Game #119 Preview: 8/19, Arizona Diamondbacks @ Pittsburgh Pirates

Robbie Ray LHP, 3-8, 3.29

J.A. Happ LHP, 4-7, 4.64

Ender Inciarte - LF	Gregory Polanco - RF
Nick Ahmed - SS	Starling Marte - LF
Paul Goldschmidt - 1B	Andrew McCutchen - CF
A.J. Pollock - CF	Aramis Ramirez - 3B
Jarrod Saltalamacchia - C	Jung-Ho Kang - SS
Jake Lamb - 3B	Francisco Cervelli - C
Yasmany Tomas - RF	Mike Morse - 1B
Chris Owings - 2B	Sean Rodriguez - 2B
Robbie Ray - LHP	J.A. Happ - LHP

Here is the state of the bullpen as we come into tonight's contest, with the number of pitches thrown by each potential reliever over the past four games.

Makes it clearer why they promoted Godley, as he hasn't pitched at all since the 14th. Given he started as recently as Aug. 3rd, he should be capable of giving the team some length out of the bullpen tonight. Hopefully, it should simply be a two-headed beast taking the mound for us, with Ray giving us six or seven innings, and Godley covering the balance. Hudson and Ziegler should also be available; I dunno about you, but I always find it kinda aggravating (if somewhat understandable) to lose a marathon game like last night, when a rookie with a handful of major league appearances gives up a run, while our best relief pitcher sits idle, waiting for a non-existent save situation.

Of course, Ray pitching into the seventh might be a bit of a stretch, considering he has only recorded an out after the sixth once in his last six outings. The length we have been getting from our starters is something I'm working on a piece about for tomorrow. But it is perhaps worth noting that the average starting pitcher in the National League doesn't go more than six innings either, and hasn't for a while (the last time the season average number of innings per start was over 6.0, was back in 1998). However, you can perhaps make the case that Ray is our "ace" and as such, should be going deeper into games.