One of the best pitchers to come out of the UNC baseball program nearly pitched his team to a World Series win on Wednesday, Nov. 1.
That pitcher is none other than Arizona Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen, who toed the rubber in Chapel Hill from 2014-2016. Gallen compiled a 14-13 record, 3.36 earned run average and struck out 231 batters as a Tar Heel, which was good enough for the St. Louis Cardinals to select him third round in the 2016 MLB Draft.
What Gallen did last night, with the Diamondbacks facing elimination on baseball’s grandest stage, was the type of performance that turns ordinary guys into legends.
Though Gallen took the loss in a 5-0 Rangers victory, he pitched six no-hit innings to start. He ended his night allowing just one run, one walk and three hits through 6 1/3 innings while striking out six batters.
This dude just pitched 6 1/3 innings of one-run, three-hit ball in a World Series elimination game … pic.twitter.com/b3dIZPhLvT
— Pat James (@patjames24) November 2, 2023
When your pitcher is nearly perfect through six innings, chances are you’ll end up winning the game. Arizona, sadly, only mustered five hits throughout the decisive Game 5 last night.
Gallen’s World Series performance was only a microcosm of the impressive season he enjoyed, which deserves a National League Cy Young (best pitcher) Award to cap it off.
In the regular season, Gallen carried the second-best NL record with a 17-9 mark. He struck out 220 batters (sixth), compiled a 3.47 ERA (16th) and 1.12 WHIP (12th).
Gallen struggled a bit more in the postseason, only pitching to a 2-3 win-loss record, 4.54 ERA and striking out just 24 batters. His performance on Wednesday night, however, showed the baseball world he can deliver in the clutch and is one of the sport’s best, young pitchers.
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