Ben Brown shines, Zac Gallen struggles as Corbin Carroll extends streak in Cubs win

Chicago’s Wrigley Field saw a tale of contrasts on Saturday as Cubs rookie Ben Brown and Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen faced off, with Corbin Carroll making headlines yet again.

Brown’s outing started rocky—he gave up a leadoff homer to Carroll, who extended his hitting streak to games and has now reached base in straight contests. But Brown quickly settled, limiting Arizona to one run over four innings, striking out six despite throwing pitches. The Cubs’ bullpen then retired consecutive batters, sealing a 6-2 win.

Meanwhile, Gallen, who entered as one of baseball’s top pitchers, endured a nightmare start. The Cubs tagged him for six runs and seven hits in the first two innings, forcing him to labor through pitches early. Gallen rebounded by retiring of the last batters he faced, but the early damage proved too much. His ERA climbed to.6, marking his roughest five-game stretch to open a season.

Carroll’s performance stood out for Arizona, collecting all three of the team’s hits against Brown, including his seventh home run of the year. But the rest of the Diamondbacks’ lineup went cold, unable to capitalize on Brown’s high pitch count or Gallen’s efforts to steady the ship.

With Brown showing promise, Gallen searching for answers, and Carroll continuing to shine, Saturday’s matchup left fans with plenty to discuss—and more questions than answers for Arizona’s playoff hopes.