Strong Zac Gallen Outings Are Going to Waste
Arizona Diamondbacks right-handed pitcher Zac Gallen has had a tremendous 2020 season so far. He has a 2.25 ERA (50 ERA-minus) with 10.5 strikeouts per nine (K/9), a 1.056 WHIP (despite 3.0 walks per nine), and – this is for the WAR enthusiasts – a 1.6 WAR, tied for third amongst National League pitchers. His ERA and ERA-minus are both eighth in the NL. In WHIP and K/9, he ranks 10th and ninth, respectively. His hits per nine (H/9) of 6.5 puts him seventh. If there were an All-Star Game this season, he’d most likely be selected to the team.
Yet his record is 0-0.
The reason is that his team is not scoring runs for him, plain and simple. His run support per nine (RS/9) is 1.3. The calculation method is similar to the calculation method for ERA – number of runs scored by his team while he is in the game, multiplied by nine, and divided by innings pitched. When a pitcher’s ERA is low, but his RS/9 is even lower, one cannot help but feel like his tremendous outings are going to waste.
This is partially a (coincidental) indictment of how silly it is to use a pitcher’s win-loss rating as the sole tool for evaluating performance – after all, pitchers can’t win games for their team; they can only prevent them from losing. It is mainly an indictment of the fact that the Diamondbacks are not scoring runs for him.
Get Zac Gallen Some Run Support!
The lack of run support is even more frustrating when seeing how it’s happened. In his first outing, the only hit was a two-out double in the third inning by Ketel Marte. A walk and a strikeout later, the half-inning ended with Marte still standing on second. In his second game, the first hit was a double by Marte. However, he was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple thanks to an incredible play by Mookie Betts. In the final inning of that appearance, the Diamondbacks pushed one run across thanks to a single by Marte and double by Kole Calhoun. However, it was the only run of a promising inning, thanks to a ground ball double play two batters later and a fly to right.
Perhaps the most frustrating outing for Zac Gallen so far has been his most recent one, August 22 against the San Francisco Giants. He limited damage extremely well, only allowing one run in six innings despite four walks. This came thanks to the fact that he only allowed three hits. When the seventh rolled around, Gallen came out of the game. Given that he had thrown 95 pitches and faced 24 batters, it was in line with the length of his four previous starts. However, the “old school” guys were not liking this move – Gallen was pitching extremely well, and no one in the Diamondbacks bullpen whose last name isn’t “Bradley” has been dependable.
Matt Grace came into the game and faced three batters without recording an out. All three scored. Junior Guerra, the next pitcher faced three and only retired one. One of those other two subsequently scored. Taylor Widener came in and stopped the bleeding, but the damage had already been done. The Diamondbacks hitters only managed three hits off Tyler Anderson, scoring one run in the process. Another great outing by Gallen went to waste in a 5-1 loss.
Outlook
Something has to change if the Diamondbacks want to make it to the expanded postseason. They are only a game out despite a 13-16 record and last place standing in the NL West. The fact that they’re as close as they are while their best pitcher has received a “no decision” in each of his six starts is nothing short of amazing. Imagine what would happen if they started scoring runs with Zac Gallen on the mound shutting down the opposition.
Main Photo
Embed from Getty Images
