Robbie Ray terrific in first start back from oblique injury for D-backs

The Arizona Diamondbacks had Shelby Miller return to the rotation on Monday against the Miami Marlins and it did not go well.

It was a different story for Robbie Ray on Wednesday, though. The left-hander was terrific in his first start back after being out since late April due to a right oblique strain.

Ray went 6.0 innings, allowing zero runs, two walks and two hits. He had six strikeouts and threw 83 pitches in the D-backs’ 2-1 win.

“I know there was one inning where his pitch count climbed, but aside from that I know it was vintage Robbie Ray,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said.

“He turns into a different animal the day that he is starting and I saw it throughout his entire outing so it’s good to have him back.”

The 26-year-old Ray retired the first six hitters he faced and didn’t let an opposing baserunner reach scoring position until the fourth inning.

In the fourth, he got into some trouble after back-to-back walks led off the inning. Ray, however, excelled in that spot as he has for the past season-plus.

“I’m pretty tough on myself so I just took a step off the mound and told myself that, ‘You’re better than this, you shouldn’t be walking these guys, make them put it in play like you have been, get back in the zone, and get your outs,'” Ray said. “And I was able to get my focus back and get out of it.”

He got Cameron Maybin to ground out, which advanced the runners to second and third. Ray would strike out the next two hitters, throwing four straight sliders to Derek Dietrich before a 94 mph fastball struck him out looking on the inside corner.

Ray cruised in his last two innings, giving up only a single in the fifth and sixth innings.

Ray didn’t receive much help from his offense, but his scoreless outing meant he didn’t mean much. Deven Marrero’s RBI single in the fifth and Daniel Descalso’s solo homer in the eighth gave Archie Bradley and Brad Boxberger a two-run cushion to work with in the last two innings.

Bradley would have a perfect eighth while Brad Boxberger gave up a solo homer to Starlin Castro in the ninth before closing out the victory for his 19th save of the season.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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