Zac Gallen exits no-hit bid as D-backs down Giants

Zac Gallen threw no-hit ball for six innings, Eugenio Suarez and Pavin Smith hit home runs and the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks earned a 6-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night.

Zac Gallen exits no-hit bid as D-backs down Giants

Zac Gallen threw no-hit ball for six innings, Eugenio Suarez and Pavin Smith hit home runs and the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks earned a 6-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night.

Having allowed five runs in five innings in his previous start against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Gallen (11-6) dominated the Giants, allowing just four baserunners in his six innings, all on walks.

Three of the walks came in the second with Arizona (79-61) leading 2-0. Gallen struck out Curt Casali with the bases loaded and two outs to preserve the lead, then retired 11 of the next 12 men he faced to get through six innings.

He was pulled at that point, having thrown 100 pitches. His season-high is 108.

The right-hander, who had never previously been removed from a game with a no-hit bid intact, finished with eight strikeouts.

Arizona’s early lead was the product of an RBI single from Josh Bell in the first and Suarez’s 24th homer leading off the second.

Giants starter Hayden Birdsong (3-5) was pulled after three innings despite having given up just two runs. He allowed three hits and five walks while striking out four.

A solo shot by Smith, his fourth, made it 3-0 in the fifth. Arizona tacked on another run in the seventh when Bell grounded into a double play.

Two pitches after Gallen was removed from the game, the Giants (68-72) got their first hit when Tyler Fitzgerald led off the last of the seventh with a single off Kevin Ginkel. LaMonte Wade Jr. followed with his sixth home run, cutting San Francisco’s deficit in half.

The Diamondbacks got the runs back in a two-run eighth. Jose Herrera drove in a run on a groundout, and Corbin Carroll hit an RBI single.

The Giants brought the potential tying run to the plate in the ninth after Wade delivered a two-run single against Justin Martinez, the Arizona closer. However, Martinez got Luis Matos and Marco Luriano to pop out before striking out Brett Wisely to end it.

Suarez added a double to his home run and scored twice for the Diamondbacks, who improved to 6-3 against the Giants this season. Smith also scored twice.

Fitzgerald, who scored twice, and Wade, who totaled four RBIs, had two hits apiece as the Giants dropped their fourth straight game.