Coming into this game, the Arizona Diamondbacks had a disappointing 11-11 record in September. The season has been filled with ups and downs, with injuries and losses in games they should have won. Despite this, they stayed ahead of the Atlanta Braves for the final Wild Card spot. In a pivotal regular season game, their ace, Zac Gallen, took the mound.
Like his team, Zac Gallen has had an up-and-down season. Tonight, he stepped up when it mattered most, pitching six innings, allowing one run, two hits, and striking out an impressive 11 batters. After giving up the game’s first run, Gallen locked in and looked ready for a postseason run.
A trend that has continued all season is the team’s ability to get their bats going early. The D-Backs scored five runs in the first four innings. Gabi Moreno contributed two big RBIs, continuing his strong comeback from a recent injury. Pavin Smith also remained hot, hitting a three-run home run that served as the exclamation point for the win.
The bullpen stepped up big tonight, finishing Gallen’s job by allowing only one run.
The Diamondbacks won the game 8-2, marking their 88th win of the year. They now face a tough task with a weekend series against their divisional rival, the San Diego Padres. Merrill Kelly will face off against San Diego’s veteran left-hander, Martin Perez. This series looks to be the biggest of the year for the D-Backs as it all comes down to this.
