Milwaukee @ Arizona preview
Chase Field
Last Meeting ( May 7, 2010 ) Milwaukee 3, Arizona 2
If it weren’t for the epiphany, Randy Wolf would probably be still struggling along - or in a worst-case scenario, the Milwaukee Brewers right-hander might have left the game all together.
Wolf said the course of his career changed after getting traded from the San Diego Padres to the Houston Astros in August 2008. He went 6-2 with a 3.57 ERA in 12 starts for the Astros after arriving in Houston.
The difference?
He made some changes to his delivery with the help of then-pitching coach Dewey Robinson and everything fell into place.
After the solid finish to the 2008 season, Wolf logged a career-best 214 1/3 innings with the second lowest ERA (3.24) of his career while posting an 11-7 mark for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He parlayed that season into a three-year, $29.75 million deal with the Brewers to complement the right-handed No. 1 starter Yovani Gallardo.
Wolf will take the mound on Saturday against the Arizona Diamondbacks coming off his worst outing of the young season. He walked six batters in five innings, so for at least one start, his release point wasn’t right.
His recent history shows it was more than likely a hiccup and the start of something longer lasting.
Wolf has 12 years of major-league experience to bank on if things get out of whack, but his counterpart for the Diamondbacks has just one start in the big leagues under his belt.
Cesar Valdez was called up last week from Triple-A after Diamondbacks’ fifth-starter Kris Benson went on the disabled list.
The 25-year-old Valdez made the most of his first big-league opportunity as he get the win after allowing just one earned run in his five-inning effort against Houston.
Valdez had very good minor league numbers and was a quick riser, but had a down 2009 with an ERA 4.78 that took him off the short list of possible call-ups.
He changed that with a good start to the 2010 season which continued against the Astros last week.
The Brewers lineup featuring Rickie Weeks, Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder is a different and more difficult challenge.
Milwaukee won the first game of the series and can win its second straight road series in its attempt to work its way back to .500.