Corey Kluber
Locked-in Lamb homers, drives in 3 off Indians ace Kluber
Corey Kluber

Locked-in Lamb homers, drives in 3 off Indians ace Kluber

Published Mar. 25, 2016 7:36 p.m. ET

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Jake Lamb homered and had a two-run single Friday against the Indians, but it was the swing he didn't take that he was most proud of afterward.

THREE TAKEAWAYS: D-backs 7, Indians 5

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* Shelby Miller looks about ready for the regular season. He struck out four Indians and limited them to one run and three hits in 6 1/3 innings after a few hard-hit balls in the first and sixth innings.

"I definitely got away with some mistakes today," Miller said. "Those balls were in the middle so I just have to get them to the corners a little more."

Miller will make his last start of the spring Wednesday against the A's in Mesa.

"Everything looks great right now. He's right on time," Hale said.

* Hale raved about the competition for the final bullpen spot -- though there could be two if the teams decides to keep 13 pitchers -- before the game. He mentioned Evan Marshall, Jake Barrett, Enrique Burgos and Silvino Bracho. And then Marshall gave up four runs in the ninth -- his first runs against this spring.

"He was just getting the ball up," Hale said. "Can't get the ball up. He knows that and he'll make the adjustment."

* Center fielder A.J. Pollock could be back in a Cactus League game early next week. Pollock, who has been out since March 8 because of soreness in his right elbow, played in full in a minor league game Thursday and will do so again Saturday and Sunday. He'll then be re-evaluated, Hale said. Pollock has just eight official at-bats this spring.

            -- Chris Gabel, FOX Sports Arizona

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In one of those situations Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale harps on -- for good reason -- Lamb came up in the sixth against Indians ace Corey Kluber with runners on second and third and one out. He fell behind 1-2 and took a slider in the dirt before lining a fastball back up the middle for two RBI in the D-backs' 7-5 victory at Salt River Fields.

"That's a pitch I chase quite a bit," Lamb said of the slider near his feet. "I've kind of adjusted my two-strike approach, was able to lay off that and then he leaves a fastball out of over the plate.

"That's the type of hitting we want to do."

Lamb's home run also came off Kluber, who came into the game with a 0.64 ERA in 14 innings this spring. It was a solo shot to right-center field in the second.

"Great at-bats," said Hale, who earlier said he hopes to get 140 starts at third base from Lamb this season. "He's just playing very well."

Lamb was in an 0-for-8 skid earlier this week but has five hits, a pair of walks and seven RBI the past four days. He is hitting .366 this spring.

"I've been doing good at the plate all spring but it's really starting to slow down (of late)," Lamb said. "When that happens, you kind of hit that extra gear and feel really good."

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