The Arizona Diamondbacks won their fourth straight game with a 6-5 win over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night. The win brings Torey Lovullo's team within 1.5 games of the final National League Wild Card spot. As the playoffs become a more realistic outcome, Arizona is starting to shuffle its starting rotation around Zac Gallen, Brandon Pfaadt, and those behind them.
Gallen has been as dominant as ever since the All-Star break. The veteran starter got off to a slow start. However, he had to step in as his team's ace after Corbin Burnes' injury. He is Lovullo's primary choice when it comes to starting Game 1 of a playoff series this fall. In order to ensure that Gallen is ready to go, the Diamondbacks manager is making a big change.
For the rest of the regular season, Arizona is moving its rotation from five starters to four, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale. The change gives Gallen and Pfaadt a chance to enter the playoffs in rhythm. Lovullo spoke with the media about the change, saying that he believes in his top four pitchers down the stretch.
Per Torey Lovullo, the Diamondbacks will turn to a four-man pitching rotation. Nabil Crismatt will be moved to the bullpen. pic.twitter.com/1OyQAJojCx
— PHNX Diamondbacks (@PHNX_Dbacks) September 17, 2025
“The four guys have been leading the charge for us all year long,” Lovullo said. “Some of them have thrown the ball exceptionally well and we wanted to match up the best way we could against the most critical teams at the most critical times. We spent some time on it… this is something we talked about for seven or eight days.”
The move comes as the Diamondbacks compete in a tight race in the NL. However, giving Gallen and Pfaadt more starts down the stretch could help Arizona go on a run. The team has a chance to get hot and steal the final Wild Card berth. For a team that has dealt with so many injuries, the Diamondbacks are ready to go all in on the rest of the season.