Pfaadt allowed one run on three hits and one walk while striking out two over three innings in Tuesday's spring game against the Royals.
Pfaadt didn't start the game and came on to pitch innings five through seven after Merrill Kelly and Justin Martinez got the Diamondbacks through the first four frames. This was Pfaadt's third Cactus League outing and decidedly better than his previous appearance when he was chased after 1.1 innings. Despite working out of the bullpen Tuesday, Pfaadt remains in the mix for the final spot in the rotation, along with Ryne Nelson and Jordan Montgomery.
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Diamondbacks' Brandon Pfaadt: Rough second outing
Rotowire
Pfaadt was unable to get out of the second inning in his second spring start Wednesday, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports. He allowed three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out two over 1.1 innings.
Pfaadt elevated his pitch count to 46, even if the results weren't pretty. The right-hander's outing was the first in a line of starters battling for the Diamondbacks' final rotation spot -- Ryne Nelson will pitch Thursday, and Jordan Montgomery (finger) is scheduled for his spring debut Friday. If Pfaadt had a lock on a rotation spot, then Wednesday's performance could be chalked up to a pitcher just getting his work in, but instead his numbers will get measured against his competition.
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Diamondbacks' Brandon Pfaadt: Sharp in spring debut
Rotowire
Pfaadt allowed one hit and struck out two over two scoreless innings in Thursday's spring start against the Reds.
Pfaadt cruised in his Cactus League opener, setting the side down in the order in the first inning, including an inning-ending swinging strikeout of Elly De La Cruz. The right-hander then worked around a two-out double in the second by punching out Spencer Steer to complete his day. Manager Torey Lovullo faces a tough decision regarding his five-man rotation. The top four are locked in with Corbin Burnes, Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Rodriguez. That leaves Pfaadt battling Ryne Nelson and Jordan Montgomery for the final spot. Both Pfaadt and Nelson still have minor-league options, but Montgomery could shift to the bullpen.
Diamondbacks' Brandon Pfaadt: Strong finish to regular season
Rotowire
Pfaadt (11-10) picked up the win Sunday against San Diego, allowing one run on three hits and a walk across 5.1 innings. He struck out nine.
Pfaadt's September has been a roller coaster, as he's yielded four or more runs in three of six starts but given up only five runs in his other three appearances combined. In those three impressive starts, he racked up 31 strikeouts over 18 innings. Pfaadt has a 4.71 ERA and a 185:42 K:BB across 181.1 innings in the regular season, and if the Diamondbacks make the playoffs, he's likely to be part of the team's rotation.
Pfaadt (10-10) took the loss Tuesday against the Giants, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out four over 2.2 innings.
Pfaadt fell flat on his face again after delivering a brilliant outing his last time out during which he racked up a career-high 12 strikeouts. All the major damage against him came from home runs. Patrick Bailey took him deep in the second and then Michael Conforto extended the lead with a three-run blast in the third. Pfaadt has allowed nine home runs over his last nine starts and has seen his ERA jump from 3.92 to a 4.80 in eight starts since Aug. 7. Arizona hasn't revealed its pitching plans for the final series of the regular season this weekend against the Padres, but Pfaadt would be available on normal rest to take the hill Sunday.
Pfaadt (10-9) earned the win over Milwaukee on Thursday, allowing one run on two hits and no walks while striking out 12 batters over seven innings.
Pfaadt had been struggling mightily entering Thursday, posting an 11.34 ERA over his previous four outings. He bounced back in a big way against the Brewers, inducing 21 swings-and-misses en route to a career-high 12 punchouts. The Diamondbacks could certainly use a turnaround by the right-hander as the team attempts to hang on to a wild-card berth over the closing days of the campaign.
