Zac Gallen’s return from the injured list was a triumphant one in the Diamondbacks’ 3-0 win over Oakland Athletics at Chase Field. Gallen shut down Oakland’s lineup for six innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out seven.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Zac Gallen, Bullpen Dominates A’s
Gallen’s stuff looked sharper than ever, regularly hitting 95-97 MPH on his four-seam fastball and showing three wipeout secondary pitches. He had his entire arsenal working, putting Oakland hitters on the backfoot all day long. Of his 77 pitches, he threw 31 four-seamers, 23 curveballs, 13 sliders, and nine changeups.
“It’s sure as good to have him back,” said manager Torey Lovullo on Dbacks TV. “The stuff came out hot, he was landing every single pitch he possibly could. It was exactly what we needed.”
The strong start by Gallen was a lift to a bullpen that’s dealt with a heavy workload over the week. With multiple arms down in the bullpen, getting six innings on a day their ace was on a strict pitch count was a huge lift for the team. It allowed Lovullo to maneuver the bullpen and create favorable matchups to get the final nine outs.
As Gallen was mowing down the A’s lineup, the Diamondbacks applied consistent pressure on Hogan Harris. They put multiple baserunners on in each of the four innings against the left-hander started, scoring a run in three consecutive innings. Arizona had a chance, getting a runner into scoring position in all eight innings, but couldn’t get the big hits necessary to put the game away.
However, those missed opportunities ultimately did not matter thanks to the lights-out pitching by the Diamondbacks. Picking up where Gallen left off, Kevin Ginkel and Paul Sewald retired the final nine hitters of the game, three on strikes. The trio combined for a two-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts, never giving Oakland a chance to build any offensive momentum on the day.
Ketel Marte puts on a show on Bobblehead Day
It was a big day for Ketel Marte on his Bobblehead Day, collecting three hits, a double, and a walk in five trips to the plate. With two outs in the third, a single and a walk set the stage for him to make his impact. With runners on the corners, Marte ripped a single to left to score Eugenio Suárez. He was later serenaded with “M-V-P” chants from the fans when he came up to bat in the sixth.
#Dbacks set the stage for Ketel Marte on his Bobblehead Day and of course he delivers.
1-0 Arizona! pic.twitter.com/hLuYifJcb4
— Burn City D-backs Talk????️ (@BurnCityDbacks) June 29, 2024
“Ketel was clearly on a mission today,” said Lovullo. “He had the big base hit down the left field line for an RBI and just continued to clean up throughout the course of the game.”
For the month of June, Marte is batting .345 with seven home runs, 20 RBI, and a 1.092 OPS. He’s aiming to become the starting second baseman for the National League in the 2024 MLB All-Star Game. As the second phase of the fan vote opens up Sunday, he’s leaving no doubt about how deserving a candidate he is.
“I’m feeling great,” said Marte on Dbacks TV. “I just try to do my best out there, I know my team needs me. I’m just healthy, I go out there and compete with everybody.”
Next Game
The Diamondbacks still have an opportunity to take the series with a win over Oakland on Sunday. They’ll send right-hander Brandon Pfaadt (3-6, 4.45 ERA) while the A’s will go with right-hander Luis Medina (1-3, 5.25 ERA). First pitch at Chase Field is scheduled for 1:10 P.M.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
