Blake Snell was outdueled by Zac Gallen and it resulted in the Los Angeles Dodgers having their four-game winning streak snapped in a 3-0 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. It was the seventh time this season the Dodgers suffered a shutout loss.
After taking the series finale against the San Diego Padres and sweeping the Cincinnati Reds, the Dodgers had won four games in a row for the first time since June 29-July 3. Their last five-game winning streak remains June 22-27.
Snell pitched 5.1 innings and allowed three runs. He held the Diamondbacks without a hit until the fourth inning, when Lourdes Gurriel Jr. reached on a one-out single. Blaze Alexander then hit a home run with two outs that put the Diamondbacks ahead 2-0.
The homer was Snell’s first allowed since being hurt by two Yandy Díaz fly balls that had just enough carry to clear the right field wall at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Gabriel Moreno’s one-out RBI single in the sixth inning chased Snell from the game. He finished with eight strikeouts, his second-highest total of the season. Snell also had eight strikeouts in his return from the 60-day injured list.
Snell entered the night 5-2 with a 1.99 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in 10 career starts against the Diamondbacks. He struck out 75 batters in 54.1 innings pitched while holding opponents to a .174 batting average during those outings.
Gallen held the Dodgers to just two hits over six scoreless innings and also had eight strikeouts. It was his third start of the month with allowing on earned run or fewer.
Mookie Betts’ two-out double in the sixth nearly sparked a rally as Freddie Freeman then followed with a walk, but both runners were stranded when Will Smith flied out to the warning track in left field.
When Gallen last faced the Dodgers he allowed four runs on 10 hits in a start at Chase Field on May 11.
Blake Snell’s fastball velocity
Friday’s start was Snell’s first since returning from the paternity list. He went one week between outings, but saw a drop in his fastball velocity to an average of 93.7 mph. That was down from Snell’s fastball averaging 95.4 mph this season.
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