D-backs LHP Robbie Ray picks up his second win of spring

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Robbie Ray looks like he’s ready for the 2017 season to begin.

Despite surrendering a run in the third, Ray made quick work of the San Francisco Giants early, facing just four batters in each of his first three innings of work. He would be pulled in favor of Tyler Jones with one out in the fourth inning and a runner on second with his pitch count at 60. Jones would leave the runner stranded and preserve the lead for the Snakes and the win for Ray.

After his outing, Ray talked about what may have prevented him from having a better stat line.

“I felt like I was maybe tipping my pitches,” he said. “I feel like I threw some really good off-speed and they were spitting on it, not really swinging, that’s something I’ll go look at.”

The only blemish to Ray’s otherwise positive start was a RBI double in the third inning by Giants outfielder Gorkys Hernandez just after Justin Ruggiano was beaned on the hand. During the next at-bat, Hernandez was caught too far off of second base and tagged out by Ray at third after a short 1-5-4-1 rundown.

Ray pitched 3.1 innings, allowing three hits and one earned run while walking one and striking out three. He lowered his Cactus League ERA to 1.17 in the process.

The D-backs took an early 2-0 lead thanks to a pair of first-inning triples by Gregor Blanco and Jake Lamb, but Lamb would end up stranded at third after back-to-back strikeouts from Giants starter Ty Blach.

Spring invitee Tom Wilhelmsen pitched a flawless top of the fifth inning in his effort to make the 2017 squad and the team followed that up with a two-run bottom of the fifth as pinch-runners began pouring out of the dugout following each hit.

In the sixth inning, infielder Kristopher Negron sent a sharp Clayton Blackburn curveball over the left field fence for his first homer of the Spring, just one pitch after watching the same curveball dip through the zone for a called strike. That was the D-backs’ fifth run of the game and all they would need in their 5-1 victory.

The game was played in front of 13,557 fans, a new Salt River Fields record.

BASE HITS

— Torey Lovullo said he’s texted back and forth with most D-backs players involved in the World Baseball Classic, including Paul Goldschmidt who he said was not injured despite leaving Team USA’s game early in favor of Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer.

— Lovullo also talked about how special Italy’s big comeback win over Mexico was for new D-backs infielder Daniel Descalso.

— Ketel Marte made his eighth start of the spring Saturday, his fifth as a designated hitter.

— The D-backs continue their spring season tomorrow at Scottsdale Stadium to take on the Giants once again. Archie Bradley is expected to get the start against Matt Moore. First pitch at 1:05 p.m. This game can be heard on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.