Zac Gallen strikes out 7 as D-backs fall to Mets in extras

PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks had their two-game winning streak snapped by the New York Mets on Friday night.

In the first of a three-game weekend series, the D-backs fell to the Mets, 6-5, in 10 innings after an overturned call at first base gave former D-back Starling Marte the game-winning RBI in extra innings off closer Mark Melancon.

pic.twitter.com/ocK1wFDXIT https://t.co/I5VsEmt0WO

— Jake Anderson (@jwa1994) April 23, 2022

It was another stellar outing from Arizona starting pitcher Zac Gallen in his 2022 Chase Field debut. The right-hander went five innings, only allowing one run on two hits  with one walk on 79 pitches (50 strikes). Gallen struck out seven hitters, including five in a row on the first six Mets he faced.

D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said pregame that Gallen had been stretched out to around the 85-pitch mark following a shortened spring training and a “freak household accident” that pushed his first start of the season back to April 16, coincidentally against the Mets in New York.

“Fastball felt pretty good coming out, curveball same thing, changeup was OK, cutter was whatever and I think I threw one slider,” Gallen said of his performance postgame. “So just fastball, curveball pretty much the main thing. I was able to get ahead of most hitters, use the fastball up and down.”

The Diamondbacks were able to produce six runs on eight hits, the biggest of which was Daulton Varsho’s game-tying solo home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to send the game to extras.

🌮🌮🌮pic.twitter.com/HcxyY7dzuA https://t.co/WzYKlkryg8

— Jake Anderson (@jwa1994) April 23, 2022

Arizona also scored four of its five runs in the seventh inning or later, a pair of which came on a two-run home run off the bat of first baseman Christian Walker in the bottom of the eighth with two outs.

However, the D-backs left a total of six runners on base and were 2-for-12 (.167) with runners in scoring position on the night.

The Diamondbacks’ bullpen didn’t do Lovullo any favors either, as the combination of LHP Oliver Perez and RHP J.B. Wendelken combined to allow four runs on four hits (one homer) in the two innings after coming in for Gallen. Relievers Edwin Uceta and Noe Ramirez did, however, close out the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, without allowing a run.

“I thought Gallen was fantastic for the five innings that he gave us,” Lovullo said. “A couple little speedbumps for portions of our bullpen — they’ve been throwing the ball extremely well.

“When there’s some crooked numbers that are thrown out there, it looks a little awkward. But there’s some identifiable things that we need to clean up and do a little bit better and we’ll find ourselves on the high side of this and winning these types of ballgames, which was my expectation.”

UP NEXT

The D-backs host the Mets in Game 2 of the three-game weekend series on Saturday at 5:10 p.m. on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.

RHP Humberto Castellanos will be starting for Arizona, while New York’s starting pitcher is to-be-determined.

Follow @jwa1994