Zac Gallen and Dallas Keuchel Face off in Series Finale

The D-backs will try to snap 5 game losing streak and salvage final game of road trip at Target Field against the Twins

The Diamondbacks  (57-55) will try to snap their five game losing streak today behind ace Zac Gallen at Target Field in Minneapolis. First Pitch is at 11:10 A.M. MST.  The first place Twins (58-54) have taken the first two games of the three game series, including a blowout 12-1 victory last night. 

On July 1st the D-backs were 50-34, holding a 3 game lead over the Dodgers in the NL West. Since July 2nd the D-backs are 7-21 and dropped to 7.5 games back in the NL West.  While some regression was expected, the swift and total nature of the team's collapse has been stunning. 

Despite all that that there is still plenty of time to turn things around and get back in the win column to resume chasing a playoff spot. They currently sit 1.5 games out of the final wild slot, with the Reds, Marlins, and Cubs ahead of them. Miami and Cincinnati have not been playing well of late and both teams have negative run differentials, indicating they are also flawed teams. The Cubs however have been red hot and sport a +73 run differential. They are probably better than their 57-54 record and post the biggest obstacle to the D-backs wild card chase. 

Pitching Matchup

Zac Gallen, 11-5, 3.41 ERA is starting for the D-backs. If the D-backs are to have any chance of righting their ship and getting back into the wild card hunt, it begins with Zac Gallen today. In 11 starts following a loss this season he is 7-1 with a 2.06 ERA with just seven walks and 73 strikeouts. The team is winless in each of his last four starts  however and he is personally 0-2 with a 5.13 ERA since July 15th. Over his last 11 starts, 70 innings he's allowed 13 homers  after giving up just two homers in his first 12 starts 72 innings. 

Gallen still has a terrific 67/13 strikeout to walk ratio during this  11 game stretch. It's not that he's pitched badly, it's just that the hits and homers are bunched together, leading to big innings with crooked numbers.  It seems like he is either cruising along and suddenly gives up three or four runs in the middle or late innings, or he allows a few runs early and then tosses several scoreless innings after the damage is done. Gallen has yet to record his first nine inning complete game. He was credited with a seven inning complete game in the first game of a double header in 2021 against Atlanta. He's completed the 8th inning one time in his career, September 22nd, 2022 when he shut out the Dodgers on two hits and struck out 13.  Today would be a good day for one of those outings. 

Dallas Keuchel is making his season and Twins debut today. Last year he pitched for three different teams going 2-9 with a 9.20 ERA. Four of those starts came for Arizona and were equally disastrous, going 0-2, 9.64 ERA with the D-backs before getting released. 

Signed by the Twins to a minor league deal he has worked his way back to the majors again by posting a 1.13 ERA in six starts for their Triple-A affiliate St. Paul Saints. In 32 innings pitched Keuchel has walked 12, struck out 28, and given up three homers, leading to a 4.01 FIP. 

Lineups

Jack Sommers

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has a seven game hitting streak, going 9-25 with two doubles and three homers in this stretch.  Corbin Carroll is moved up to 2nd in the order. He has 35 stolen bases, ranking 3rd in MLB behind only Ronald Acuna Jr. and Esteury Ruiz.  He has the most steals by a rookie in Diamondbacks franchise history. He  also has the 5th highest total for any D-back in any season. Tony Womack's franchise record of 72 set in 1999 is not in reach but surpassing Eric Byrnes total of 50 from the 2007 season is possible. 

The Twins are 5th in the AL in home runs with 151. Yesterday they hit four, including two by the red hot Ryan Jeffers who is the DH today with Christian Vazquez back behind the plate.  Max Kepler has a solo homer in each of the first two games of the series.

Bullpens

Paul Sewald finally got into his first game as a D-back. He struck out the side in the 7th inning yesterday with the team down 10-1. 

Jhoan Duran had the day off yesterday and he and his 100+ MPH fastball will be primed to go if the Twins have a save situation.