D-backs waste another Zac Gallen gem, fall in extras to Dodgers

Sep 2, 2020, 10:31 PM

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen walks off the field after being pulled during the eighth inning of the team's baseball game Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

BY KELLAN OLSON

Suns reporter, ArizonaSports.com editor

After a 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 10 innings on Wednesday, it feels like the Arizona Diamondbacks are officially in a freefall.

They’ve dropped 12 of their last 13 games, and in nine of those 13 losses, they’ve failed to score more than two runs. The fashion in which they are losing lately speaks to a team that has lost itself.

The offense that is ruining their season ruined another great outing from right-hander Zac Gallen, who inexplicably still has only one win on the season.

Gallen’s ERA on the season dropped to 1.80 after seven scoreless innings. He allowed only one hit and two walks, with all three of those baserunners failing to reach scoring position.

Arizona managed only one run through eight and a half innings of Gallen being in line for a victory, and terrific Dodgers starter Walker Buehler only threw for five of them, so they had some lesser arms to hit off of.

Christian Walker’s solo homer in the sixth was the lone run of support for Gallen, and the D-backs managed only five hits and two walks in the first nine innings.

After a scoreless eighth from Arizona’s Stefan Crichton, Kevin Ginkel took the ninth in the place of traded closer Archie Bradley. The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts homered off Ginkel to tie the game and send it to extras for the first time this season.

Some fortune came the D-backs’ way when Los Angeles’ Kenley Jansen, one of baseball’s best closers in the last decade, struggled immensely to throw strikes in the 10th.

But they barely took advantage of it.

With Daulton Varsho as the free runner on second base, Kole Calhoun walked, Ketel Marte was hit by a pitch and Christian Walker drew four balls as well to score Varsho.

With the bases loaded and one out with two of the D-backs’ best hitters up, David Peralta popped out and Eduardo Escobar struck out.

Not being able to get more out of that situation came back to bite them, as Junior Guerra gave up one run in the 10th on a throwing error by himself off a Chris Taylor bunt that scored that free runner on second.

The Dodgers’ Joc Pederson moved Taylor over to third on a groundout and the game ended on Will Smith’s single in the next at-bat.

While it was aided by a D-backs error, the Dodgers’ methodical way of going about that inning and Arizona’s failure to capitalize spoke to the divide in quality between the two sides.

Follow @KellanOlson

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen throws to a Los Angeles Dodgers batter during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts points in the dugout before the team's baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts smiles as he leads off from first base during the first inning of the team's baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler watches a throw to an Arizona Diamondbacks batter during the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts, left, dives back to first base on a pickoff attempt, next to Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts yells in the dugout before the team's baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler throws to an Arizona Diamondbacks batter during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Cardboard cutouts of fans sit in the stands as Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler throws to Arizona Diamondbacks' David Peralta during the second inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Christian Walker, right, celebrates his solo home run with David Peralta (6) during the sixth inning of the team's baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Christian Walker points to the outfield after hitting a solo home run during the sixth inning of the team's baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen follows through on a delivery to a Los Angeles Dodgers batter during the seventh inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Arizona Diamondbacks left fielder David Peralta makes a sliding catch on a fly ball hit by Los Angeles Dodgers' Edwin Rios during the eighth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen walks off the field after being pulled during the eighth inning of the team's baseball game Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Will Smith watches his single that drove in the winning run during the 10th inning of the team's baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Will Smith, right, gets a virtual high-five from Mookie Betts, center, after Smith drove in the winning run with a single during the 10th inning of the team's baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts connects for a solo home run during the ninth inning of the team's baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Will Smith (16) is contratulated by teammates after driving in the winning run with a single during the 10th inning of the team's baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts (50) returns to the dugout after his solo home run, to congratulations from manager Dave Roberts, center, and bench coach Bob Geren during the ninth inning of the team's baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder Daulton Varsho leaps for but can't catch a solo home run by Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts during the ninth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Max Muncy, right, slides safely into third base next to Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eduardo Escobar after a throwing error by relief pitcher Junior Guerra on a bunt from Chris Taylor during the 10th inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Max Muncy runs home to score after a throwing error to third base by Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Junior Guerra on a bunt from Chris Taylor during the 10th inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Will Smith, right, celebrates with Mookie Betts, center, after Smith drove in the winning run with a single during the 10th inning of the team's baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Junior Guerra walks off the field after the Diamondbacks' 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

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