This story was excerpted from Steve Gilbert's D-backs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
Zac Gallen, who is scheduled to start Sunday against the Rockies at Coors Field, is just two-thirds of an inning away from matching Brandon Webb's club record of 42 consecutive scoreless innings which was set in 2007.
Amid Gallen's current dominance, it makes you wonder if it's possible that he could reach Orel Hershiser's Major League record of 59 consecutive scoreless innings, which was set in 1988.
Gallen's streak is currently the eighth-longest streak in AL/NL history behind Hershiser (59), Don Drysdale (58), Bob Gibson (47), Zack Greinke (45 2/3), Carl Hubbell (45 1/3), Sal Maglie (45) and Webb (42).
"Just to even be in conversation now with those guys that are in first through seventh places [is an honor]," Gallen said.
Yes, it's an impressive list.
At times, the streak has occupied more of Gallen's mind than he would like, as he admitted during his start against the Royals when he realized he was thinking more about it than the game itself.
But in his last two starts -- both seven shutout innings -- he's been able to focus on the task at hand. As he points out, his job as a pitcher is to put up as many zeros as he can, so it's not all that different.
After he tossed seven shutout innings against the Rockies on Aug. 13 at Coors Field, Gallen got a text from a friend that said: "Orel is hearing footsteps."
"I was like, 'What's he talking about?'" Gallen said.
So, he looked into it. And while he knew Hershiser had the record, he didn't realize how long it was and he certainly didn't know that as part of his march to that record he threw five straight complete games and 10 innings in his final start against the Giants that year to cap it off.
Oh, and then Hershiser threw eight more scoreless innings to open the National League Championship Series that year, which while it didn't count when it came to the record, was still amazing.
"That's what makes it all the more impressive," Gallen said. "On top of the last one he threw was 10 innings and then he went in the NLCS and threw another eight scoreless. Any time you have a streak like that is impressive but to do it in September and carry it into the NLCS? I think there's just a little more weight to that. But five CG's in a row? That's ridiculous."