D-backs’ struggles vs. Mets continue, Zac Gallen surrenders 6 ER

Arizona Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen tied a season high with six earned runs in a 7-1 loss against the New York Mets on Wednesday at Citi Field.

The D-backs dropped their second straight contest and fifth of six games against the Mets this season. New York is 24-8 against Arizona since 2018.

The Diamondbacks’ offense failed to reach five runs for the 13th time in 15 games, as Mets southpaw Joey Lucchesi created weak contact through his stellar seven-plus innings.

Arizona’s loss paired with a Cincinnati Reds win over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday meant the two are tied for the third National League Wild Card spot at 76-71.

Zac Gallen

Gallen faced 26 batters and only recorded 15 outs in his encore to Friday’s complete-game shutout at Wrigley Field that re-upped his Cy Young Award buzz. The Mets tagged him with a run in the first inning on a pair of hits, although Jake McCarthy made two diving catches to limit the offense.

New York tacked on three two-out runs through five innings before blowing the game open in the sixth. Rookie Mark Vientos hit a two-run shot off Gallen, the only home run of the game, and Gallen was pulled after a Brett Baty single with no outs in the sixth.

Pete Alonso drove in three runs on two hits Wednesday after Gallen was ahead 0-2 in the count.

“Just didn’t make pitches really,” Gallen said.

Gallen has allowed at least five earned runs in three of his last four starts. His next go at it is lined up for Tuesday against the San Francisco Giants in a battle of wild card hopefuls.

D-backs scoring woes

Lucchesi, meanwhile, cruised through seven scoreless innings before getting removed with a couple of runners on base in the eighth. He was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse before first pitch.

The Diamondbacks had two hits through five innings and six on the night. Mets starters (Jose Quintana, Jose Butto and Lucchesi) have surrendered three earned runs in 17 innings against the D-backs this series.

“He pretty much just beat us with one pitch,” designated hitter Evan Longoria said. “He just executed the fastball to both sides of the plate, and we didn’t do a very good job of making adjustments. But give him credit. He made pitches when he needed to. Just frustrated us all night, pretty much.”

Arizona’s best chance to score early came in the fourth inning, as Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a single with a runner on and one out. Gurriel, though, was caught trying to stretch it into a double, and Longoria popped out to end the inning.

Arizona finally strung a pair of hits together in the sixth with a Ketel Marte knock and Jordan Lawlar bunt single. Tommy Pham grounded into a double play, Arizona’s 27th in 31 games, and Christian Walker flew out to deep center to end the frame.

The D-backs finished 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

“He just kept pounding the zone with the same pitches and we didn’t make an adjustment,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “Offensively, I just felt like we could have had a better approach.”

Rookie Corbin Carroll rested after going 0-for-10 in the first two games of the series. Lovullo said catcher Gabriel Moreno is expected back from the paternity list Thursday after his wife gave birth to a son.

Merrill Kelly up next

Merrill Kelly is probable to pitch in Thursday’s series finale, while the Mets will send out staff ace Kodai Senga. Kelly has allowed one two earned runs in 12.2 innings pitched over his last two starts.

Senga tossed eight innings with one earned run at Chase Field in July. He struck out 12 D-backs hitters in a 2-1 win.

First pitch on Thursday is at 1:10 p.m. on ESPN 620 AM. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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