Diamondbacks vs Marlins Series Pitching Preview

The pitching matchups for the Marlins and D-backs are somewhat set, with a big question mark.

May 18, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen (23) pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The Diamondbacks are showing signs of beginning to rev up their engine from a disappointing start to the 2024 season. With a chance to hop above .500 for the first time since the early stretch of the year, they welcome the struggling Miami Marlins to Chase Field for a three-game set.

Fresh off an excellent series win at Dodger Stadium, Arizona has moved to 24-26, and are 6-4 in their last 10 games. In recent games, the offense, starting arms and bullpen have all shown improvement and encouraging signs for the long haul of the season.

To put it lightly, the Marlins' season has not gone according to plan. After a playoff berth last season, they sit at 17-34, with a 7-15 road record. They've already begun to sell, as they traded star infielder Luis Arraez to the Padres for a plethora of prospects.

So who will toe the mound for these two teams this series?

Friday, May 24th, RHP Zac Gallen vs LHP Braxton Garrett

The D-backs will send out their ace for game one. Gallen's ERA sits at a solid 3.02, and he's been effective at striking out batters, as he usually is. He has 55 strikeouts against 14 walks over eight starts, and has delivered five Quality Starts thus far in 2024.

The only thing that's gone against him is a relative lack of efficiency, as he hasn't survived a full seven-inning start this season. That said, he's only given up more than three earned runs in a start once, and several of his earned runs were inherited runners scored by the reliever behind him.

Gallen's recent outing saw him go 6 2/3 innings against the Tigers. He struck out an impressive 10 hitters over that start, but allowed two runs and left a runner on first as he stumbled out the door in the seventh. He's still been very effective this season as he looks to get the D-backs off to a good start against Miami.

Left-hander Braxton Garrett has only thrown 9 2/3 innings over two starts, but they haven't been quality innings. He sports a 10.24 ERA, allowing five and six respective earned runs over two truncated starts, although he has been able to strike out batters at a high rate, with 13 over those 9.2 innings.

Garrett features a diverse arsenal, based around a low-90s sinker. His other primary pitches are a slider, changeup and cutter, although he does throw the occasional four-seamer and curve. Despite two terrible starts, he's been the victim of bad luck, as his Fielding Independent Pitching is a stunning near-seven-run difference at 3.65, and he hasn't been given a decision in either contest.

Saturday, May 25th, LHP Jordan Montgomery vs RHP Sixto Sánchez

The D-backs have leaned pretty heavily on left-hander Jordan Montgomery since he made his debut. The big lefty's numbers look quite bleak, with an ERA of 4.98, a .273 average against and a 2-2 record, but those really don't tell the story of Monty's consistent outings.

He's struggled with base traffic, but he's still pitched three Quality Starts over six games. His recent outing saw him go six innings with four earned runs, although he would have recorded a QS if his inherited runner hadn't been scored by Ryan Thompson.

Montgomery's FIP is a half-run lower than his ERA, and his numbers should begin to slowly even out with consistent showings. Nothing suggests he is truly scuffling on the mound, but he is an arm to keep an eye on. Arizona is 4-2 in games started by the left-hander, with one of those losses coming after he pitched a seven-inning QS.

Right-hander Sixto Sánchez is an interesting case. He began the season as a struggling reliever, but has started five games since April 20th. He has a 6.41 ERA, 1.69 WHIP and a .301 average against. He features a low/mid-80s cutter and changeup, with a mid-90s four-seam and occasional sinker.

His FIP is nearly two runs lower than his ERA, but he just hasn't been an effective arm for Miami, as he has yet to pitch through the fifth inning, and is coming off a four-inning, four-run affair against the Mets.

Sunday, May 26th, TBA vs LHP Ryan Weathers

There is a "TBA"-sized question mark surrounding game three of this series. With right-hander Slade Cecconi being optioned back to Triple-A, the D-backs' starter for this game remains up in the air.

With Cecconi ineligible to return by this date, options include left-handers Tommy Henry and Blake Walston. Right-hander Cristian Mena is coming off a nine-strikeout performance in Reno, but pitching Wednesday would not give him sufficient rest to get the call up for Sunday's game.

Henry most recently pitched on May 17th, five days ago. He'd be slated to start tonight for Reno, but if he is held out, that could be good indication of what the D-backs will do. He has a 4.96 in the minors, although the PCL is a hitter-friendly environment, but he struggled in the majors as well, exiting MLB with a 5.40 ERA and 1.62 WHIP over six starts

Walston last pitched on May 21st, which would align perfectly with Sunday's contest. Walston has a 4.54 ERA in Reno, but looked decently promising in his one game of MLB action this season.

He pitched 3 2/3 relief innings with some heavy traffic, but was able to strike out five. His stuff and command has potential to translate to the MLB level, and although he allowed two runs in his short action, there was a "Dodgers" asterisk attached, and he did pitch somewhat better than the numbers would suggest.

Manager Torey Lovullo has also opted to go with an opener twice in the last series, pitching Joe Mantiply and Brandon Hughes to get the first handful of batters out, to good success.

An opener could be the move Lovullo opts to make for this game as well, before allowing Henry, Walston or one of the in-house long relievers like Bryce Jarvis or Logan Allen to take some bulk work.

The top of the Marlins' order tends to change, but the more frequent occupants of the top three slots are Jazz Chisholm, Bryan De La Cruz and Josh Bell--a righty, lefty and switch-hitter--so the matchup decision won't be an easy one for Lovullo.

Arizona will face Miami's best arm in terms of 2024 results. The left-hander has a respectable 3.49 ERA, and is coming off four straight Quality Starts. His last outing was seven innings of two-run (one earned) ball, and the prior start was an elite eight-inning shutout where he surrendered just three hits and no walks.

He features a mid/high-90s four-seam with plus run value, with a changeup and sweeper to complement it. He also throws an occasional sinker and hard slider. He doesn't strike out many batters, but has an impressive 50% ground ball rate, and pitches well to soft contact.

Arizona has a chance to climb above .500 with a sweep, but that can be a tall order, regardless of how weak an opponent might be. There are certainly two favorable matchups pitching-wise in this series, but the D-backs will have to keep their focus and get the job done.