PHOENIX — Astros rookie Brice Matthews crushed two home runs off Arizona Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen on Monday night, the difference in a 6-3 victory for Houston.
The Diamondbacks (50-51) left 11 runners on base as they had a four-game winning streak snapped.
Their sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals over the weekend had been built on early leads and strong starting pitching.
Arizona drew first blood again in the first inning on Monday with a Ketel Marte lead-off double followed by a Corbin Carroll single, but that lead did not hold for long.
Matthews blasted a three-run shot with two outs in the second off a Gallen fastball, his first career home run. For the first time since the All-Star break, the Diamondbacks trailed.
The D-backs left Gallen in the game with 85 pitches entering the seventh inning while down 4-3. He sat down 10 of the previous 11 batters efficiently.
A Chas McCormick bunt single set up Matthews, however, who crushed a first-pitch cutter way over the left-center field wall. Manager Torey Lovullo then pulled Gallen at six earned runs on seven hits.
Lovullo thought Gallen threw the ball well except for the two home runs, and Gallen was frustrated that he felt two mistakes cost him five runs.
He set a new career high for home runs allowed in a single season with 23, doing so before the end of July.
“It feels like every time I make a mistake, it turns out to be a home run, which is unfortunate,” Gallen said. “It’s hard to keep runs off the board when the balls are leaving the ballpark. I don’t know what the fix is there.”
Gallen allowed at least six earned runs for the fifth time this season, tying the MLB lead. The Diamondbacks moved to 9-12 when he toes the rubber this year, as his ERA ballooned to 5.58.
“I think I’m more frustrated than anything,” Gallen said. “I wouldn’t say I’m really down on myself. I feel like I’ve turned over every rock to figure out what’s going on. That’s the thing I love about this game is that it always gives you a chance.”
Diamondbacks have tough night with runners on base
After Christian Walker doubled home a run in the third inning during his return to Chase Field, the Diamondbacks chipped away at a 4-1 Astros lead.
Eugenio Suarez homered again in the third inning, his fifth in the past three games after he hit two each on Saturday and Sunday. He came up just short of hitting another in both the first and fifth innings.
No. 36 for Geno! pic.twitter.com/TMFHuVjbmA
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) July 22, 2025
By going deep, Suarez retook the National League lead with 36 home runs this season. He won NL Player of the Week before the game.
“He’s playing like Nintendo, it’s just unbelievable,” Lovullo said. “You can’t imagine the feeling in the dugout. … I’m amazed by what he does every single day.”
Carroll came around on a Lourdes Gurriel Jr. sacrifice fly after stealing third base in the fifth inning to cut the deficit to one.
The golden opportunity came in the sixth inning after back-to-back walks loaded the bases with two outs, but Marte popped out to end the threat. The Diamondbacks went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position after a great weekend of timely hitting.
The Astros’ bullpen shut out the Diamondbacks for 3.1 innings, with Josh Hader recording the save.
The D-backs brought the tying run to the plate after back-to-back walks in the ninth inning, but Josh Naylor skied out to right field to end the game.
Diamondbacks lose ground in postseason race
This was a tough game for the Diamondbacks to lose.
The Astros are a first-place team in the AL West, but their lineup is injury-riddled with Yordan Alvarez, Isaac Paredes and Jeremy Peña on the injured list. Gallen going up against rookie left-hander Colton Gordon (5.2 IP, 2 ER) making his 11th career start was a favorable pitching matchup compared to Tuesday, when Eduardo Rodriguez will start opposite Framber Valdez and his 2.75 ERA.
The D-backs also lost ground in the NL Wild Card race, as the San Diego Padres won in Miami. Arizona is back under .500 and back to 5.5 games out.
They have eight more games before the trade deadline on July 31.
“I would venture to say the guys in here like playing with each other,” Gallen, who is the subject of many trade rumors, said.
“From a team standpoint, I think we’re just trying to answer the bell and play a little bit better and give the front office and ownership a reason to add because we feel like we still have good talent in this room.”
Monday was likely Gallen’s last start at Chase Field before the trade deadline.
Tuesday’s game starts at 6:40 p.m. MST on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app.
