Zac Gallen shines, D-backs blow late lead to lose series vs. Giants

The Arizona Diamondbacks and starting pitcher Zac Gallen fell 4-3 to the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday on the road.

Arizona suffered a 13-0 loss on Tuesday but turned to their ace in Gallen to secure their second straight series win against San Francisco this season. Unfortunately, the bullpen struggles continued for the D-backs.

Gallen pitched 6.2 innings (97 pitches, 64 strikes) with two earned runs, four hits, five strikeouts and two walks.

This was a major bounce back performance for Gallen. In his last three starts, Gallen had pitched just 16 innings while giving up 13 earned runs and seven walks.

Over those three games, he saw his ERA rise from 2.79 to 3.62 entering Wednesday’s contest.

The D-backs led early in the game thanks to a Daulton Varsho two-RBI triple off the right field fence.

Ketel Marte then added to the lead with a solo home run in the third.

Gallen pitched into the seventh before giving up his first run on a Brandon Belt solo shot. The Giants added a single, double and a sacrifice fly to cut Arizona’s lead to one.

D-backs’ relief pitcher and 2022 All-Star representative Joe Mantiply came in and struck out the final batter of the seventh inning.

Mantiply came back out for the eighth but immediately surrendered a solo home run to Wilmer Flores to tie the game.

Closer Mark Melancon appeared in the bottom half of the ninth and surrendered a single, double, walk and eventual walk-off hit to Giants’ Brandon Crawford to give San Francisco the series win.