Triumphant return for thyroid cancer survivor Davis

05/23/2008 11:59 PM ET
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Triumphant return for survivor Davis
Lefty allows one run over seven innings to earn victory
By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com

ATLANTA -- Not until his work was done for the night did Doug Davis allow his emotions to surface.

The D-backs left-hander, six weeks removed from thyroid cancer surgery, allowed just one run over seven innings as Arizona snapped a six-game road losing streak with an 11-1 win over the Braves on Friday night at Turner Field.

When Robby Hammock pinch-hit for Davis in the eighth, his teammates came up to him one by one and congratulated him.

"Everybody gave me a hug and said, 'Good job,'" Davis said. "Every time I hugged somebody, I just felt very blessed to have them behind me as much as they are."

Maybe it was just a coincidence, but on the heels of a dismal series in Florida where they scored just three runs in three games, the D-backs' hitters supported Davis with a season-high 11 runs and excellent defense which included sliding catches by outfielders Chris Young and Justin Upton.

"I think we got a little inspirational help from him today," Arizona manager Bob Melvin said. "Just the fact that we knew he was taking the mound again just gives you a little extra. Today was probably just a little bit more than a baseball game."

Davis (2-1) tried hard to treat the game like any other start.

"It goes away after the first pitch," Davis said of the added emotion. "The first strike call, it all goes away."

It helped that the D-backs jumped all over Atlanta starter Jo-Jo Reyes for five runs before Davis even took the mound for the first time. Stephen Drew started the first-inning scoring with a solo home run, and Eric Byrnes capped it with a two-run shot of his own.

"When you get five runs, it takes a lot of pressure off," Davis said.

A duck snort of a double off the bat of Chris Snyder that hit the first-base bag in the first seemed to indicate it was going to be a good night for the D-backs.

"We got a few breaks early on," said Snyder, who described his hit as a cue shot. "I hit probably the ugliest two-run double I've ever hit in my life, but those are the things that open it up."

And open it up it did. Not only did the D-backs reach a season high in runs, but the five home runs were the most they'd hit in a game since July 31, 2005.

"Sometimes all you need is an inning like that in the first inning, and everybody relaxes a little bit," Melvin said. "Almost across the board, everybody had some success today. You struggle for a while and one hit, two hits, three hits -- all of a sudden, it's a five-run inning and the floodgates open."

In the process, the D-backs drowned Reyes, who gave up seven earned runs while lasting just five innings.

Davis, meanwhile, pitched one of his typical games. He changed speeds to keep the Braves off balance and went to his cutter when he needed to make a pitch.

"Amazing," Melvin said. "Pretty much picked up right where he left off. I mean, he pitched the same type of game."

Davis last appeared in a Major League game on April 8, when he beat the Dodgers at Chase Field. Two days later, doctors removed his thyroid.

Davis, who struck out four, made two Minor League rehab starts. Just over a week ago, tests revealed he was cancer free.

"It was just good to be back out there competing at the Major League level," he said. "I said I wanted to be back on the mound by [May 10], and I was back on the mound by the 10th, just in the Minor Leagues."

Davis threw 89 pitches -- 53 for strikes -- and did not seem to be tired at the end.

"I tell you, I had some reservations about the timetable," Melvin said. "But he did everything he possibly could to keep himself in the type of condition to be able to come back six weeks later and give us a performance like that."

Since tests showed Davis to be healthy again last week, Davis can go back to obsessing over his walk total with a clear mind.

"That's always been my problem," he said, despite only walking one on Friday. "I hate walks, and one of them scored tonight. So that just shows you right there, walks will kill you."

Steve Gilbert is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

That's a neat story. Maybe he can throw a no-hitter so we can stop hearing about the Red Sux

Should have let Davis throw a CG!



Stop pulling Leylands!

Halladay has five already! See MLB Managers; it can be done!