Tagged: Sam Demel

Gutierrez, Demel Make Strong Pitches for Bullpen Spots

By Greg Dillard
The final spots in the D-backs’ bullpen continue to be an ongoing competition with a month left of Spring Training 
Right-handers Juan Gutierrez and Sam Demel did their part with impressive outings against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday. 
In front of more than 8,000 at Tempe Diablo Stadium, Gutierrez and Demel both cruised through relatively easy innings despite a 9-8 loss for Arizona.
Gutierrez took the mound in the bottom of the fifth for Arizona, and immediately got Mark Trumbo to fly out to second baseman Kelly Johnson.
Angels’ catcher Bobby Wilson then got the only hit off of Gutierrez, a double to the right centerfield gap.
Although Los Angeles had a runner in scoring position, that was as far as it would get. Gutierrez responded by freezing Peter Bourjos on a strikeout, and then quickly sat down Maicer Izturis on another strikeout to end the inning.
For Gutierrez, it was a positive outing as he continues to prepare for the regular season.
“I’ve been making adjustments the last few outings,” Gutierrez said. “Working hard in the bullpen with my pitching coach.”
The late inning reliever has seen mixed results this Spring, but has quickly turned it around out on the rubber.
“He’s getting better,” D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said. “He’s starting to dump his curve ball over (for strikes), his sequence was way better today. He’s feeling much better about himself.
“He made some mechanical adjustments,” Gibson continued. “He worked in a bullpen then he pitched in another game. He threw the ball better. When he dumps his curveball over, I’ve said it all along, his fastball is much more dominant.” 
After Gutierrez’s outing, it was Demel’s turn to face the Halos.
Demel got off to a fast start to the Spring season by throwing three consecutive scoreless outings before allowing a run last Tuesday against the Indians. He registered another scoreless outing against the Angels. 
Demel induced Bobby Abreu into a groundout to start the bottom of the sixth inning. His only blemish came when Jeremy Moore singled to center one batter later, but that was it for the Angels. Demel then retired Vernon Wells on a ground out to third baseman Ryan Roberts.
Brandon Wood then popped out to second base to end the inning. 
“I felt good,” Demel said. “The cutter was looking really good today, mixed in some good sliders. So I was pretty happy with today’s outing.” 
While he was pleased with his work against the Angels, Demel is motivated to keep improving as Spring Training progresses.
“The next few weeks, I’m really just going to go out there and worry about controlling both sides of the plate,” Demel said. “With the cutter and the fastball, and trying to mix in a little bit of the off speed and get that ready. Mainly controlling both sides of the plate for me.”

Eyes on Omaha

Dmel-TCU.jpg

Photography: TCU Athletics

By Greg Salvatore

 

The last week has been a whirlwind for Sam Demel at the professional level – being traded from Oakland for Conor Jackson, joining his new club, making his big league debut at Fenway Park – so you could excuse him if he were a little cut off from the outside world.

 

He isn’t though… at least as far as his alma mater is concerned.

 

Demel, who played college ball at TCU, is one of only two D-backs whose teams are currently competing in the College World Series. Stephen Drew’s Florida State Seminoles are also alive after beating rival Florida in an elimination game Monday afternoon.

 

Demel’s Horned Frogs won their first game against those Seminoles and it appears that they’ll be a tough out in this tournament.

 

“Those guys are looking good,” Demel said. “We’ll see how they do tonight (against UCLA).”

 

The Horned Frogs made it into the CWS by beating Texas in the Super Regional, winning on Friday and Sunday in Austin. Texas was the No. 2 team in the country behind only Arizona State at the time, so the win was not only a big one for TCU’s program, but one that sent shockwaves throughout college baseball, and certainly sets up TCU as a team that can take on anyone.

 

“(TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle) said, ‘Once you beat Texas, it’s kind of like everybody else is — well, not easy — but you know you can do it,'” Demel said. “That’s the main thing for the confidence.”

 

TCU is where they are in large part because they have the pitcher who looks like the best in the tournament, left-hander Matt Purke. Purke was the No. 14 pick in the 2009 draft by the Texas Rangers, but chose to attend TCU and re-enter the draft later.

 

After Purke put on a show in the Austin Super Regional, he turned around and dominated Florida State on Saturday allowing one run (unearned) on four hits over seven innings.

 

“He’s got some power stuff, man,” Demel said. “He’s got really good stuff and he’s really blossomed, from his first outing to his last outing. I saw him a couple times early in the season and the stuff he had in his last outing, and the way he controlled it on both sides of the plate was impressive. He’s really maturing.”

 

Demel won’t be able to see much if any of the TCU/UCLA game live tonight (first pitch is at 6 p.m. Arizona time, an hour before the D-backs take on the Yankees at Chase Field), but you can bet he’ll be watching it later.