Brewers can't solve Godley, who pitches D-backs to 8-3 win in major-league debut
PHOENIX -- Zack Godley's pitches were so effective in his first major league outing, even the home plate umpire was impressed.
Godley, a 25-year-old right-hander called up from Double-A before Thursday's game, struck out seven in six shutout innings in his debut, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks to an 8-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday night.
"The umpire, Brian O'Nora, came over and said, `This guy has got really good stuff,' and that showed," Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale said. "I love the intensity. That's one of the things we liked about him. He fit right in and didn't seem to be bothered by anything."
Godley held the Brewers to four hits, sprinting off the mound to the dugout after each inning. He got run support from 13 Diamondbacks hits, including three from A.J Pollock, who drove in two runs.
"I was locating my pitches pretty well, all of them," Godley said.
Godley tied a club record for strikeouts in his first major league appearance, matching Max Scherzer's total in a relief outing in 2008. He became the first pitcher in the modern era (since 1900) to throw at least six scoreless innings with no walks and seven or more strikeouts in his major league debut, in information provided by the Elias Sports Bureau.
"We knew that the cutter was his pitch and saw a little video on him, but he did a nice job," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "He got Braun and (Adam) Lind a couple of times. That's not easy to do."
The Diamondbacks had lost eight of nine games entering Thursday.
Yasmany Tomas gave them an early lead with a solo home run in the second inning. The Brewers failed to score in the third after putting runners on first and third with no outs.
Gerardo Parra grounded back to Godley, who threw to second base for a forceout. Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed then threw home, and Arizona got a double play when Oscar Hernandez tagged the Brewers' Hernan Perez at the plate.
The play turned out to be a big one for Godley, who was in control afterward.
"Just trying to get a groundball, no matter what it was," Godley said. "I had the opportunity to check the guy at third. Threw to Nick at second, and he did the rest."
The Diamondbacks got some help from Brewers center fielder Carlos Gomez in scoring three runs in the fourth inning. After Hernandez drove in Tomas for his first major league RBI, Ender Inciarte lined a two-out single to center. Gomez threw wildly to third to try to get Hernandez, and both Aaron Hill and Hernandez scored on Gomez's second error of the game.
Mike Fiers (5-8) took the loss despite striking out 10 in five innings. Fiers allowed four earned runs and walked two.
Ryan Braun's three-run homer in the ninth inning accounted for the Brewers' output. Braun has 17 home runs and 60 RBIs this season.
Godley, whose parents, fiancee and high school coach were in attendance, was given the lineup card, some tickets and the ball from his first career strikeout -- on Braun in the first inning -- as mementos.
