When discussing his outstanding defensive play in the sixth inning on Tuesday night, Zac Gallen led reporters down a fun rabbit trail.

-Jesse Friedman

Torey Lovullo reveals his pitchers-only defensive lineup

In Tuesday night's 7-0 win over the New York Yankees, Zac Gallen made one of the most difficult defensive plays a pitcher can make.

With Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez shifted toward second base, Yankees slugger Anthony Rizzo hit a slow roller up the third-base line, and Gallen — who had just thrown his 96th pitch and figured that Rizzo was his last hitter no matter what — knew that Suárez had no chance of getting there.

Gallen hurried off the mound, fielded the ball cleanly and zipped a strike over to Christian Walker at first base. Out number three, inning over.

It was the cherry on top of an outstanding performance in Gallen's second start of the season.

Jesse Friedman

@JesseNFriedman

Zac Gallen threw 11 of his first 17 pitches tonight for balls. Then, he went out and did this anyway:
6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 96 pitches (56 strikes).

8:25 PM • Apr 2, 2024

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As Gallen walked off the mound, he let out a celebratory scream. When asked after the game about being so fired up, Gallen (jokingly) took his answer in a different direction.

“I was fired up because Torey came out with a pitchers-only lineup yesterday," he said, smiling, "and I got booted to second base, not shortstop."

PHNX Diamondbacks

@PHNX_Dbacks

Zac Gallen on being fired up after his outstanding defensive play in the sixth inning:
“I was fired up because Torey came up with a pitchers-only lineup yesterday, and I got booted to second base, not shortstop." 🤣

12:14 AM • Apr 3, 2024

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It turns out that, while Gallen was joking about the reason for his on-field celebration, he was not joking about the fact that manager Torey Lovullo had been asked during a recent batting practice session to set a defensive lineup consisting solely of pitchers. Lovullo did not shy away from the task.

Gallen recalls: "[Torey] was like, 'I think you’re gonna play second base.' I was [standing] next to [Scott] McGough, and I was like, 'I don’t know about that, but alright, that’s fine. I’m fine. I’m fine with it.'”

Fortunately, Lovullo was still around after Gallen's postgame interview to unveil his full pitchers-only defense:

Catcher: Bryce Jarvis
First base: Tommy Henry
Second base: Zac Gallen
Third base: Ryne Nelson
Shortstop: Scott McGough
Left field: Joe Mantiply
Center field: Kyle Nelson
Right field: Miguel Castro
Bench: Ryan Thompson, Brandon Pfaadt, Kevin Ginkel, Merrill Kelly

Lovullo mentioned that Bryce Jarvis caught in high school, and that Ryne Nelson played shortstop in college, hence his fit at third base. Lovullo also added that Gallen would serve as his third-string shortstop, trailing both McGough and Ryne Nelson in the pecking order, dealing another (playful) blow to Gallen's pride.

Of course, after the play he made on Tuesday, Gallen is hoping that Lovullo will reconsider.

“I’ll be in his office tomorrow," Gallen said, "knocking on his door, going, 'Are you going to change that lineup or what?'”

These are the kinds of conversations that often happen in the Diamondbacks' clubhouse and on the field that fans — and media — often do not find out about. They are a sign of what is, by all indications, a group of Diamondbacks coaches and players that genuinely enjoy each other's company.

“It’s all fun," Gallen said. "That’s what makes our clubhouse great is that you have conversations like that with the manager and you can joke around and keep it light. You know, the season gets long."