Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Starting Wednesday for USA
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Kelly will start Wednesday against Colombia for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
It was originally reported Miles Mikolas would start Wednesday's game, but instead it will be Kelly on the bump in a must-win game for the United States. Mikolas will instead piggyback with Lance Lynn against Canada on Monday, per Katie Woo of The Athletic.
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Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Adding new pitch
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Kelly is experimenting with a slider this spring, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.
Kelly used the new pitch six times. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo believes Kelly's existing repertoire works but thinks the slider could be another option to get early-count outs or swing-and-miss strikes against right-handed hitters. "I think good pitchers and good players are always making adjustments. It was definitely something he brought into camp. He embraced it. We're going to watch him continue to work on it," the manager said. Kelly's existing arsenal consists of four-seam and two-seam fastballs, a curveball, a changeup and a cutter.
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Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Makes spring debut before WBC
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Kelly allowed one run on two hits and two walks while striking out two over 2.1 innings in Friday's spring start against the Mariners.
Kelly made his Cactus League debut and only start before heading off to the World Baseball Classic. He was scheduled to throw three innings or 45 pitches but was pulled after 34 pitches and 1.1 innings. This being spring training, he was allowed to come back in the third inning and retired Seattle's 2-3-4 hitters on 11 pitches. Kelly's coming off his best MLB season in 2022 as he limited walks and long balls, but at age 34, he could be due for age-related decline in 2023.
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Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Quality start in Milwaukee
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Kelly did not factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing one run on four hits and two walks over six innings in a 4-2 victory over the Brewers. He struck out seven.
Kelly allowed only one extra-base hit in the form of a double from Victor Caratini and allowed his only run on an RBI groundout to tie the game in the fifth inning. The righty had struggled in the seven starts prior to this one, posting a 5.32 ERA over 44 innings. Still, it was a strong season for the 33-year-old, who finished with a 3.37 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 177:61 K:BB across 200.1 innings.
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Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Hit hard Friday
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Kelly (13-8) allowed eight runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out two over 4.2 innings, taking the loss Friday versus the Giants.
Evan Longoria took Kelly deep twice and Mike Yastrzemski added a home run and an RBI double, accounting for seven of the eight runs Kelly yielded. The eight runs allowed matched Kelly's season high from May 17 versus the Dodgers. Outings like this have been rare for the right-hander, who still has a 3.43 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 170:59 K:BB through 194.1 innings across 32 starts. He's projected for one more start in 2022, which would be in Milwaukee next week.
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Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Shooting for 200 innings
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Kelly is expected to get two more starts over the final nine games of the season, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.
Kelly fired seven innings Saturday, boosting his count to 189.2 for the season. He has a personal goal of reaching 200 innings, which was in jeopardy when manager Torey Lovullo went to a six-man rotation in September. However, following the game, Lovullo all but assured reporters that Kelly would get that chance. That suggests Kelly's schedule will be Friday at San Francisco followed by the season finale at Milwaukee on Oct. 5.
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Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Goes seven innings in win
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Kelly (13-7) earned the win during Saturday's 5-2 victory over San Francisco, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk with six strikeouts in seven innings.
Kelly surrendered one run in the fourth inning to fall behind, but Arizona responded with all five runs in the bottom of the frame to halt his losing streak at two games. The 33-year-old fired 65 of 93 pitches for strikes with 13 of the swinging variety en route to notching six strikeouts for the third straight start and eighth time in his last nine turns. Kelly's ERA has risen from 2.86 to 3.13 during the stretch, though he's recorded 59 strikeouts in 57.1 innings compared to an 8.0 K/9 on the season.
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Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Done in by Dodgers again
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Kelly (12-7) took the loss against the Dodgers on Monday, allowing five runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out seven batters over six innings.
Kelly managed to finish six frames for the sixth time in his past seven starts but couldn't end his woes against Los Angeles. The right-hander gave up a solo homer to Joey Gallo in the second inning and a three-run shot to Chris Taylor in the fourth to account for most of the damage against him. Kelly has a solid 3.15 ERA on the season, but against the Dodgers he's 0-5 with a 9.00 ERA over 22 innings across five starts.
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Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Erratic in loss
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Kelly (12-6) took the loss during Tuesday's 4-0 defeat at the hands of the Dodgers, allowing three runs on five hits and five walks with eight strikeouts in five innings.
Kelly struggled with his control, firing only 50 of 96 pitches for strikes, but he was still able to induce a healthy nine swinging strikes en route to tying a season-best eight strikeouts. The 33-year-old also issued a season-high five walks; however, none came around to score as all three runs were the result of Joey Gallo and Freddie Freeman long balls. That's now consecutive subpar outings for Kelly, who's surrendered seven runs across 12 innings in his last two turns.
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Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Denied win Tuesday
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Kelly took a no-decision Tuesday, allowing four runs on three hits and a walk with five strikeouts over seven innings.
Kelly was perfect through four innings, but the Padres tagged him for two home runs in the fifth. He gave up another solo shot in the seventh, but it wasn't until Ian Kennedy blew the save in the ninth that Kelly was out of contention for the win. The right-handed starter had allowed just 10 homers through his first 27 starts this year, so this was an unusual struggle with the long ball. He still has a steady 2.94 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 147:49 K:BB through 171.2 innings. Kelly is expected to make his next start at home versus the Dodgers next week.
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Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Breezes to 12th win
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Kelly (12-5) earned the win over Milwaukee on Thursday, pitching seven scoreless innings during which he allowed four hits and no walks while striking out seven batters.
