Weaver has best start in month, D-backs beat Marlins 5-2

PHOENIX (AP) — The regression of Luke Weaver's pitching career over the past two years has been a tough thing for everybody around the Diamondbacks to explain. The nasty fastball is still there. So is the above average off-speed repertoire.

He's been given a lot of chances to get it right. He also knows there might not be many more if he doesn't improve soon.

“Enough was enough,” Weaver said.

The right-hander pitched scoreless ball into the seventh inning for his best outing in nearly a month, which helped Arizona snap a six-game losing streak with a 5-2 win over the Miami Marlins on Monday night.

Weaver (2-3) cruised though 6 1/3 innings, giving up four hits, striking out six and dominating a team that beat him a week ago in Miami.

The excellent performance might have saved his spot in the rotation. The 27-year-old has struggled for most of the past two seasons and had a 6.07 ERA over six starts this year coming into Monday's game.

“It wasn’t cutting it,” Weaver said. “We’re in a performance-driven sport and you’ve got to do your thing, show confidence in yourself and show it to your teammates and coaches.”

One of Weaver's biggest problems has been high pitch counts, which meant early exits and extra work for the bullpen. But he made quick work of the Marlins through six innings, needing just 65 pitches — 51 for strikes. He was pulled in the seventh after striking out Corey Dickerson. Taylor Clarke got the final two outs of the inning.

It was a much-needed win for the Diamondbacks, who had plunged in the standings after a terrible six-game road trip that included three-game sweeps by the Marlins and Mets. The offense scored just 12 runs the entire week.

Arizona's bats were a little better on Monday. David Peralta had a triple and a double, and Asdrubal Cabrera added...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Weaver-has-best-start-in-month-D-backs-beat-16167217.php