Arizona Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen has made history several times this season.
On Thursday night, he received perhaps the toughest assignment of his season yet: the Los Angeles Dodgers in Southern California, at Dodger Stadium.
Not only did he not back down from the challenge, but he aced the test with eight one-run innings in which he didn’t walk anyone and struck out 13 hitters.
He made the best team in baseball look like a Triple-A squad.
“Zac Gallen of the @Dbacks is the only MLB pitcher in the modern era to throw 8.0+ innings on the road with 12+ strikeouts, no walks, 2 or fewer hits allowed and under 100 pitches,” Stats by STATS tweeted.
Zac Gallen of the @Dbacks is the only MLB pitcher in the modern era to throw 8.0+ innings on the road with 12+ strikeouts, no walks, 2 or fewer hits allowed and under 100 pitches.
— Stats By STATS (@StatsBySTATS) September 23, 2022
He used his four-seamer, curveball, and changeup to perfection, but the most impressive part of his game is his flawless command.
Stellar Performances
His performance in 2022 has been so good that he broke the D-Backs record for most consecutive scoreless innings this year, with 44.1.
Gallen surpassed Brandon Webb‘s 41.2, a mark he achieved in 2007.
The scoreless streak spanned parts of eight games.
That’s insane!
For the year, the talented right-hander is sporting a solid 2.46 ERA in 172 innings.
If it wasn’t for Sandy Alcantara and his rubber arm, Gallen could be a very good candidate to win the Cy Young award in the National League.
He also has 180 strikeouts and an elite 0.89 WHIP, positioning himself as one of the top starters in the league.
The Gallen-for-Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade executed with the Miami Marlins a couple of years ago remains one of the most obvious win-win deals in the recent history of the game.
The Marlins got a young building block who happens to be a position player (scarce in their system), and Arizona got a legitimate ace.
NEXT: The Diamondbacks Remain In A Frustrating Position
