SnakeBytes 5/8: Another tough loss

Diamondbacks News

(Arizona Sports) The good and the not-so-good from Zac Gallen in Diamondbacks’ loss to Pirates Gallen drew a season-high 15 whiffs (swings-and-misses), nine with his slider and six with the curveball (none with the fastball), according to Statcast. Gallen’s arsenal has changed this year. His curveball does not drop like it used to, and he has replaced it as his primary breaking ball with a slider that has been more effective. Coming into Thursday, Gallen’s overall whiff rate on the year was 16.5%, way below his career and the league’s average (both at 25%). The slider has been his best pitch at missing bats. (SI.com) What D-backs’ Rough Series Loss to Pirates Told Us — And What it Didn’t It looked like an offensive breakthrough had occurred in game one, as the D-backs put together a patient, well-rounded offensive effort against Pirates righty Bubba Chandler in a 9-0 win. It was the largest margin of victory of the year for Arizona. Walks were taken, productive outs were utilized, and Arizona’s approach looked airtight. But in game two, the approach went out the window. Granted, facing is no easy task. When the Cy Young-winning Pirates ace is on, there’s often little that can be done to stop him. But the D-backs employed an early-swinging approach, expecting a wealth of hittable strikes. When that approach was clearly flawed, no adjustment was made, and Arizona gave up quick out after quick out on the way to eight innings of Skenes dominance. “It’s the idea of getting everybody together and saying, ‘Hey, we’re relying on you,’” Hall said on Bickley & Marotta Mornings. “Our bullpen is doing its job. If you guys don’t get later and deeper into games, we’re going to hurt our bullpen. And our offense is keeping us in games. You guys are not. And get back to what you were doing at the beginning of the season.” Waldschmidt was out of the lineup Wednesday for Triple-A Reno’s 9-5 loss to Sacramento after he was removed from Tuesday’s series opener when he was hit in the helmet by a pitch in the top of the first inning, Preston Salisbury of AZSnakePit.com reports.