Patrick Corbin has not finished a game that he started since 2013, but he has done so as a reliever, including three perfect innings for Thursday's save.
Corbin has not had a shutout starting appearance since May 8, but he has posted two three-inning, scoreless relief outings for the Diamondbacks since Saturday.
Corbin’s .302 opponent batting average in 24 starts this season hardly resembles how opponents are hitting .203 against him as a reliever, but that work only feeds the Diamondbacks’ confidence that the left-hander is a starting pitcher – and a top one.
“If we would’ve decided after he struggled to not pitch him any more the rest of the season, we still would’ve felt like he was one of our five (starting pitchers) going into next year with what his track record has been,” Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale said.