A nightmare opening frame and a career-worst statistical slump continue to haunt the Arizona Diamondbacks ace, leaving the struggling veteran searching for answers after another early offensive ambush.
Veteran starter Zac Gallen gave up four runs in the first inning and that was all she wrote as the Arizona Diamondbacks fell to the San Diego Padres, 4-1.
Oddly enough, all five runs came across in the first inning. Arizona jumped out to a 1-0 lead, but it's one that didn't last long as Gallen allowed four to score in the bottom half.
Gallen settled in and had a good start the remaining five inning, but Arizona's offense failed to bail him out. Through 19 starts this season, Gallen sits at 3-9 with a brutal minus-1.6 WAR. His ERA is up to 6.34 and his WHIP remains a career-high 1.56.
It's impossible to put all of the blame on Gallen's shoulders, but a rough first inning didn't set his team up for success. Time and time again, the Diamondbacks are dropping games when Gallen starts. Sometimes all it takes is one crooked inning, and those come back to haunt him on a consistent basis.
Highest ERA in MLB Among All Qualified Pitchers
Gallen sports a 7.50 ERA in the first inning this season. If that's not bad enough, he allows an MLB-worst .342 batting average in the first inning. Hitters are able to pounce on him early, with ease, and his overall ERA has suffered in a big way.
He's given up at least two earned runs in each of his last 10 starts, but it's notable that he's given up four or more in seven of those 10.
When focusing on his first inning in particular, it's beyond frustrating, to say the least. Gallen's first pitch of the game was a double to right field, and then he allowed that run to score just three pitches later. All it took was four pitchers for the Diamondbacks 1-0 lead to be erased.
After recording a pair of strikeouts, Gallen allowed a two-out, three-run homer. Two-out runs are something that simply can't be allowed, and time and time again it's Gallen who can't get out of these situations.
Can Gallen's Season be Saved?
Gallen is set to start one more game before the All-Star break, but it's not like that affects his chances of pitching in the All-Star game. He may have been named to the All-MLB First Team in 2023, his lone All-Star season, but things have spiraled in a horrendous way since that season.
Gallen isn't getting any younger, and he's not getting any better. It's not like the Diamondbacks have to designate him for assignment, but something needs to be done as he's cost this team far too many games this season.
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