'We should win that game': Gallen frustrated with outing

July 4th, 2022

DENVER -- Zac Gallen didn't mince words, and he wasn't about to feel good about his outing regardless of what the numbers might say.

After the Rockies rallied from a five-run deficit to post a 6-5 win over the D-backs on Sunday at Coors Field, Gallen was frustrated.

"That's a game as a ballclub, as a franchise, we should win that game 100 times out of a 100," Gallen said. "If this franchise wants to get to where I know it can get to and wants to get to, those are games you have to win. You cannot let those games get away."

Instead of walking away with a series victory, the D-backs finished 1-2 on this short trip as they head home to face the Giants on Monday.

"This isn't the first time we've kind of let one get away that shouldn't have gotten away," Gallen said. "We just didn't put them away when we had the opportunity to. Against teams that are going to scrap, especially at a place like this, you've got to just trying to pour on as much as you can."

1. Gallen almost made history
Coming off an outing against the Padres in which he allowed six runs in five innings, Gallen had the Rockies hitters guessing throughout much of the afternoon.

The right-hander allowed a single in the first and then held the Rockies hitless -- and scoreless -- through the fifth inning.

Gallen was one out away from getting out of the sixth with his shutout intact, but instead, C.J. Cron launched a three-run homer, and Gallen had to settle for six innings of three-run ball.

Had Gallen retired Cron, he would have become the first visiting pitcher to have back-to-back games at Coors Field with six or more shutout innings. Gallen tossed seven shutout innings at Coors on Aug. 21 last year.

2. Struggles in the mid-innings hurt Gallen again
In his prior start against the Padres, Gallen cruised through the first four innings without allowing a run on 59 pitches, but the Padres were able to put together a six-run fifth against him.

"Felt good through five and then the same thing from the same old story," Gallen said. "Get through the first four or five innings and then give up a big hit. All around just pretty frustrating for the most part."

3. The injury to Ian Kennedy might not be serious
Kennedy said that he began to feel cramping in his right calf a few pitches before exiting the game in the eighth.

"It started out like a cramp and it got progressively worse every pitch," Kennedy said. "I was like, ‘I can't throw another pitch.’ I just didn't think it was the smartest thing to do to keep going."

This isn't the first time Kennedy has experienced cramps in Coors Field.

"I had cramps here in 2010," Kennedy said. "I can't remember if this feels like this did. Just going to reevaluate tomorrow and let them know as soon as I can. I've had strains in the past, and it doesn't feel like one of those."

Because he had cramps here before, Kennedy said he was as well hydrated as possible coming into the game.