NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: DIAMONDBACKS VS PHILLIES

October 20, 2023

Zac Gallen

Chase Field

Arizona Diamondbacks

Pregame 4 Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with Zac Gallen.

Q. I just want to talk about momentum and the change obviously yesterday when you guys got the win in the bottom of the ninth, the home crowd, those kind of things. How does that change for you guys or how did it change? How did it feel?

ZAC GALLEN: I mean, I think it was -- I was talking to Fitzy and the way he characterized it, it was kind of an emotional must-win for us. Kind of just prove to ourselves we could pick ourselves up off the mat. Something we had done all year.

So we hung in there. We've seen it's a good team. Good lineup, good bullpen. Yeah, for us to hang in there, we weren't really surprised. Just it's one of those wins that you feel a lot better when you come out on the plus side of it than the negative side.

So I was really proud of our guys. We hung in there. We battled, made good pitches, had good at-bats, came out on the plus side.

Q. And how important is it Games 3, 4, and 5 here at home in front of your home crowd?

ZAC GALLEN: Yeah, home field advantage is definitely a thing for sure. You see it with those guys across the way. They definitely play well at home for sure, and I think we're kind of coming into our own here too.

I was really proud of the fans for showing up at 2 o'clock on a Thursday. I know it's not an easy task, but yeah, I think it helped us for sure.

Q. It looked like you were the first one out of the dugout to get to Ketel yesterday. I think I've seen you be one of the first on walk-offs before. What's going through your mind in those moments?

ZAC GALLEN: That's because I'm fast. That's why I was out there.

Yeah, I think my family asked me about this last night. I think because my first move is to -- I don't know if have you seen our dugouts, but we have the benches right -- I think I stand up on the bench behind, and then just jump over the fence as opposed to trying to climb over it.

It gives me an extra leg-up on everybody to get out there. But yeah, I mean, that's one of the more fun parts of being on the bench. You can't really help. You can help cheer. You can root the guys on and what not.

I don't know. Just pure instinct to get up and jump over the fence.

Q. Now that it's been a few days, is there anything else you've taken away from that Game 1 start other than a few dislocated fastballs?

ZAC GALLEN: That's a few days ago. It's on to whatever today is, Friday, getting ready for Game 5. It's a short-term memory, whether it's good or bad.

Q. Can everyone throw 200 innings?

ZAC GALLEN: Can you throw 200 innings? (Laughing).

Q. I cannot, but I find it very interesting the limitations that are placed on starting pitchers now. And as someone who actually does break those limitations, I'm curious if you think this is an achievable thing for the majority of people who try to be a starting pitcher?

ZAC GALLEN: Yeah, I think it's possible. I mean, I could talk about this probably all day. I think it's definitely possible. I did it this year. I think Merrill would have done it this year too, you know, barring some injuries. He did it last year.

You're still seeing guys do it. I'm wondering if teams are understanding that maybe 200 innings isn't necessarily a great thing. Maybe if our guys throw 180 and their 200th inning is in the playoffs as opposed to maybe their 220th inning is in the playoffs is a positive.

I do think guys can do it. I just think with the data and all that stuff, I'm convinced that teams are starting to value that 200 threshold just like the 100 pitch threshold and be, like, this is where we want guys to hit their final peak or whatever.

But I do think it's attainable, and I think it's even more of an accomplishment now because there's some efficiency to it. I mean, you're probably getting 32 to 34 starts, so you are looking at six and change to start if you are on that low side of 32.

So, yeah, I think there's an achievement, and I think guys can do it, but it's the new age of baseball. It's changed a little bit.

Q. Do you think that change is good? I ask that because I think the priority now in the way that pitchers are being taught is you go hard, you go max effort, you spin the hell out of the ball opposed to the priority being placed on innings, on depth, on getting into starts.

ZAC GALLEN: Yeah, I don't know. I'm kind of not hesitant against the max because I mean, when you are out there and competing, you are at 100% anyway. So I've never gone out for a start thinking, well, I've got to conserve to maybe get to the sixth or the seventh. It's more about I have to be even better tonight to be more efficient to get myself into the seventh, eighth, ninth inning, whatever it is.

I feel like you would be hard-pressed to find a lot of guys that go, yeah, I'm just blowing it out for five, and it is what it is.

I don't know. Yeah, it's hard for me to say that. I've kind of just been like -- even in Spring Training, I remember talking to Torey about playing in the World Baseball Classic and Hays and all those guys. I'm, like, I'm treating Spring Training like it's the season. Like, I'm 95%. Outside of that extra 5 or 10% you get from adrenaline, I'm trying to let it rip.

Yeah, I'm on the opposite side of that I think of just blowing it out.

