Godley shows consistency, efficiency in D-backs’ shutout of Rangers

PHOENIX — All of it was working for Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zack Godley.

Marred by high pitch counts or plain un-Godley-like outings since two dominate starts to begin the 2018 season, the Arizona right-hander had his array of pitches locating Tuesday, confusing the Texas Rangers at Chase Field.

The end result: a 6-0 win for the D-backs that hours after a hectic trade deadline across MLB had Arizona 0.5 games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies at the top of the National League West standings.

“I thought it was fastball command. The sinker-cutter combination was in and out of the zone, and he was getting ahead of everybody,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said, adding that Godley “mixed in a quality changeup out of nowhere.”

Godley struck out the leadoff batter in every one of his seven innings pitched, finishing Arizona’s victory having allowed two hits and a walk with no earned runs. He tied a career-high with 10 strikeouts.

While he joined former D-back Randy Johnson, who in a single game twice struck out at least seven batters to start an inning, it was the first time in MLB since 1974 that a pitcher struck out the first seven leadoff men in a game, according to STATS LLC.

Godley credited catcher Alex Avila for his calls and shortstop Nick Ahmed for two key stops up the middle. But it was even hard for the usually deflecting pitcher not to hint at relief regarding his own performance.

“I think since the month of April, this is probably my best outing,” he said. “Honestly. I felt good, locating my pitches really well and getting some weak contact, which is awesome.”

Indeed, Godley got help from his defense and the offense.

Outfielder A.J. Pollock put Arizona ahead with a solo home run in the first inning, catching a high Bartolo Colon fastball for a ride to center field.

Arizona added another run in the bottom of the third, when consecutive two-out hits by Jon Jay and Paul Goldschmidt put the D-backs ahead by two runs off Goldschmidt’s RBI double.

The Diamondbacks really started to get an eye for Colon as a collective in the fourth frame. After Steven Souza Jr. walked and Daniel Descalso bloop-singled to shallow center, Ahmed drove them in with a double to left field, putting Arizona in front 4-0.

“Nick Ahmed I thought had a very key blow when he dug out a ball at the bottom of the zone,” Lovullo said.

Still with only an out through the fourth, Colon followed Ahmed’s hit with a walk of Alex Avila, and Godley reached on fielder’s choice with a grounder that led to a force out at second, putting runners on the corners. Jay then slipped a ground ball past Rangers second baseman Roughned Odor for the D-backs’ fifth run of the game. Colon had tossed 77 pitches before the fourth inning was over.

The 45-year-old Rangers pitcher lasted just another frame having allowed seven hits and five earned runs while giving way to Jeffrey Springs, who made his major league debut in the bottom of the sixth. A walk to Ahmed, single by Avila and sac-bunt by Godley set up a wild pitch that scored Ahmed from third base, giving Arizona a 6-0 advantage that held.

Arizona reliever T.J. McFarland closed the final two innings, allowing two hits and no runs to go with two strikeouts.

Godley’s performance helped save a bullpen that should be juiced by two trade deadline-day additions of Brad Ziegler and Jake Diekman. But it also lent a promising sign of things to come for a team leading the division coming out of the trade deadline.

It was the first time since Godley’s first two starts of the year on April 2 and April 9 that he’s gone 7.0 innings into a game.

How can he make that a trend?

“I think the ability to make that quality pitch somewhere in the count that’s going to allow him to get ahead to get to his secondary stuff and then to finish off hitters,” Lovullo said. “I think he was making that pitch tonight that was finishing off hitters instead of going two or three more pitches into the count.”

STAT OF THE GAME

4: Arizona allowed just four hits to Texas in the shutout.

HE SAID IT

“We don’t have an end zone here. I know these guys are probably proud of that fact but we got a long way to go.” — Torey Lovullo on the D-backs now leading the NL West

NOTED

– Lovullo said after the game that third baseman Jake Lamb has fraying of the left rotator cuff. The D-backs have yet to decide a course of action, but Lamb will consider a “conservative” rehab in attempts to return this year or could opt for surgery, which will likely end his season.

– Attendance at Chase Field was 21,877.

UP NEXT

Following Wednesday off, it’s a battle of aces as Arizona opens a four-game series against the San Francisco Giants. Zack Greinke (12-5, 2.96 ERA) faces Madison Bumgarner (3-4, 3.06 ERA).

First pitch is 6:40 p.m. with 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s pregame show starting 40 minutes earlier.

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