Zac Gallen Needs to Keep Foot on Gas vs Brewers

The D-backs' ace has been more effective in recent starts, and Arizona needs that to continue.

Sep 15, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen (23) on the mound in the fifth inning during a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images / Allan Henry-Imagn Images

The Arizona Diamondbacks have eclipsed their 2023 win total, winning their 85th game on Thursday by a solid 5-1 score. Friday night, they'll have a shot to take the series in Milwaukee, with first pitch at 5:10 p.m. Arizona time.

The D-backs are now 85-68, occupying the third Wild Card slot due to losing the tiebreaker to the Mets. The Braves remain 2.0 games behind Arizona as the first team out of the playoffs, for the moment.

Both the offense and pitching looked sturdier on Thursday, as Brandon Pfaadt pitched one of his career-best outings, going seven innings of one-run ball, fanning 12 and walking none.

Arizona needs another similar performance Friday night, as they send ace Zac Gallen to the mound, riding a decent hot streak in his last few starts.

Gallen's season has been up and down in 2024, with some brilliant starts mixed in with some poor ones, along with some time spent on the IL. But the right-hander appears to have found his stride a bit in recent weeks.

While he hasn't looked nearly as efficient this year, struggling to go six or more innings consistently, he's brought his ERA down to a solid 3.61, with a 3.28 FIP to back it up. He's striking out 9.20 batters per nine, a number that's beginning to get close to his previous two dominant seasons again.

That said, he's walking 3.35 batters per nine, and is laboring through innings while throwing fewer strikes. That didn't stop him from tossing back-to-back scoreless starts, including six no-hit innings on September 10.

His last start was a relatively strong five-inning affair. Though he was tagged for a three-run blast by rookie sensation Jackson Chourio, he looked to have a general command of the game, and was awarded a no-decision as Arizona came back to win in extra innings.

Most importantly, he's generating swing-and-miss again. He's punched out seven or more in his last three starts, with 22 in the month of September. In each start this month, he's punched out more batters than the number of innings he pitched.

That's a recipe for a return to the form that earned him ace status. While the road can be bumpy, and the Brewers' hitters are of high quality, Gallen is looking more and more like the pitcher fans know him to be, he just needs to find a way to continue that trajectory.

Across from Gallen is right-hander Colin Rea. The veteran is in the midst of one of his best seasons, though it hasn't been exactly sensational. He's pitched to a 4.14 ERA and 4.75 FIP, though both numbers have been majorly inflated by a poor September.

On September 11 he was tagged for a monstrous 10-run outing, allowing 11 hits and three home runs as Milwaukee was routed by the Giants. His last appearance was in relief, as he pitched 2.2 scoreless innings against Philadelphia.

Rea boasts an exceptionally diverse arsenal. His four-seam/sinker combo sits around the 92-93 MPH mark, while he also mixes in a cutter, sweeper, split-finger and curve. He's been susceptible to hard contact, and while he doesn't walk many batters, he also doesn't strike hitters out at a high rate.

The D-backs will have plenty of opportunity to take advantage and hit Rea hard early. They'll need to take patient at-bats, but an aggressive edge could be their friend against a pitcher who's been on the ropes of late.

Lineup

Game 154.https://t.co/epBmrbY9CZ | https://t.co/k9Xjx1tKgF pic.twitter.com/UHBxDInHe0

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) September 20, 2024

The D-backs' offense has seen a bit of a return to form, after a handful of poor showings at home and in Colorado. The lineup for Friday's game is a relatively standard one against a right hander, although a notable change has been made.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has been reinstated from the Injured List. Gurriel had been down since September 2 with a strained left calf. He's hitting .274/.316/.428 on the season, with a .744 OPS and 17 home runs. Luis Guillorme was DFA in a corresponding move.

Pavin Smith will start in right field, as the slumping Jake McCarthy gets a breather. Smith had another home run on national television on Thursday night, raising his season slash to .296/.378/.591, good for a .968 OPS with eight homers.

Corbin Carroll shifts to centerfield, where his numbers have not been as good as in right. Carroll is rated as -6 defensive runs saved in center, compared to +1 in right.

Each game becomes more important, as the Mets and Braves continue to win, as do the Padres. 85 wins won't be enough to make the playoffs, so Gallen and the Diamondbacks will need to keep their foot on the gas and find a way to win on the road against a tough NL opponent.

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