SAN DIEGO — Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Randall Delgado views himself as a starting pitcher.
Forty-three of his first 45 major league outings were as a starter.
However, in his first two starts this season, the 6-foot-3 Panamanian allowed nine runs on 16 hits and five walks in 7 1/3 innings.
Off to the bullpen Delgado went after April 10. His next 37 appearances were as a reliever. Then on Wednesday afternoon, Arizona manager Kirk Gibson announced the Diamondbacks would immediately go to a six-man rotation for the remainder of the season.
The sixth starter would be Delgado.
“This is important for me,” Delgado said Wednesday when told he would start Thursday’s finale of the four-game series in San Diego against the Padres.
Delgado, 24, responded with one of the best games of his career. He allowed two hits and didn’t walk a batter over five shutout innings, and the Diamondbacks beat the San Diego Padres 5-1.
Thursday was the first time in his career that Delgado (3-3) left a start without having allowed a run or a walk.