SCOTTSDALE – The desert air crackled. Forget the slow start; Zac Gallen just sent a message. In a Spring training performance that echoed postseason intensity, the Diamondbacks’ ace unleashed a dominant display against the Rockies, leaving fans and teams alike wondering: Is this the blueprint for a playoff return? The start of Spring training for the Arizona Diamondbacks has been a mixed bag. It started 1-4 and dimmed the light of hope many Diamondbacks fans had coming into the season before it even began. However, Arizona has settled in, going 3-0-1 in its last four games, including its latest 8-4 win over the Rockies. Diamondbacks’ ace Zac Gallen got the start on the bump and calmed the ease of fans with a stellar start. In his first start, Gallen only pitched one inning and allowed a run via a solo-homer, unlike the All-Star. Motivated for better production, Gallen dominated the Rockies in a short two-inning outing. The sixth-year Dbacks’ arm had his stuff early, allowing only two hits and striking out three Rockies batters. Gallen’s start on Saturday brought his Spring training ERA to 3.00, looking to be in midseason form. The right-hander heads a talented starting rotation for the Diamondbacks. The newly added right-hander Corbin Burnes, who’s also impressed in Spring training, and fellow All-Star Merrill Kelly make up the three-headed monster of Arizona’s dominating starting pitching. The Diamondbacks’ recent stretch is building confidence for the franchise to return to the playoffs after a disappointing output of last season. To achieve that, Gallen must continue Saturday’s output all season long.
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