D-backs Go For Rubber Match Behind Zac Gallen

Preview

Zac Gallen will lead the D-backs into battle with the Brewers for the final time this regular season. First pitch is at 11:10 A.M. Arizona Time. The two teams have split the first two games of the series with the D-backs taking the first game 9-1 and the Brewers coming back to win the second game 7-5. The D-backs took two of three in Chase Field back in April and lead the season series three games to two.

Arizona is 44-30 and hold a 2.5 game lead in the NL West over the red hot Giants who have won nine straight. The D-backs came off a six game win streak by going 3-5 in their last eight games. A win behind their ace is critical for them ahead of a one day trip to Washington followed by a trek across the country for weekend series against the Giants.

The Brewers are 38-35, 0.5 games behind the surprising Cincinnati Reds in the NL Central and have won four of their last five games after breaking a six game losing streak earlier this month.

Pitching Matchup

Leading Cy Young candidate Zac Gallen is coming off a seven inning, one run outing against the Guardians. Gallen leads MLB in FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) and strikeout to walk ratio, is tied for second in the NL in pitcher wins, and 7th in ERA. He'll need to reverse his trend of pitching great at home and poorly on the road if the D-backs are to take the rubber match today.

8 Home games: 7-0, 1.00 ERA ,.504 OPS against.

7 Road games: 1-2, 5.79 ERA, .782 OPS against

Julio Teheran's journey back to the major league after years of injury and ineffectiveness has been a long one. Last year he was pitching in Mexico and the independent leagues. The former two time All Star started the year pitching for the Padres Triple-A affiliate. Released May 24th, he was immediately picked up by the Brewers and has made five excellent starts, posting a microscopic 1.78 ERA while going six innings or more in four of the five starts.

Teheran uses a five pitch mix. Against right hand batters it's mostly a 90 MPH sinker, cutter, and curveball. When he faces left hand batters he uses four pitches evenly, Sinker, Four seam, Cutter, and Changeup.

Lineups

Gabriel Moreno is back in at catcher as he and Carson Kelly seem to be settling into a 50/50 platoon. Moreno has been slumping at the plate for over a month now. On May 16th he was batting .321/.345/.402, .746 OPS. Since then he's gone just 12 for 67, .177, with two doubles and a homer. That's dropped his season line all the way down to .267/.306/.344, .651 OPS, 80 OPS+.

Ketel Marte and Christina Walker have been the hottest hitters over the last week. Marte is 9-20, .450 with two homers. Walker is 10-27, .370 with three homers.

Christian Yelich had come in to the series red hot for the Brewers, but is 1-7, with a triple and two RBI in the two games so far. Willy Adames is 3-8 in the series, all singles