Efficient Godley deals BayBears a win

The drama was there from the outset of Zack Godley's first start of 2016. After getting a 1-0 lead in the second inning, the Double-A Mobile right-hander went pitch-for-pitch with Tennessee starter Tyler Skulina for six frames. So was the nail-biting, heart-pounding tension fun for a season opener?

"No, sir," Godley said with a laugh.

The outcome was fun, though, and that was certainly enough for Arizona's No. 27 prospect. Godley put his defense to work over 6 1/3 shutout innings, limiting Tennessee to just three hits while striking out three and not walking a batter en route to Mobile's 4-1 win at Smokies Park on Sunday.

"It's always nice to have a cushion," he said. "Credit to the other pitcher when he can do well, but you always want to pitch with a cushion. It always makes it more comforting to you knowing that you have that lead and that you can pitch with the lead. Going into a grind match like that is not fun."

The cushion might not have been much, but Godley (1-0) made sure it stood up while he was on the mound. The 25-year-old faced the minimum over his first five innings and established the tone early, retiring the Smokies in order in the first.

"Getting in and getting out of the first inning quickly and really without any damage and without throwing a whole lot of pitches, if I can do that, I know for the most part it's probably going to be a good day," he said.

Tennessee's David Freitas singled with two outs in the second, but was cut down by left fielder Chad Oberacker while trying to stretch the hit to a double. Mobile twisted a double play for the first two outs of the third and didn't put another baserunner on until Bijan Rademacher's two-out single in the sixth.

"Being able to go in and throw strikes early and get guys to make contact and get my defense work, it was pretty much the goal going into the day," said Godley. "The credit goes to them. I only had two or three strikeouts. All the credit goes to those guys because they made great plays behind me. They helped me out a lot. Hopefully next time out, I can continue to do the same things, continue to let those guys work and let those guys make plays."

The University of Tennessee product definitely got his infielders some work. Godley tallied 10 groundouts vs. three in the air and took a more complete approach into his second taste of Double-A. Godley pitched in nine big league games last season for Arizona after starting the year with Class A Advanced Visalia and seeing action with the BayBears.

"Guys in high-A, they're a little bit more of free swingers," he said. "Once you get up to Double-A, Triple-A and the big leagues, guys are a lot more patient at the plate. They're willing to take a lot more pitches, looking for what they want. That's one of the biggest things I've noticed from last year and this year, just going up and trying to get them to hit their pitch just off of what they want and getting a ground ball instead of a base hit."

Kevin Cron belted his first homer of the season, a two-run shot in the eighth. Daniel Gibson, Joey Krehbiel, Keith Hessler and Adam Miller finished off the win.

"I played with a lot of those guys last year and I trust all those guys in the bullpen," Godley said. "Granted, it is a little bit nerve-racking when you come out of the game and you don't have control of it anymore, and you have to trust somebody else, but I do trust in those guys. I have full confidence that they'll get the job done."

Arizona's No. 18 prospect Adam Miller picked up his second save with a strikeout in a perfect ninth.