Zac Gallen Called Out Booing Diamondbacks Fans. His 6.10 ERA Might Explain the Frustration.

Zac Gallen didn’t have much to say after getting shelled by the Twins on Saturday. But what he did say is going to stick with Diamondbacks fans for a minute.

Arizona dropped a 16-8 mess to Minnesota, and Gallen got booed off the Chase Field mound after four innings of work. Twelve hits. Nine earned runs. A 6.10 ERA that keeps climbing. And when reporters asked him about the crowd reaction, Gallen didn’t exactly apologize.

“It is what it is. They paid to come here and they’re unsatisfied. I think it’s ironic when they boo players, because the player is probably the most unsatisfied with themselves,” Gallen said, via AZ Sports.

That’s a fair point, technically. No one feels worse about a blown start than the guy holding the ball. But paying customers aren’t exactly known for nuance, and Gallen’s 3-6 record isn’t winning him much sympathy.

The Diamondbacks dropped to 39-37, which is still above .500 but doesn’t feel great when your ace is getting lit up like a pinball machine. They’ve gone 5-5 in their last 10, which is the definition of treading water.

And it’s not just Gallen. The injury list is getting ridiculous. Manager Torey Lovullo is clearly fed up.

“It’s been brutal,” Lovullo said, per MLB.com. “I’m not going to lie. We’re gonna try to get everybody healthy. We’re going to try to get everybody back on their feet. It’s going to be a little bit of a longer process for some. It’s been a tough 24 to 48 hours for this ballclub, but we know that we have to budget for very hard days.”

Outfielder Jordan Lawlar went down Friday. Right-hander Michael Soroka joined him on the injured list. For a team that’s still grinding for a winning season, losing pieces is the last thing they need.

Gallen is supposed to be the guy who holds things together. Instead, he’s sitting on a 6.10 ERA in 16 starts. That’s not ace territory. That’s borderline rotation-churn territory. And when the franchise pitcher gets booed by his own crowd, it’s a sign that patience is wearing thin in the desert.

Diamondbacks vs. Twins again Sunday. Maybe Gallen’s bullpen can pick up the slack. Or maybe the fans will bring the same energy they brought Saturday. Either way, the tension isn’t going anywhere.