Randall Delgado continues to have success in return to D-backs rotation
Jun 3, 2017, 3:48 PM
Arizona Diamondbacks' Randall Delgado delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, June 3, 2017, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
It’s hard to believe that Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Randall Delgado is only 27 years old.
The right-handed pitcher made his MLB debut with the Atlanta Braves when he was only 21 and has yet to find his footing on a permanent rotation role, not being featured in Arizona’s since 2013.
Prior to the start of the 2017 season, he had started in only five games from 2014-2016 after getting 19 in his first season with the D-backs in 2013.
In a bullpen role for Arizona, Delgado has always been capable of putting together a strong month or so of pitching.
Since 2014, he’s had five separate months when he’s pitched at least 10 innings and had an ERA under two out of the bullpen. None of those, however, came with at least 20 innings pitched in that month.
He had these blips as well starting in 2013 when he had a 2.14 ERA in 33.2 innings of pitching in July of 2013.
He’s done it again this season and this time, he’s picked the perfect time to do so.
In May, Delgado threw 20.2 innings and had a 1.31 ERA. That included two starts filling in for the injured Taijuan Walker and Delgado was likely getting his last start Saturday against the Miami Marlins before Walker’s return.
Delgado was great for the third straight time, going 5.1 innings and allowing one earned run with four strikeouts. In the 15 total innings of those outings, Delgado has three earned runs to his name.
His only run allowed in Miami came on a series of unfortunate events in the fourth inning. A ball hit on a line by Marcell Ozuna whizzed just above Nick Ahmed’s glove at short, putting two runners on with one out.
The next hitter Justin Bour took a well-placed pitch by Delgado right on the edge of the strike zone to short left field. The ball barely reached the grass outside of the infield and blooped just over third baseman Jake Lamb to bring home Mike Stanton for the first run of the game.
Delgado would not receive any offensive support to earn a victory. When he was pulled out of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning, the D-backs did not have a hit off Miami starter Edinson Volquez. That would continue through the rest of the game, as Volquez threw the first no-hitter of the 2017 season.
