Two pitchers who are hoping to rediscover their All-Star forms will go head-to-head on Sunday in the decisive contest of the three-game series between the Cincinnati Reds and visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.
Right-hander Zac Gallen is set to start the series finale for the Diamondbacks, while left-hander Andrew Abbott will take the mound for the Reds.
Gallen (3-5, 5.43 ERA) made the 2023 National League All-Star team and finished third in Cy Young Award voting after posting a 17-9 record and a 3.47 ERA.
After putting up solid numbers again in 2024, Gallen went 6-5 with a 3.97 ERA during the second half of last season. He owned a 3.14 mark through six outings this season but went 2-3 in six starts in May with a 7.04 ERA.
That rut has carried over to June, where he owns a 6.97 ERA through two starts. He received a no-decision after allowing four runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings of a 10-6 loss at the Miami Marlins on Tuesday.
“We need him,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “We need him to go out there. We’ll continue to evaluate him as we do with every other player on this ball club.”
Gallen has made six starts against the Reds in his career, posting a 1-2 record with a 3.16 ERA.
Abbott (4-4, 4.10) also is trying to rediscover his All-Star form from last season, when he posted a 2.87 ERA in 29 starts.
He most recently took the loss against the host San Diego Padres on Monday after allowing three runs and four hits in six innings of the 6-2 defeat.
Cincinnati’s 2-1 win on Saturday was just its second victory overall in the past nine games.
“We haven’t been playing our best ball, but we’re all showing up,” Abbott said. “I think it’s going to take maybe one extra play, one extra effort, one extra thing to get us over the hump. Once we get over that, then we’ll just start going back to how we were playing.”
Abbott has made two starts against the Diamondbacks in his career, posting a 0-1 record with a 5.73.
The Diamondbacks let a terrific start by Michael Soroka go to waste on Saturday after he held the Reds to one run and two hits over seven innings. The bullpen, however, surrendered a tie-breaking solo home run to Noelvi Marte in the eighth inning.
The Diamondbacks went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 runners on Saturday, but Gallen expressed confidence in the offense after his latest outing.
“Our offense is great, I don’t think anyone doubts that,” Gallen said. “For us as pitchers, you’re just trying to keep it within striking distance for those guys. Just try to give those guys a chance.”
Gallen will need to be careful against Marte, who has homered in each of the first two games of the series.
Since he was recalled from Triple-A Louisville on June 3 after fellow outfielder TJ Friedl was optioned, Marte has been getting hitting advice from former Cincinnati shortstop Barry Larkin, a Hall of Famer and 12-time All Star.
“The last two nights I’ve been concentrating on the same thing I did when I was down in Triple-A,” Marte said. “Stay focused on what I want.”
–Field Level Media
