Zac Gallen Faces Challenge as D-backs Begin Huge Series vs Dodgers

Arizona will begin a massive four-game set against their division rival Los Angeles Dodgers.

Jul 9, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen reacts against the Atlanta Braves at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Diamondbacks come off a rough series loss against the Mets, dropping their record to 76-58. Today, they'll face another tough challenger, as the NL West juggernaut Los Angeles Dodgers come to town for a four-game series. The first pitch is at 6:40 p.m. Arizona time.

Arizona is sitting in sole possession of the top NL Wild Card spot for the moment, though the lead on the Padres is razor-thin. They are, however, only 4.0 games behind the Dodgers for the division lead.

Opportunism is a precious commodity in baseball, and the D-backs will have a golden opportunity to do some damage to the current division leaders as they head into the final month of the regular season.

Arizona currently holds a 5-4 season record on the Dodgers, making this series as crucial as it can be. Torey Lovullo spoke on Arizona Sports 98.7's Burns and Gambo show, discussing the critical series ahead.

“We know who’s walking into this stadium… We know what’s building around us. But I think what I want to do, and always say to these guys is slow it down in the big moments, slow it down when you need to go out there and take a deep breath and execute at the highest level," Lovullo said.

The manager said that despite the daunting lineup ahead of the D-backs, he doesn't want the club to treat LA any differently than they've treated the many quality opponents they've been able to handily beat of late.

"It’s about preparation, it's about standing where your own two feet are, and understanding what the situation's asking for, said Lovullo, "I don’t want anything to change, we’ve won a lot of games… Nothing needs to change just because of what’s coming into the opposition’s dugout,” Lovullo said.

Tonight, ace Zac Gallen will take the mound to set the tone of the series, fresh off one of his more dominant starts of 2024.

It's been an inconsistent year for the ace. While his overall numbers suggest general effectiveness, Gallen hasn't looked exactly like himself, striking out fewer batters and struggling with his fastball command.

In his last start, he went six scoreless innings against the Red Sox. His knuckle curve was dialed in, as he punched out nine batters while taking a no-hitter through 4 2/3 innings. He finished the day with just two hits allowed, though he walked four.

The D-backs desperately need more of the same from their ace. His 3.65 ERA and 3.29 FIP have suggested success, but it's been a rocky road, paved with sloppy outings and injury issues.

Against the Dodgers all-time, Gallen has a 3.67 ERA and 79 strikeouts over 68 2/3 innings. But that success has tailed off recently, dating back to the beginning of 2023. In his last three starts against LA, he's 0-2 and allowed 14 runs in 14 innings, including three earned over just four innings on July 4th this year.

It's certainly understandable to struggle with a lineup as potent as the Dodgers', but both Gallen and the D-backs desperately need the momentum that a strong winning start tonight would provide.

Across from Gallen is future hall of fame left-hander Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw spent the first half of 2024 on the injured list, and has only made six starts so far.

He hasn't looked like the pitcher he's known to be, but he's still been effective in August as a whole. He delivered a six-inning shutout against the Cardinals, though only striking out two in that outing. He was roughed up by the Rays in his last start, giving up five runs over five innings.

He has a 3.72 ERA, but a 2.89 FIP suggests he's actually pitched better than his numbers might suggest. He might not be as sharp as his historic reputation, but he's still a dangerous arm, capable of delivering a dominant start against any squad, although his strikeouts per nine are down significantly from previous years (7.45).

The last time the D-backs faced Kershaw was a memorable one, as they pummeled him for six hits, a walk, and a home run, totaling six earned runs while Kershaw only collected one out, as the D-backs began their sweep of the Dodgers with an 11-2 victory.

Lineups

Arizona Diamondbacks vs Los Angeles Dodgers Lineups / Alex D'Agostino, Diamondbacks ON SI

The D-backs are still missing many of their key right-handed bats. After losing both games against a left-hander in the Mets series, they're now 22-25 when facing a southpaw starter.

Their current right-handed bats are struggling, and with Dodger killer Christian Walker and star second baseman Ketel Marte still down, Arizona will have to find a way to get some production against a Hall-of-Fame lefty.

That necessitates some creativity in the lineup creation. Geraldo Perdomo will lead off once more, while Randal Grichuk will move up to the two-hole, after hitting a two-run homer off left-hander David Peterson yesterday - Arizona's only runs of the game.

Of course, Arizona will have to be extremely careful with LA's top hitters - some of the best in all of baseball. The miraculous Shohei Ohtani is a lock to win NL MVP, with a .990 OPS looking almost pedestrian next to his name.

That said, Ohtani has actually struggled to hit for average recently, hitting just .228 in his last month. Of course, that doesn't tell the full story, as he's slugging .545 in that stretch with 11 homers, part of his monstrous 42-homer total.

Mookie Betts is playing as consistently well as always, with a .290 average and .500 slug in August. He only has 3 homers this month, but he's always an extremely difficult out.

Freddie Freeman is actually having a "down" year, by his standards. He's slashing .284/.382/.475 with 17 homers.

He is, of course, still a menacing hitter who can be a devastating matchup for any pitcher, but he's only slugging .375 in August thus far, though he's dealing with a finger injury that's hindered him a bit of late.