Zac Gallen Has Career Night in Diamondbacks' Yankee Stadium Win

The D-backs got a masterful outing from their ace.

Arizona Diamondbacks Zac Gallen (23) pitches during their Opening Day game against the Chicago Cubs at Chase Field in Phoenix on March 27, 2025. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the New York Yankees on Wednesday by a score of 4-3. It was a brilliant game for ace Zac Gallen as the D-backs clinched their first series win of 2025 - their first-ever regular season series win at Yankee Stadium.

Gallen, fresh off a poor start on Opening Day, arguably delivered one of the most dominant starts of his career. He spanned 6.2 innings, allowing only three base hits, no walks and no runs, and struck out an eye-popping 13 batters.

Gallen's movement, location and poise were excellent, a notable improvement from Opening Day, in which he gave up four hits, walks and runs over four innings.

Gallen's 13 punchouts tie a career-high. They also account for the most strikeouts by any Diamondbacks pitcher facing the Yankees, and secure Gallen as the only pitcher to ever deliver 12+ strikeouts without allowing a run at Yankee Stadium.

He collected an incredible 24 whiffs throughout the course of his outing, smashing his previous high of 20. He mainly got swing-and-miss on his changeup and knuckle-curve with plenty of break and pinpoint accuracy. He also picked up two strikeouts looking.

Gallen held the top three hitters in New York's lineup hitless, and struck out reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge in all three of his at-bats.

It was exactly the type of outing the Diamondbacks needed out of Gallen, and it was an excellent bounce-back performance after a poor showing his first time out. The righty looked to be in complete control of the game from start to finish.

His only real blemish came in the second inning, when he allowed a single and double to Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Austin Wells. With runners at second and third, no outs, Gallen struck out back-to-back batters to end the threat.

From there, Gallen didn't allow a baserunner until the seventh inning, when Wells got him for a single to end his day on the mound.

"The body language, the way he was getting the ball back from the catcher, stepping on the mound, delivering pitches," said manager Torey Lovullo, speaking to D-backs.TV's Todd Walsh postgame.

"And just reading swings, he and [Moreno] got into an incredible rhythm and they took it from there."

Lovullo described the outing as "vintage" Gallen, and noted the confidence in the ace's body language.

"I think anytime you have success with some of the things you're really working on and you have these types of results, it's bound to make you feel good. He's going to have a good night's rest and I'm sure he can't wait for five days from now," Lovullo said.

Arizona's offense was less than explosive throughout, but they did afford Gallen an early lead. In the top of the first facing Carlos Rodon, Ketel Marte walked and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit his second homer of the season to left field for a 2-0 lead.

In the second, Geraldo Perdomo hit a sacrifice fly to score Eugenio Suárez, and the newly-extended Marte knocked a single up the middle to score Gabriel Moreno, extending the lead to 4-0.

But from there, Arizona's offense was mostly silent. With Gallen holding down New York's potent lineup, the D-backs' bats went down without much trouble.

Arizona's bullpen was given a solid head start by Gallen, but did provide a bit of a scare in the ninth inning. Joe Mantiply threw a scoreless inning with a strikeout. Ryan Thompson collected a quick out to finish the eighth inning, but allowed back-to-back base hits to open the ninth.

A.J. Puk then entered with two on and no outs. He got the first out, then surrendered a home run to Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe.

It was a classic Yankee Stadium homer, traveling a mere 337 feet to right field. It would have been an out in 28 out of 30 MLB ballparks, and had an expected batting average of only .060.

In fact, aside from Yankee stadium, the only other park it would have left was George M. Steinbrenner Field, New York's Spring Training field, and the temporary home of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Fortunately for Arizona, Puk was able to get the third out with a strikeout of Jasson Dominguez, and Gallen's dominant start was not wasted.

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