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The Diamondbacks have gone heavily right-handed for tonight’s contest, with the switch-hitting Marte the only player who is even slightly lefty. Not clear whether David Peralta’s absence - Negron getting the start in left - is a result of this, or is a hangover of his removal from the game last night with quad tightness. Hopefully the former, but he did seem a little disconcerted when asked about it after last night’s game.
Godley is simply coming off the best start of his major-league career, tossing eight shutout innings against a dangerous Colorado line-up at Coors Field. He held the Rockies to five hits, walked none and struck out seven: the resulting Game Score of 79 was a full five points better than his previous highest (74 for his seven shutout innings against the Cardinals in July. It was perhaps the lack of walks which was most impressive, given that 11 days previously, the same Colorado team had drawn six walks in six innings from Zack.
Following up on a 9 K, 0 BB outing, made Godley the second D-backs pitcher since 2012 with consecutive starts of seven or more strikeouts and no walks - Robbie Ray also did it earlier this season. No-one has gone three straight for Arizona, since Javier Vazquez in 2005. But he still has a way to go to catch the franchise record holder. Unsurprisingly, it’s Curt Schilling, who did it for five consecutive games in 2002, posting a K:BB ratio of - get this - 47:0. That’s the longest such streak for any major-leaguer in recorded baseball history. Curt also holds the record for most strikeouts between walks (56). Hopefully, Godley can at least get into the twenties tonight.