ARLINGTON, Texas — Can you believe it? The Arizona Diamondbacks are back in the World Series with Game 1 against the Texas Rangers coming up on Friday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
On Thursday, the D-backs took the field in Arlington for their final workout before Game 1 and spoke at World Series media day.
As expected, D-backs manager Torey Lovullo confirmed that Zac Gallen will be the Game 1 starting pitcher for the D-backs. He will face Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi.
Gallen admitted that he has a tough task ahead of him facing the Rangers' potent lineup.
"This a really good lineup," Gallen said. "This is a team we've seen, what, four times this year, I don't know how many times we've played them. But it's a really good lineup. We didn't get a chance to see Evan Carter earlier in the year. So that's another fold that they added into the mix. And they're playing hot, too. So it's not going to be an easy task by any means."
Gallen also said that he has heard from many people who cannot believe the D-backs made it to the World Series.
"I don't think it's necessarily because of the team, of the guys we have in that clubhouse; it's more of the fact just as a kid, people that saw me as a kid playing Little League, and here we are, Game 1 of the World Series about to come up. So I think it's more of, yeah, just more in that sense of just I can't believe it, it's insane, it's surreal."
Part of the reason that it is so surreal is that just two years ago, the D-backs lost 110 games. Gallen said he tries not to think about that, but having been part of the rise makes this playoff run even more incredible.
"It kind of started to hit me a little bit on the way to the ballpark today, having the escort here, just thinking, like, 730 days ago, whatever it was, like, who would have really thought we would be here right now this soon, this quickly? I'm just proud of the guys in the clubhouse," Gallen said. "The guys that have walked through the dark times that we're here, and the young guys that have come up and stepped up right away and kind of inserted themselves into this success that we're having has been incredible."
One of those young guys has been rookie catcher Gabriel Moreno who Gallen said has played well beyond his years.
"Gabi is 23, but I feel like he's 33," Gallen said. "Just the way he's super cool, super calm, collected. The moment doesn't seem to phase him. And the talent is just off the charts."
Gallen made some waves on Wednesday when he made a jab at Philadelphia Phillies fans, tweeting out a picture of a Google search for Phillies 2024 Spring Training tickets and saying "Make sure to get those tix for your next game."
Gallen addressed the tweet on Thursday saying it was in response to trash talk he had been getting from Phillies fans on social media.
"For me, that was just growing up in that area and knowing how the Philly fans operate, I don't know, there was a lot of mentions that people in my DMs and stuff like that, I figured -- they were talking junk," Gallen said. "So I just figured if they want to talk junk to me, I'll say one back. And I feel like being from there, I knew how to hit them the hardest. So that was my thought. But, yeah, that's the end of that. This is a new thing. That's over with. It's Thursday, the day before the World Series. So moving on."
Gallen added that trash talk from social media and doubts about the team from members of the media have made it into the clubhouse and have inspired them during this run to the World Series.
"I think if you compete, if you're in any sort of competitive field and somebody tells you can't do something or they think somebody can do it better than you, I think that's kind of the main reason probably why you're where you are today," Gallen said. "We just have guys in there with quiet confidence. All right, we'll just prove you wrong; let's see what happens. We know what we can do. We had a really good first half. We know it's in there, let's see what happens."
Game 1 of the World Series is on Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. You can watch the game on Fox.
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