Zac Gallen pitched six strong innings, and Corbin Carroll’s two-run single in the fifth inning helped the Arizona Diamondbacks defeat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-0 on Sunday.
Gallen, who improved his record to 3-0, threw 90 pitches, allowing four hits and walking two while striking out seven. He made crucial strikeouts with runners in scoring position, impressing Arizona manager Torey Lovullo with his exceptional breaking ball.
Despite facing some challenges, Gallen felt he made solid pitches when necessary. He communicated early with Lovullo about his performance and didn’t push to stay in the game after the sixth inning.
St. Louis starter Miles Mikolas initially kept the Diamondbacks at bay but struggled in the fifth inning. Christian Walker’s single followed by Joc Pederson’s double set the stage for Carroll’s key hit, driving in two runs off reliever Andre Pallante.
Although Mikolas had been performing well, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol noted that Mikolas fell behind in the crucial inning. Despite opportunities, the Cardinals found it difficult to capitalize against Gallen, who kept them off balance with his pitching.
Joe Mantiply and Bryce Jarvis combined for three innings without allowing a hit to complete the shutout for Gallen. Gallen was originally drafted by the Cardinals in the third round of the 2016 draft but was traded to Atlanta while still in the minors.
Gallen had an impressive performance last year, starting the All-Star Game for the National League and finishing third in Cy Young Award voting. He played a key role in helping the Diamondbacks win the NL pennant.
During the game, there was a tense moment when Carroll and McCarthy almost collided while chasing a deep drive to center field hit by Willson Contreras in the sixth inning. Although Carroll fell to the ground, McCarthy managed to catch the ball. McCarthy expressed concern for Carroll but was relieved to see him stay in the game.
Before the game, Arizona manager Lovullo mentioned that left-hander Jordan Montgomery is expected to make his season debut, possibly during a weekend series in San Francisco.
Montgomery, who joined as a free agent late in spring training, recently had a Triple-A start for Reno, where he threw 71 pitches but had a tough outing, allowing nine hits and seven runs in 3 2/3 innings.
