PHOENIX (AP) — Christian Walker hit a pair of homers, Zac Gallen threw five dominant innings and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Texas Rangers 6-0 on Tuesday night.
Arizona (81-64) is a half-game behind San Diego (82-64) for the top NL wild card, and the Braves and Mets (both 79-66) are two games back of the Diamondbacks and tied for the last playoff position.
Texas trails by seven games for the last AL wild card with 17 games left and needs to overcome five teams.
Joc Pederson and Walker hit back-to-back solo homers in the first for a 2-0 lead. Walker went deep again in third — going opposite field for the second straight time — to put Arizona up 4-0.
“Chase is a big park, so it’s nice to know you can still be rewarded that way,” Walker said. “Sometimes it feels like you’ve got to crush it pull side and really get ahold of it to hit it out. It’s nice to put a clean swing on a ball, hit it in the air, hit it hard and be rewarded.”
Walker hit his first two homers since returning Sept. 3 from an oblique injury and has 25 for the season. The first baseman also had a nifty defensive play, making an over-the-shoulder catch on a fly ball to short right.
Gallen (12-6) gave up two hits and two walks while striking out seven for his second straight dominant start. The right-hander threw six hitless and scoreless innings in a win over the Giants on Sept. 4.
“This is usually a game of runs,” Gallen said. “When you’re feeling good, you’re trying to harness it and stay hot for as long as you can. That’s kind of what I’m doing.”
The D-backs bullpen of Kevin Ginkel, Ryan Thompson, A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez gave up just one hit over four innings.
Pavin Smith, who hit a career-high three homers in a win over the Astros on Sunday, had an RBI double that made it 5-0 in the ninth. Jose Herrera’s RBI double pushed it to 6-0.
The Rangers were back at Chase Field for the first time since beating the D-backs in Game 5 of the World Series on Nov. 1, which clinched the first Fall Classic in franchise history.
Nathan Eovaldi (11-8) — who threw six scoreless innings in that clinching Game 5 — was back on the mound Tuesday. He gave up four runs and seven hits over five innings, walking one and striking out six.
“I felt like I wasn’t really locating my fastball and splitter tonight, and those two pitches really cost me,” Eovaldi said. “It didn’t feel like I made as many adjustments as I should have tonight. I got a little stubborn.”
Wyatt Langford had two hits and two stolen bases for the Rangers. Josh Smith had the only other hit.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rangers: RHP Jacob deGrom and RHP Max Scherzer are expected to return to the starting rotation later this week. Manager Bruce Bochy said deGrom (Tommy John elbow surgery) will pitch Friday and Scherzer (shoulder) will be Saturday. DeGrom hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since April 28, 2023.
Diamondbacks: C Gabriel Moreno (groin) and OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (calf) continue to progress. Manager Torey Lovullo hopes both can return before the regular season ends.
UP NEXT
The D-backs send RHP Merrill Kelly (4-0, 4.08 ERA) to the mound on Wednesday, while the Rangers counter with LHP Cody Bradford (5-2, 3.05 ERA) in the finale of the two-game series.
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