Diamondbacks fall to White Sox 7-3 on June 25 as Zac Gallen's slump worsens. Lenyn Sosa's two homers sink Arizona while Ketel Marte has a quiet day.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was a tough pill to swallow in the Windy City. A chance for a series sweep slipped through the Diamondbacks' fingers in a 7-3 loss to the White Sox, but the final score only tells part of the story. The bigger concerns revolve around ace Zac Gallen, whose mid-season slump deepened, and the quiet bat of Ketel Marte, who understandably had a difficult day at the plate following a trying emotional incident.
Over his last nine starts, Zac Gallen is now 2-5 with a staggering 6.97 ERA.
Zac Gallen just doesn't look like himself. The 2023 All-Star was tagged for five runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings, unable to find the command and dominance we've come to expect. This wasn't a one-off; it's a troubling trend. On Wednesday, it was Chicago's Lenyn Sosa doing the damage, blasting his first career multi-homer game to drive in four of the White Sox's runs. A solo shot from Josh Naylor, his 10th of the year, provided a brief spark for Arizona, but it wasn't nearly enough to counter the onslaught.
All eyes were on Ketel Marte, and it was a quiet 0-for-4 day for the All-Star second baseman. This comes just a day after an ugly incident where a fan's derogatory comments about his late mother left him visibly emotional on the field. While it's a relief to know the fan has been rightly banned from Rate Field, you can't quantify the emotional toll. Seeing Marte, a pillar of this team and a leading NL All-Star vote-getter, go hitless is a footnote in the box score but a headline in the hearts of the fanbase. The entire state of Arizona is behind him.
Despite the sour ending, the D-backs still took two of three from the White Sox and now head home for a weekend series against the Miami Marlins. The bullpen, featuring Morillo, Ginkel, and Scott, did its job over the final 3 2/3 innings, allowing just two runs to keep the game within reach. The best news of the day might be the announcement of Friday's starter: the steady RHP Merrill Kelly (7-3, 3.39 ERA). His consistent presence on the mound to open the homestand is exactly the reset this team needs.
This loss stings, mostly because of the continuing questions around Zac Gallen. Getting their ace back to form is priority number one for the Diamondbacks. But with a series win in the books and a return to the desert with the reliable Merrill Kelly taking the mound Friday, it's time to shake this one off and focus on protecting home field against the Marlins. Navigating these rough patches is what defines a contending team.
