Gallen 1-hit, 7-inning shutout, D-backs top Braves in opener

ATLANTA (AP) — Zac Gallen pitched a one-hitter in a seven-inning shutout, Stephen Vogt and Kole Calhoun homered and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Atlanta Braves 5-0 Sunday in the first game of a doubleheader.

Gallen (1-0) allowed only Freddie Freeman's sharp single to right-center field with one out in the sixth.

Gallen found out after the game that he wouldn’t have qualified for an official no-hitter in a seven-inning game.

“It wouldn’t have counted, so that makes me feel better that it wasn’t actually a no-hitter anyway,” he said. “The complete game shutout, I guess, works. That’s fine. We won. It really doesn’t matter. That’s the most important part.”

Gallen, who finished ninth in the NL Cy Young Award voting last year, struck out six, walked two and hit a batter. This was his first complete game in 30 major league starts.

The 29-year-old righty improved to 6-5 with a 2.72 ERA since making his Diamondbacks debut on Aug. 7, 2019. He began the game with a 2.84 ERA since making his big league debut on June 20, 2019, with Miami — the eighth-lowest during that span with a minimum of 150 innings.

Arizona has won five of six and six of nine.

Bryse Wilson (1-1) allowed four hits, including both home runs, in four innings. Wilson dropped to 0-1 with a 9.18 ERA in six career daytime appearances.

Braves manager Brian Snitker was impressed with Gallen.

“He's got three, four pitches," Snitker said. “He can command them. He can move the ball around. He doesn't let you eliminate a pitch. He's not just painting all the time. His stuff is good. I can see why he's very successful."

The Diamondbacks took a 2-0 lead in the second when Josh VanMeter walked and Vogt hit his third homer deep into the seats in right field.

Calhoun’s second homer went to...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Gallen-1-hit-7-inning-shutout-D-backs-top-16127839.php