After a rather impressive past couple of starts, Diamondbacks’ ace Zac Gallen has jumped to second in the Cy Young odds.
Now, the 27-year-old has picked up right where he left off, leading the league with 39 strikeouts and three-straight shutouts. Gallen currently holds a 21.2 scoreless inning streak. In his past three starts, the Diamondbacks have won 3-0, 5-0, and 9-0.
Zac Gallen threw 7 shutout innings and struck out 11 in his win tonight!
He hasn't given up a run in his last 21.2 IP pic.twitter.com/0K0VwkjitO
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) April 22, 2023
This is a massive boost from how his first two starts went. Gallen actually began the season on a bit of a rough note, allowing five runs in 4.2 innings on opening day and then five runs in six innings in his second outing.
But, the D-backs’ ace has been absolutely lights out since. He is now only behind the Braves’ Spencer Strider with +550 odds to take home the Cy Young award at the end of the season, per DraftKings Sportsbook.
This strong emergence as one of the league’s best pitchers has played a large role in the Diamondbacks early success this year. Despite being up against a challenging schedule early on, Arizona holds the top spot in the NL West with a 12-9 record.
The Diamondbacks will have a chance to improve upon this record with Merrill Kelly on the mound against the San Diego Padres. First pitch is at 5:10.
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