Two pitchers who are hoping to rediscover their All-Star forms will go head-to-head on Sunday in the decisive contest of the three-game series between the Cincinnati Reds and visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.

Right-hander Zac Gallen is set to start the series finale for the Diamondbacks, while left-hander Andrew Abbott will take the mound for the Reds.

Gallen (3-5, 5.43 ERA) made the 2023 National League All-Star team and finished third in Cy Young Award voting after posting a 17-9 record and a 3.47 ERA.

After putting up solid numbers again in 2024, Gallen went 6-5 with a 3.97 ERA during the second half of last season. He owned a 3.14 mark through six outings this season but went 2-3 in six starts in May with a 7.04 ERA.

That rut has carried over to June, where he owns a 6.97 ERA through two starts. He received a no-decision after allowing four runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings of a 10-6 loss at the Miami Marlins on Tuesday.

“We need him,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “We need him to go out there. We’ll continue to evaluate him as we do with every other player on this ball club.”

Gallen has made six starts against the Reds in his career, posting a 1-2 record with a 3.16 ERA.

Abbott (4-4, 4.10) also is trying to rediscover his All-Star form from last season, when he posted a 2.87 ERA in 29 starts.

He most recently took the loss against the host San Diego Padres on Monday after allowing three runs and four hits in six innings of the 6-2 defeat.

Cincinnati’s 2-1 win on Saturday was just its second victory overall in the past nine games.

“We haven’t been playing our best ball, but we’re all showing up,” Abbott said. “I think it’s going to take maybe one extra play, one extra effort, one extra thing to get us over the hump. Once we get over that, then we’ll just start going back to how we were playing.”

Abbott has made two starts against the Diamondbacks in his career, posting a 0-1 record with a 5.73.

The Diamondbacks let a terrific start by Michael Soroka go to waste on Saturday after he held the Reds to one run and two hits over seven innings. The bullpen, however, surrendered a tie-breaking solo home run to Noelvi Marte in the eighth inning.

The Diamondbacks went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 runners on Saturday, but Gallen expressed confidence in the offense after his latest outing.

“Our offense is great, I don’t think anyone doubts that,” Gallen said. “For us as pitchers, you’re just trying to keep it within striking distance for those guys. Just try to give those guys a chance.”

Gallen will need to be careful against Marte, who has homered in each of the first two games of the series.

Since he was recalled from Triple-A Louisville on June 3 after fellow outfielder TJ Friedl was optioned, Marte has been getting hitting advice from former Cincinnati shortstop Barry Larkin, a Hall of Famer and 12-time All Star.

“The last two nights I’ve been concentrating on the same thing I did when I was down in Triple-A,” Marte said. “Stay focused on what I want.”

–Field Level Media

The Cleveland Guardians will be without the face of their franchise, seven-time All-Star third baseman Jose Ramirez, for at least the next month.

Ramirez suffered a fractured left hamate bone while popping out to the catcher in the fifth inning Saturday against the Detroit Tigers, casting a cloud over the teams’ series finale Sunday in Cleveland.

Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams (9-3, 3.32 ERA) takes on Tigers right-hander Casey Mize (2-3, 2.27 ERA) in the afternoon contest. Cleveland has won the first two games this weekend and 11 of its last 12 overall against Detroit.

Ramirez wore an athletic splint on his left hand/wrist as he left the clubhouse, encouraging his teammates to carry on without him. He will speak with the media on Sunday morning.

“For years and years, Josey has carried us on his back,” Guardians catcher Austin Hedges said. “Now, it’s the other guys’ turn to pick him up.”

Cleveland moved back into first place in the American League Central Division, one-half game ahead of the Chicago White Sox with a 3-1 victory. But the postgame talk was centered on Ramirez, Angel Martinez and Chase DeLauter, who all exited with injuries.

Ramirez is headed to the injured list and likely surgery, while outfielders Martinez (left foot contusion) and DeLauter (right ribcage bruise) are considered day to day. At least one roster move will be made to promote a third baseman from Triple-A Columbus.

