Kevin Mulvey struck out four and walked three in three innings on Saturday. (Ed Andrieski/AP)

TUCSON, Ariz. -- The homer didn't bother Kevin Mulvey.

It was what happened before Dodgers second baseman Blake DeWitt smoked a fastball over the wall in center that really bothered the D-backs right-hander in Saturday's 7-3 win.

"Solo home run doesn't hurt you," Mulvey said. "If you're throwing strikes, keeping people off base and give up a home run, so what?"

Mulvey, though, walked Andrew Lambo and Ivan De Jesus in front of DeWitt, so the blast turned into three runs for the Dodgers.

"Walks are never good especially piled in front of a home run," Mulvey said. "I feel like I was down in the zone for most of the outing until the second time in the stretch I felt like I rushed a little bit, got ahead of myself."

Mulvey walked three during his three-inning outing, allowing just one hit and fanning four.

"The walks bit him," D-backs manager A.J. Hinch said. "It's something we've talked about and made a big deal of, so obviously he recognized it."

Every outing is important for Mulvey, who is battling for a spot in the rotation with Billy Buckner, Rodrigo Lopez and Bryan Augenstein. It was thought coming into camp that there was one spot available, but with the status of Brandon Webb up in the air for Opening Day, it's possible there could be two spots to be had.

Mulvey worked with pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. earlier this spring on staying back and during his delivery and remaining behind the ball.

"I felt like I made a couple of good adjustments on that," he said. "I feel good, the ball feels good coming out of my hands."