Kelly received some early run support and capitalized with a dominant start. He didn't allow any extra-base hits and racked up 14 swinging strikes among his 91 pitches. Kelly extended his streak of appearances without a loss to 12, dating back to the start of July. Over that stretch, he's posted a 2.01 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 71:18 K:BB over 80.2 innings while picking up six wins. Though the Diamondbacks are likely out of playoff contention, this season has at least seen the emergence of two potential rotation anchors in Kelly and Zac Gallen.
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Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Strikes out seven in win
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Kelly (11-5) earned the win against the White Sox on Saturday, allowing four runs on five hits while striking out seven and walking one over 7.1 innings.
Kelly picked up the win despite allowing four runs to cross the plate. He threw 68 of 99 pitches for strikes in the contest. The White Sox got to him early with a three-run homer in the first inning, but they did not score again until Romy Gonzalez's RBI double in the eighth. The righty is having a career year, pitching to the tune of a 2.97 ERA with 135 strikeouts in 157 innings.
Kelly allowed three runs on seven hits and three walks with six strikeouts across six innings in a no-decision versus the Cardinals on Sunday.
Kelly allowed three runs in the first inning but settled in after that and left with a one-run lead. The Diamondbacks' bullpen couldn't make it stick, sending the right-hander to his fifth straight no-decision. In that span, he's logged four quality starts, permitting just five runs with a 32:11 K:BB across 32 innings. The 33-year-old has a 2.87 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 128:47 K:BB through 150.1 innings across 25 starts overall. Kelly will look to get back in the win column next weekend in a road start versus the White Sox.
Kelly registered a no-decision during Tuesday's 2-1 loss to San Francisco, allowing four hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in seven scoreless innings.
Kelly outdueled San Francisco starter Jakob Junis through seven innings, but Arizona closer Ian Kennedy served up a Brandon Crawford walkoff homer to erase a potential win. Despite surrendering just five runs in 26 innings across his last four starts, the 33-year-old has failed to earn a win. Additionally, Kelly has struck out 26 batters during the stretch for an improved 9.0 K/9 compared to a 7.6 mark on the season. The righty carries a 2.81 ERA and 1.12 WHIP into his next start, scheduled to come at home against St. Louis on Sunday.
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Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Fans six in no-decision
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Kelly completed five innings against Pittsburgh on Thursday, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out six batters. He did not factor in the decision.
This appeared to be a great opportunity for Kelly to extend his streak of seven consecutive quality starts, but he needed 99 pitches to get through five innings and wasn't allowed to go out for the sixth. The right-hander gave up three runs in the fourth frame and departed in line for the loss before a big Arizona seventh inning took him off the hook. Kelly hasn't taken a loss since late June, and he's posted a 1.86 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 44:12 K:BB over 53.1 innings across his past eight starts.
Kelly registered a no-decision during Saturday's 3-2 loss to Colorado, allowing two runs on seven hits and one walk with five strikeouts in seven-plus innings.
Kelly fired six scoreless frames before surrendering a run on two hits in the seventh. He also allowed a solo home run and a single in the eighth before being pulled. The 33-year-old fired an impressive 70 of 93 pitches for strikes with 11 whiffs and has now permitted two runs or fewer in seven straight starts while completing at least six innings in each outing. Kelly's 2.86 ERA ranks 13th in MLB while his 1.13 WHIP is 25th, and he lines up for an enticing outing against Pittsburgh next week.
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Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Seven scoreless in no-decision
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Kelly struck out eight in seven shutout innings while allowing three hits and two walks in a 1-0 loss Sunday in Atlanta. He did not factor into the decision.
Kelly efficiently mowed through the Atlanta lineup, needing just 91 pitches to complete seven frames. Only once did Atlanta threaten to score, when they had two on and one out in the second, but Kelly quickly got out of it with a groundball double play. The 33-year-old was masterful in July, going 4-0 with a 1.31 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 33:8 K:BB in 41.1 innings across six starts. He allowed two runs or fewer and tossed at least six innings in each July outing. His next start will likely be next weekend against Colorado.
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Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Eight-inning gem in win
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Kelly (10-5) earned the win Monday over the Giants. He allowed only three hits while striking out seven over eight scoreless innings.
Kelly kept runs off the board for the first time since June 8 and the fifth time in his 20 starts. This was arguably his best outing of the season, as he racked up 10 whiffs and threw 61 of 99 pitches for strikes. The right-hander has won three straight starts and has turned in quality starts in all five of his appearances in July. He owns a 3.04 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 96:36 K:BB across 118.1 innings this year. He's lined up for a road start in Atlanta this weekend.
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Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Fires another quality start
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Kelly (9-5) earned the wind during Sunday's 3-1 victory over San Diego, allowing one run on six hits with five strikeouts in six plus innings.
Kelly shut down San Diego's offense through six frames, surrendering his lone run on a Luke Voit solo shot to lead off the seventh that prompted his removal. The 33-year-old has now submitted four straight quality starts, during which he's pitched to a 2.05 ERA across 26.1 innings. Kelly concludes the first half with a 3.26 ERA and 1.21 WHIP with 89 strikeouts in 110.1 innings across 19 starts.
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Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Goes seven innings in win
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Kelly (8-5) allowed two runs on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts in seven-plus innings to earn the win Monday over the Giants.
Kelly limited his opponent to exactly two runs for the third straight start. He gave up a run on a fielder's choice in the fourth inning and walked LaMonte Wade in the eighth before he exited. Joe Mantiply struggled in relief, allowing the inherited runner to score to tack another run on Kelly's line. This was Kelly's ninth quality start in 18 outings this year. He's maintained a solid 3.36 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 84:36 K:BB through 104.1 innings overall. The right-hander is projected for one more start in the first half, which is expected to be a road game versus the Padres this weekend.
