The Diamondbacks have dropped three straight, and four of their last five. However, they stand for a good chance to win the series opener against the New York Mets with Zac Gallen on the mound. First pitch at Citi Field is set for 4:10 P.M. MST.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Gallen has made five starts following a loss this season, going 2-2 with a 3.45 ERA on the mound. In all five of his starts, he’s gone at least five innings and allowed three runs or fewer, with three being quality starts. The Diamondbacks’ record has not been as good, going 2-3.
Since the start of the 2023 season, this is only the sixth time out of 24 starts following a loss that Zac Gallen takes the mound with the team on a losing streak of three or more games. Arizona is 4-1 in the previous five, the only loss coming on April 9 in Colorado. That game is the only one where Gallen did not throw a quality start, handing the bullpen a 4-3 lead that lasted all of two hitters.
On the other side, the Mets will be sending one of their top pitching prospects to the mound. Right-hander Christian Scott is a former fifth round selection out of the University of Florida in 2021, but enjoyed a breakout year in the Mets system in 2023. Scott debuted with the Mets on May 4 and has looked solid so far. In four career starts, he has a 3.97 ERA in 22 2/3 innings with a solid 21-to-5 strikeout to walk ratio. The Diamondbacks do not have any history with him, so it may take a couple times through the lineup for them to get a beat on him.
Starting Lineups
Game Notes
Diamondbacks
- Ketel Marte is hitless in his last five games, spanning 20 at-bats, since losing his 21-game hitting streak. His slump has greatly impacted the team’s ability to score, with the Diamondbacks scoring just seven runs in their previous five games.
- Corbin Carroll picked up his first multihit game since May 12 at Baltimore, going 3-for-5 with a double, two singles, and an RBI against the Rangers Wednesday.
- Arizona starting pitchers have gone at least six innings in four of their past five starts. Blake Walston is the only one who didn’t pitch that deep, although that was a case of manager Torey Lovullo being extra careful with the rookie left-hander in a scoreless ballgame.
- Gallen is 0-2 with a 3.77 ERA in six starts against the Mets.
Mets
- Former Diamondbacks Starling Marte (2020) and J.D. Martinez (2017) sit in the middle of the Mets lineup.
- Franchise shortstop Francisco Lindor is off to a slow start in 2024, batting .211 with eight home runs and a .652 OPS.
- Another bat expected to anchor the Mets lineup, Brandon Nimmo, is hitting .214 with seven homers and a .735 OPS. While he’s been above-average, with FanGraphs rating him as 22% better than the league-average hitter with a 122 wRC+.
Bullpen Situation
Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks bullpen is in excellent shape thanks to how deep the rotation has gone. However, the lack of offense has also contributed to their top arms not seeing much action over the past week. Paul Sewald and Ryan Thompson have not pitched since Saturday. Justin Martinez, Bryce Jarvis, and Logan Allen pitched on Wednesday.
Mets
The Mets bullpen took a beating against the Dodgers. Closer Edwin DÃaz was removed from the role before getting placed on the injured list with a right shoulder impingement earlier this week. Jake Diekman, Adam Ottavino, and Josh Walker both pitched in each of the past two days, meaning they’re unlikely to be available for this game. Left-hander Danny Young was added to the roster, with right-hander Jorge Lopez designated for assignment following a meltdown against the Dodgers.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona Cardinals for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