Q. Did you boo Torey yesterday? Because he was booing himself he said. What is it like when you are watching Brandon, and you know that that's the manager and the decision-making, and what was that like for you?

ZAC GALLEN: Yeah, for Torey's sake, I was actually inside. I came in to get water and use the restroom.

But, yeah, it's the same -- it's just like the 200 innings. Baseball is changing obviously and teams now -- I was talking about this yesterday. Where your middle relievers the guys that threw the fifth, sixth, seventh inning are now leverage guys just in baseball and specifically the playoffs.

I knew that there was a plan going into it. It's hard as a starting pitcher, as somebody who likes to hold the ball as long as I possibly can and be out there to see that. Yeah, I feel like when managers and teams can balance the watching part of the game and the flow and understanding what's going on, but then also execute the plan at the same time is when you have plans that work out really well.

So, yeah, it's tough, but we won, so I think it's -- what do they say, winning is the best perfume, so it is what it is.

Q. Back to the 200 inning thing. Is there anything different -- I think you are at 226 now. Is there anything you did different physically to make that possible for yourself?

ZAC GALLEN: Honestly, no. I mean, I guess -- I don't know. I'm still trying to figure out the routine part of it all. This year I've probably tapered off the lifting during the season as much and more of -- I don't know.

But I don't know that that was a thing. I think maybe just this year I was a little bit more efficient. Maybe a little bit more healthy coming off of 21 as opposed to last year.

I didn't really do much different. I'm honestly probably throwing more in between starts towards the end of the year this year than I was last year. So nothing necessarily that I could pinpoint. I think just trying to go out there and be efficient and get deep in the games really.

Q. Are you throwing more in between starts because you are trying to feel stuff, fine-tune where last year you were on that inning streak and everything was locked in?

ZAC GALLEN: Last year it just -- I remember thinking back, I felt really good with where I was at and the work I had put in and just felt good -- I don't want to say mentally, but it was like, all right, I'm going to throw for my 20, 25 minutes today, 30 minutes, whatever it is. If I don't feel great today, I'll just -- tomorrow.

Today I feel, like, this year just a little bit more of a grind, so I'm throwing and just seeing what I can figure out really.

I think that's more my favorite part of trying to figure out the puzzle than necessarily having the puzzle all figured out, for lack of a better phrase.

Q. One more on the innings topic. Torey was in here earlier talking about he didn't consider you on short rest. It just wasn't fair to you mentally or physically to put that burden on your shoulders. I mean, where are you at kind of in your tank right now at this point of the season?

ZAC GALLEN: Honestly, I feel really good. I'm still throwing -- I threw a 35-pitch bullpen the other day. I know probably the older I get and the more experience I'll get in this whole playoff thing and deeper seasons, you know, maybe that changes. But for me I'm still just trying to get better.

I feel like where I feel I'm at, I would be doing myself and the guys in that clubhouse a disservice if I was just, like, I'm going to conserve the energy. So trying to still be smart about it. But, yeah, I feel pretty good in terms of tank.

I think it's one of those you don't know what you don't know. So, yeah, I feel pretty solid.

Q. How have you seen Brandon Pfaadt grow from the pitcher he was when he first came up to what he did yesterday?

ZAC GALLEN: I think we talked about this after the L.A. start. I mean, he's growing exponentially, to kind of copy what I said a couple of weeks ago or last week, whatever.

Yeah, I can't imagine it's an easy task to be sent down multiple times, and you have to keep improving on stuff. And Reno is not an easy place to pitch and learn and things like that.

So, yeah, he's just showed a tremendous amount of just kind of poise and maturity. I mean, that's the biggest start of our season right there. And for him to come out and put a hot offense on ice was super impressive.

Q. Going back to the home field, I'm going to guess you've had maybe one or two regular season starts here with 40,000-plus. Maybe 70% of what the energy has been last Wednesday and yesterday. Have you thought about that in these two games, like this would be nice to pitch at home with this?

ZAC GALLEN: Absolutely, yeah. I pitched one time in 2019. The Dodgers were here, and there was a famous band playing after. I don't know. It was, like, 51,000 people. It was crazy. I had no idea.

Last night and last Wednesday, I think it was, against the Dodgers, the energy has been awesome. And my feeling when I had said it in the offseason, like, Phoenix, they'll show up when you are winning and playing good baseball. The energy is here, and I think just as much fun as it is for us, I feel like it's fun for them.

So to have them come out and the energy. You know, home field advantage is a real thing for sure. To have the city behind you, have almost 50,000 people there yesterday, I imagine it will be pretty close today. Yeah, it's been awesome because there's been some dark times here and some less than favorable crowds for sure. So to see it kind of turn in our favor has been awesome.