3 Diamondbacks to blame for Game 1 loss to overbearing Phillies

Zac Gallen was most at fault for Game 1 loss to Phillies

Handing out blame for this game has to come down on Zac Gallen. The starting pitcher looked human from the first inning onward, giving up eight hits and five earned runs on the evening, the only five runs the Phillies would score.

Relief held up after Gallen left, and while the early home runs proved to be quality eyes at the plate from the Phillies stars, he appeared to be out-scouted by already-hot batters.

Gallen's four-seam fastball is his best pitch with an absurd 27 run value per Statcast this season, yet Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber both hit home runs on it within a handful of pitches of each other. One mislocated pitch happens, but mislocating multiple in such a short span on the same pitch type is inexcusable for a starting pitcher in a game of this magnitude.

Notably, Zac Gallen grew up in the Philadelphia region, yet grew up a Cardinals fan. His mom infamously didn't let him go to the 2008 Phillies title parade because of that very fact. Is this karma? Perhaps.