“It sucks knowing we’re going to have to grind for a while without him,” Guardians first baseman Kyle Manzardo said. “With all the injuries, the bench was completely emptied by the sixth inning.”

After Ramirez popped out against Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, he told manager Stephen Vogt he would attempt to play defense because of the other injuries. The skipper ruled it out because “he couldn’t squeeze his glove.”

Ramirez suffered a fracture to the same bone in 2019, missing exactly one month before resuming his season on Sept. 24. He was shut down when the then-Indians were knocked out of playoff contention on Sept. 26.

“If there is any team that understands injuries happening at a weird time, it’s us,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “It sounds like they’ve got a lot of stuff to sort out over there.”

Williams has emerged as Cleveland’s best pitcher, currently sharing the major league lead in wins and is 4-0 with a 2.59 ERA in his last five starts. He has faced Detroit seven times, going 3-2 with a 1.88 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings.

The Tigers also will require a roster move to activate Mize, who has been out since May 28 with right groin tightness. He is 1-2 with a 2.93 ERA in five career starts against Cleveland, including a May 21 loss when he worked 6 2/3 innings and allowed two runs.

Detroit has managed three total runs in losing the first two games of the series, going 1-of-15 with runners in scoring position. The lone hit occurred when Dillon Dingler singled home Gleyber Torres in the first inning Saturday. But they failed in their next 10 opportunities.

“Baseball is a game of failure,” Tigers shortstop Kevin McGonigle said. “Everyone did a good job of battling. We just didn’t get that big hit late in the game.”

-Field Level Media

The Atlanta Braves lost a right fielder with a Most Valuable Player trophy on his mantle and a starting pitcher with a 20-win season on his resume within a three-day span this week.

But Eli White and Martin Perez proved the sturdiness of the Braves’ B squad on Saturday afternoon.

The Braves will look to earn a series win on Sunday afternoon when they visit the New York Mets in the finale of a three-game set.

Bryce Elder (5-3, 2.66 ERA) is slated to start for Atlanta against fellow right-hander Freddy Peralta (4-5, 4.04) of New York on Sunday.

White homered and had two RBIs while Perez earned the win by tossing 5 1/3 solid innings Saturday in the Braves’ 3-1 victory.

The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Braves, whose mini-skid was further marred by Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider heading to the injured list. Acuna, who won the National League MVP award in 2023, sustained a strained left hamstring trying to leg out an infield single against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night. Strider, a 20-game winner in 2023, exited Friday’s start with right elbow soreness.

But White, manning right field Saturday, finished with three hits — one fewer than he had in his previous 20 at-bats dating back to May 9.

The 35-year old Perez lowered his ERA to 2.90 after allowing two runs or fewer for the seventh time in 10 starts. He has become a rotation mainstay with Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep sidelined since spring training.

“The guys who don’t play every day, they’ve been big for us,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “When they get a chance to play, they help us win games.”

Injuries have decimated the Mets, who are in last place in the NL East at 31-39. Opening Day starters Francisco Lindor (left calf), Jorge Polanco (left Achilles) and Luis Robert Jr. (back) are on the injured list while Juan Soto (right calf) and Francisco Alvarez (right knee) also spent time on the shelf.

Soto and Bo Bichette had two hits apiece Saturday, but the rest of the Mets lineup went 2-for-23. Soto was stranded at second in the ninth inning after Alvarez hit into a game-ending double play.

“We have been having a lot of tough times with the injuries,” Soto said.

One of the Braves’ first surprise contributors was Elder, who had a 5.59 ERA the previous two seasons but was pressed into the Opening Day rotation when Schwellenbach and Waldrep suffered elbow injuries in February.

Elder continued his strong season in his most recent start last Sunday, when he didn’t factor into the decision after allowing two runs over six innings in the Braves’ 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Elder is 3-0 with a 3.94 ERA in six career games (five starts) against the Mets.

Peralta took the loss Tuesday night after giving up six runs over six innings in the Mets’ 7-0 setback to the St. Louis Cardinals.

He is 5-2 with a 4.26 ERA in nine games (eight starts) against the Braves.

–Field Level Media