PHOENIX — Arizona Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen delivered a second straight scoreless outing, tossing five shutout innings in a 6-0 victory over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday.
Gallen has not allowed an earned run in three of his last four starts. Manager Torey Lovullo said pregame he had reasons to believe Gallen was due for a much-needed run after some inconsistent results the past couple months.
“Solid, five innings. They were doing a good job laying off pitches down in the zone, drove the pitch count up, gotta tip your cap but just tried to go out and give us a chance to win,” Gallen said. “So obviously I’d like to be a little more efficient, get deeper in the game. But I’ll take it, we won the game.”
He outdueled Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi — his World Series Game 5 counterpart — who allowed four earned runs in five innings. Christian Walker hit two homers off Eovaldi in the first three frames, going back-to-back with Joc Pederson in the first to give Gallen early run support.
Gallen’s outing was not quite perfect, despite the mere two hits allowed — both Wyatt Langford singles — and seven strikeouts.
Zac Gallen, Wicked 89mph Slider. 🤢 pic.twitter.com/I3fkv4QvI3
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 11, 2024
The right-hander managed five innings with 94 pitches, 54 of which were strikes. A 25-pitch first inning set that tone, although he danced around a couple baserunners by striking out Nathaniel Lowe.
He found himself in nine full counts to jack up his pitch count, even with an 84% first-pitch strike rate. An elevated pitch count knocked Gallen out after six hitless innings last week in San Francisco, as well.
“I would imagine each team plays a general approach against me. Just trying to sniff out that approach if it’s a little different or whatever it is, and being able to counter a little earlier in the at-bat or in the outing just to make it a little bit more efficient,” Gallen explained.
“These discussions have been ongoing since spring training,” Lovullo said of Gallen throwing five innings. “Let’s pick some times where they’re very meaningful innings where you go back out there and go 100-105. We had a gassed up bullpen, and I told him, ‘This is not one of those times where we need to press you.’”
The Rangers did not put multiple runners aboard against Gallen after the first inning (1-for-13), nor did they hit the ball particularly hard (82.7 mph exit velocity).
Gallen feels like he’s been getting back to form. He described that rhythm in San Francisco, where his command is sharp, pitches are doing what they’re supposed to and he’s making quality adjustments quickly to roll through lineups.
Lovullo mentioned pregame the possibility of using off days to get Gallen more opportunities, saying the club will look to Gallen and Merrill Kelly to pace the pitching staff.
“They’ve done it before. They know what it’s like to stand on that mound and execute at a high level at the most critical times. … So we need them, and they can shoulder that responsibility,” Lovullo said. “The conversations that I’ve had with them, they’re willing to accept that, and they take it on.”
Zac Gallen discusses another good outing and what has been working for him lately in the last two starts. pic.twitter.com/oQFs1h5YH3
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 11, 2024
The Diamondbacks (81-64) turned to the bullpen with a 4-0 lead to preserve the shutout.
Kevin Ginkel, Ryan Thompson and A.J. Puk bridged the gap to the ninth inning with three scoreless frames — Puk struck out the side for the second time in his last three appearances.
The D-backs tacked on two runs in the eighth on RBI doubles from Pavin Smith and Jose Herrera and called on Justin Martinez to end the ballgame. Martinez struck out the final two batters in a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
“Just how you draw it up, right?” Lovullo said of the win.
Arizona collected its first shutout victory since July 30 against the Washington Nationals.
Christian Walker hits 2 home runs
Walker continues to check boxes back on the field after missing a month with an oblique strain, and two opposite-field home runs plus an over-the-shoulder catch were welcome signs.
Arizona’s cleanup hitter had yet to homer to right field this season.
“Pull-side homers are great, but opposite-field approach is telling me a really good story,” Lovullo said. “That means your lower half is engaged. It’s firing, and that’s what he injured. So he’s hitting on to that front side and stopping and then really getting behind the baseball tells me the load and lower half is in a really good spot.”
Walker has 25 home runs for the fourth time in his career and third season in a row. He had yet to homer in five games since his reinstatement before Tuesday.
“Chase is a big park,” Walker said. “Sometimes it feels like you got to crush it pull-side and really get a hold of it to hit it out. It’s nice to put a clean swing on a ball, hit it hard and and be rewarded. Hopefully it keeps flying that way.”
Diamondbacks next game
Kelly will start for Arizona on Wednesday’s short turnaround to close the two-game series against Texas. Rangers left-hander Cody Bradford is probable on the other side.
First pitch is at 12:40 p.m. on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app.
