Zac Gallen pitched six scoreless innings as the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the host Los Angeles Dodgers 3-0 Friday night in the opener of a three-game series between the National League West rivals.
Blaze Alexander hit a two-run homer for the D-backs, who won their third game in a row and improved to 7-3 in their past 10.
The division-leading Dodgers had a four-game winning streak snapped.
Gallen outdueled the Dodgers’ Blake Snell, a two-time Cy Young Award winner.
Gallen (10-13) allowed just two hits — a two-out infield single by Shohei Ohtani in the third inning and a two-out double off the left-field wall by Mookie Betts in the sixth. The right-hander walked three and struck out eight.
It was Gallen’s third straight quality start and fifth in six appearances this month. He lowered his ERA to 4.94, the first time it has been under 5.00 since an 8-1 loss at Dodger Stadium on May 11.
Snell (3-3), making just his seventh start of the season due to left shoulder inflammation, gave up three runs on four hits over 5 1/3 innings. He also walked three and fanned eight.
The D-backs didn’t have a hit until Lourdes Gurriel Jr. grounded a single into right field with one out in the fourth. An out later, Alexander launched a 1-0 fastball 400 feet into the Dodgers’ bullpen in left to make it 2-0.
Arizona extended its lead in the sixth. Corbin Carroll led off with a double to right and, an out later, Gabriel Moreno grounded a run-scoring single to center.
The Dodgers threatened in the bottom of the inning as Betts doubled and Freddie Freeman drew a two-out walk. Gallen got Will Smith to fly out to the warning track in left to get out of the jam.
D-backs relievers Jalen Beeks, Kyle Backhus and Jake Woodford each pitched a scoreless inning to complete the shutout, with Woodford working the ninth for his second save of the season.
–Field Level Media
