Diamondbacks vs. Cubs Friday MLB probable pitchers, odds: Zac Gallen tries to save longshot NL Cy Young chances, set at 4.5 strikeouts
Arizona ace Zac Gallen is on the mound Friday in Chicago in the lone MLB matinee.
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On Thursday, we wrote about the chances of Seattle's Luis Castillo catching favored Gerrit Cole for the AL Cy Young Award (and Castillo was excellent in a win against the Rays). It's a similar story Friday in the National League as former Cy Young betting favorite Zac Gallen of Arizona probably needs a dominating effort and victory at the Chicago Cubs in the day's lone MLB matinee to keep his longshot chances alive of winning the Senior Circuit award. The Diamondbacks are -120 on the SportsLine consensus. Click here for model picks.
Like in the AL, it's probably a two-man race in the NL between lefties Blake Snell (-205) of San Diego and Justin Steele (+175) of the Cubs. Personally, Steele seems like way better value because he's pitching on a likely playoff team -- and on Saturday vs. Arizona -- and will have important starts down the stretch, while the Padres are out of contention and huge disappointments despite Snell pitching well. He's on the mound tonight in Houston.
The 28-year-old righty Gallen is 14-7 with a 3.48 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 186 strikeouts. Very solid numbers, but Cy Young worthy? The issue with him is home/road splits. In the desert, he 11-2 with a 2.18 ERA and .220 opponents' batting average. Away, he's 3-5 with a 4.18 ERA and .256 OBA.
Gallen appears to fading, having allowed 11 runs and 17 hits over 10.2 innings in his past two, his most runs allowed in a two-game stretch since 2020, with both outings being losses – albeit against stellar offensive teams in the Orioles and Dodgers. His career high for innings pitched was 184 last year, and he should pass that Friday as he sits at 178.2.
For Friday's outing, he's set at over/under 4.5 strikeouts, 5.5 hits, 2.5 earned runs and 16.5 outs recorded and is +190 to record a win. Gallen hasn't faced the Cubs this year and is 1-1 with a 4.35 ERA in four career starts against them. At Wrigley Field, he's 1-1 with an 8.00 ERA in two starts.
Thought there might be a chance Cubs star outfielder Cody Bellinger would get the day off because he has been playing through some injuries, is 1-for-17 career off Gallen with seven Ks and it's a day game after a night matchup, but he's in there batting his usual cleanup and playing center field. The former NL MVP leads the majors in RBI by a mile since July 1. No. 1 Cubs catcher Yan Gomes is sitting.
Jameson Taillon (7-9, 5.73 ERA) starts for Chicago. He went 5-0 with a 2.17 ERA in in six starts from July 7-Aug. 8, but since that last win is 0-3 with a 7.86 ERA in five starts. Taillon is 1-1 with a 5.25 ERA career against the Diamondbacks and hasn't seen them since 2019 with Pittsburgh.
Here are the full starting lineups:
ARIZONA
CHICAGO
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