AZCENTRAL SPORTS
A.J. Pollock celebrates with his teammates Thursday at Chase Field after the D-Backs beat the Rockies, 7-0. Pollock drove in four runs as Arizona split the four-game set.
Late Tuesday night, after Arizona had lost its second straight to Colorado and its wild-card lead was down to three games, the nerves of Diamondbacks fans began to tingle.
If Colorado wins the final two games of the series, it will be just one game back, and Arizona doesn’t want to play that wild-card game at Coors Field and, wait, how far back would the Brewers and Cardinals be?
Fewer than 48 hours later, that apprehension has turned into absolute confidence.
The Diamondbacks’ 7-0 victory over the Rockies on Thursday earned them a split in the four-game series and re-established their lead in the wild-card race to a comfortable five games.
How comfortable? If Arizona goes 7-8 in its final 15 games, Colorado would have to go 12-3 to host the wild-card game.
(A tie goes to Arizona because it won the season series.)
“We were aware of what happened the first two days, and to rebound the way we did and create a little bit of space that was here when the Rockies came to town was much needed,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “After two losses, to come back the way we did showed a lot of character.”
For that, Lovullo can thank center fielder A.J. Pollock, who, for the second consecutive game knocked in four runs, including a bases-loaded double that gave Arizona a 5-0 first-inning lead.
He can thank right fielder and rental extraordinaire J.D. Martinez, who belted his 39th homer in the second inning. The 39 homers are a career high for Martinez, who has 49 RBIs in 49 games for the Diamondbacks.
His 23 home runs for Arizona since the All-Star break is a franchise record, breaking the mark of 22 set by Luis Gonzalez in 2001.
Most of all, he can thank starter Zack Godley, who pitched a season-high eight shutout innings. Godley allowed just five hits, struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter for the second straight start. Only one Colorado baserunner reached third and, after Godley got first baseman Ian Desmond to ground into an inning-ending double play in the second inning with runners on first and third, he recorded 20 outs on the next 20 Colorado hitters.
“It was all set up by Zack Godley,” Lovullo said. “Eight incredible innings.”
Godley was at 104 pitches after eight innings and, knowing he was due to hit second in the bottom of the eighth, tried to quickly put his batting helmet on and rush to the on-deck circle so Lovullo might leave him in for the ninth.
“He caught me before I could even get to the steps,” Godley said with a smile.
Lovullo said he never gave much thought to letting Godley finish the game and perhaps become only the second Diamondbacks starter to record a shutout this season. (Robbie Ray did it May 30 against Pittsburgh.)
“I did not want to drag him off the field at 117 pitches and have him give up runs,” Lovullo said. “He did all he could. I just said, ‘No, that’s it. You did your job.’ He fought back best he could but I said no.”
Godley’s command had become a bit of an issue before his past two starts; in a five-start stretch starting Aug. 13 he had walked 17 batters in 28 innings. The difference, according to Lovullo, is Godley’s ability to throw his cutter and curveball for strikes.
“I think he can throw those pitches at any time,” Lovullo said. “And the breaking ball is a big swing-and-miss breaking ball. He does a great job with arm speed so he gets a lot of swings and misses with that.”
Godley said he’s trying to pitch to contact rather than strike hitters out. Eleven of his 24 outs came via the ground ball Thursday, including three double plays.
“I’m just trying to let the guys behind me work,” Godley said.
Because of Godley’s work, the Diamondbacks have a lot less work to do to clinch home field in the wild-card game.
UP NEXT: SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Giants update: The Giants are finishing up miserable season. Only the Phillies have a worse record in the National League. San Francisco is fifth in the NL West, 38 games behind the Dodgers and, even more shocking, nine games behind the fourth-place Padres. San Francisco is dead last in the NL in homers with 119, 23 behind 14th place Pittsburg,h and its pitching hasn’t been much better. Opponents are hitting .271, ranking the Giants 14th in the NL. Injuries, particularly to ace Madison Bumgarner, have played a factor, but San Francisco has won more than two games in a row just twice this season.