Diamondbacks and Zac Gallen have problems against Braves and Chris Sale at Chase Field
The Arizona Diamondbacks had played so well over their last nine games that they could have remained undefeated, with their only losses coming in three games in which their closer blew a save.
That streak ended Tuesday night. The Diamondbacks lost, and Paul Sewald had nothing to do with it. Their offense couldn’t get a big hit against a strong pitcher. Their ace, Zac Gallen, struggled through parts of his outing and then probably stayed in the game one hit too long. Their defense wasn’t sharp.
The Diamondbacks were one hit away from moving over .500 on Monday night. They are back two games below par after their 6-2 loss to Chris Sale and the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night at Chase Field and will have to work hard over the next two days to get a tie in this four-game series.
Gallen needed 90 pitches to get through five innings, and after striking out Austin Riley early in the sixth inning, he allowed two consecutive hits in a pitch count of 102 that put runners on the corners.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, whose team was down 2-0, had reliever Thyago Vieira warm up but decided to start Gallen against the Braves’ Adam Duvall. The move backfired. Gallen, who relied heavily on his curveball all night, made two out of three pitches he threw to Duvall. The second, which was 2-0, was in the zone and Duvall slammed it into the left-field seats for a three-run home run.
Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte dropped a line drive in the second inning, an error that allowed a run. Earlier in the inning, the Braves scored a run on an RBI ground out that might have been an inning-ending double play had catcher Gabriel Moreno not given a passed ball, an error that allowed a runner to advance from first to second base.
Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks had little to gain against Sale, the Braves’ veteran left-hander. They loaded the bases in the first inning and forced Sale to throw 29 pitches, but came home empty-handed. They also had two bases with two outs in the third inning, but failed to score. Sale struck out left-hander Jake McCarthy to end both innings.
Sale allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings. Both runs came in the sixth inning, by which time the Braves had already scored five runs.
Diamondbacks-Braves pitching duel on Wednesday
Braves at Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m., Cox Ch. 34
Diamondbacks RHP Slade Cecconi (2-6, 6.10) vs. Braves RHP Charlie Morton (5-5, 3.96).
At Chase Field: The Diamondbacks could opt to use an opener for Cecconi, who has been weak for months. After impressing in his first two starts earlier this year, he has a 7.02 ERA since early May. … In seven starts since early June, Cecconi has made it past the fifth inning just once, putting pressure on the Diamondbacks’ bullpen. … He continues to struggle to get outs the second time through opposing orders. … The 40-year-old Morton is once again defying his age this year. He still strikes out over one batter per inning, and his ERA is no fluke. … He still averages 94 mph with his four-seam fastball, barely below his peak. His best pitch is a wipeout curveball that opponents miss 34% of the time. … Last time out, he allowed three earned runs in 5 1/3 innings against the Giants.
Soon
Thursday: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (3-6, 4.19) vs. Braves LHP Max Fried (7-4, 3.18).
Friday: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Ryne Nelson (6-6, 5.08) vs. Blue Jays RHP Yariel Rodriguez (1-3, 3.68).
Saturday: At Chase Field, 7:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Yilber Diaz (0-0, 1.50) vs. Blue Jays RHP Jose Berrios (8-6, 3.76).
Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette sings hymns before Game 7
Bulls break up club’s ownership structure and dispel rumors about full-time
Anya Taylor-Joy says her husband Malcolm McRae “accidentally” proposed to her on the legendary “Forrest Gump” bench
About The Author
