy with my two-seamer too.”
Lefty Joe Saunders, who was named as the team’s fifth
starter earlier in the day, said he’s not all that
concerned about his spot in the rotation.
“If they were going to skip me, then I would have been a
little bit p.o.’ed, but they’re not going to skip me,”
Saunders said. “I want to contribute the most I can for
this ball club and organization. I want to take them back
to where we were last year, if not further.”
Manager Kirk Gibson said nobody will be skipped in the
rotation, meaning Saunders’ first start should be
Wednesday, April 10 in San Diego against the Padres.
Arizona Sports’ Kyndra de St. Aubin contributed to this
report
