Can Diamondbacks' Zac Gallen Find Success vs Rockies?

After a sturdy 8-0 shutout victory over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night, the Arizona Diamondbacks are set for game two against their NL West opponents. First pitch is scheduled for 5:10 p.m., with right-hander Zac Gallen set to take the mound.

Friday night's victory marked the first time the D-backs had won back-to-back games since April 30-May 1 against the New York Mets. With the Rockies in the midst of a rough season at 7-37, Arizona has a chance to stack some wins, though nothing can be taken for granted in that regard.

Pitching Matchup

Right-hander Zac Gallen has had two seasons so far in 2025. One season against New York teams, where he's allowed just two earned runs over 19.2 innings against the Yankees and Mets. But outside of those teams, Gallen has only recorded one Quality Start (April 13 against Milwaukee), and has allowed at least four runs in four of his other five starts.

Gallen sports a 4.59 ERA, though his 3.93 FIP and 3.64 xERA suggest he's been slightly better than his results. As a whole, however, it simply has not looked the like the same elite pitcher D-backs fans have come to expect in recent years.

If Gallen can spot his fastball against a Rockies team that struck out 10 times in a six-inning shutout by Corbin Burnes on Friday, he may be able to deliver another dominant outing. Gallen (and the Diamondbacks) could certainly use another ace-like performance.

But despite some of the poorer results, Gallen is still punching out hitters at a 9.53 clip per nine innings — his highest number since 2021 in a still-small sample size.

The Rockies will turn to right-handed veteran Germán Márquez. Márquez, like the rest of Colorado's pitching staff, has struggled for the most part in 2025. His ERA is an unsightly 8.27, but his peripherals are nearly half that number, with a FIP of 4.73.

Still, Márquez has been hit somewhat hard, and posts a -11 Pitching Run Value. He throws five pitches, primarily relying on a four-seam/sinker combo that sits around the 95 MPH mark. He also splits time between a slider and curve, with a rare changeup in the mix as well.

He hasn't struck out many batters this season, with just a 11.7% K rate (second percentile in MLB), and primarily relies on soft contact, though he has also collected groundballs at a below-average rate.

Márquez has had mixed results facing the D-backs. Though he sports an ERA of 3.53 at Chase Field, that raises to 4.38 all-time. He has not faced Arizona since 2022 — a start in which he was bashed around for nine earned runs in four innings.

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