Zac Gallen RHP
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
6.34
208th
WHIP
1.56
207th
K/9
5.60
218th
BB/9
2.85
102nd
P-Score32i
FIP
–
HR/9
1.65
187th
OPS/R
–
IP
98.0
Last 5 starts
ERA
8.58
FinalFinal lineupsNL West / AL Central
Arizona Diamondbacks 2, Kansas City Royals 5
Final Score and Game Recap
Final score, pitching lines and standings context.
7:40 PM ET · Kauffman StadiumGame-day snapshot Sep 9, 11:10 PM ETFinal lineups lockedCurrent 2026 season stats — updated Oct 23, 5:00 AM ET
Witt drives in three as Royals answer Arizona’s push in 5-2 win
The matchup followed the pregame script on the mound, as Daniel Lynch IV gave Kansas City the steadier start and the Royals beat the Diamondbacks 5-2 on Wednesday at Kauffman Stadium.
Kansas City built an early lead with one run in the second and another in the third, then delivered the game’s decisive swing in the fifth. Arizona had pulled even with single runs in the fourth and fifth, but the Royals answered immediately with a three-run bottom half to take control for good.
Bobby Witt Jr. led that effort, finishing 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Carter Jensen added a homer, scored twice and drove in a run, while John Rave also scored in the middle of the order’s productive night.
Lynch worked five innings for the win, allowing four hits and two runs. After him, Kansas City’s bullpen turned the game into a four-inning relay: Jose Cuas, Anthony Gose, Craig Kimbrel and Nate Pearson combined for four scoreless innings to secure the finish, with Pearson collecting the save.
Arizona actually outhit Kansas City 9-7, but a solo homer from Nolan Arenado and an RBI from Ketel Marte were not enough. Zac Gallen allowed two runs, one earned, in 3.1 innings, and Michael Soroka was charged with the three-run fifth that broke the tie.
- Kansas City broke a 2-2 game open with a three-run fifth and never gave the lead back.
- Bobby Witt Jr. powered the offense with a homer and three RBIs; Carter Jensen also homered and scored twice.
- The Royals’ bullpen covered the final four innings without allowing a run, preserving Daniel Lynch IV’s five-inning win.
Pitching recap
| Pitcher | Team | Role | IP | H | ER | BB | K | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zac Gallen | AZ | Starter | 3.1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 68 |
| Michael Soroka | AZ | ReliefLoss | 4.0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 58 |
| Daniel Lynch IV | KC | StarterWin | 5.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 81 |
| Nate Pearson | KC | ReliefSave | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 19 |
Scoring by inning
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 1 |
 Kansas City Royals | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 0 |
Top hitters
Bobby Witt Jr.2-for-4 · 1 HR · 3 RBI
Nolan Arenado2-for-3 · 1 HR · 1 RBI · 1 BB
Carter Jensen1-for-3 · 1 HR · 1 RBI · 1 BB
Ketel Marte1-for-5 · 1 RBI
Jordan Lawlar2-for-4 · 1 R
Matchup at a glance
PitcherStat calculationPregame contextStarting pitchers
Daniel Lynch IV LHP
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
3.51
108th
WHIP
1.10
53rd
K/9
6.21
214th
BB/9
2.70
69th
P-Score39i
FIP
–
HR/9
0.67
101st
OPS/R
–
IP
66.2
Last 5 starts
ERA
5.40
Royals’ probable edge on the mound meets Diamondbacks’ stronger season résumé
On paper, this matchup pulls in two different directions.
Arizona arrives at Kauffman Stadium with the better record and the stronger place in its division race, sitting 78-68 and second in the NL West. Kansas City is 64-82 and fifth in the AL Central. But the clearest single-game statistical edge belongs to the Royals’ probable starter.
Daniel Lynch IV has been sharp across his six starts, carrying a 3.51 ERA, 3.72 FIP and 1.10 WHIP in 66.2 innings. Zac Gallen’s 19 starts have produced a much rougher line for Arizona: 6.34 ERA, 5.31 FIP and 1.56 WHIP over 98 innings. The gap is substantial nearly across the board. Lynch has the lower ERA, FIP, WHIP, walk rate and home-run rate, and even a slight strikeout edge. Gallen’s one advantage in the supplied profile is a higher quality-start percentage, 16 percent to Lynch’s 0, but the broader pitching line favors Kansas City.
That gives the Royals a path in a game where the team-level numbers are more complicated than the records suggest. Arizona scores slightly more runs per game, 4.42 to 4.27, yet Kansas City owns slim edges in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging and OPS. None of those lineup differences are large, which makes the run-production split more notable than overwhelming.
Recent form adds another wrinkle. The Diamondbacks are 6-4 over their last 10 games, while the Royals are 3-7. But Kansas City has actually scored more often in that span, averaging 4.30 runs per game to Arizona’s 3.00. So Arizona has been getting the better results lately without a big scoring surge, while Kansas City’s offense has not translated into wins.
If this game gets beyond the starters early, the bullpen comparison leans back toward Arizona. The Diamondbacks’ relief group has the better ERA (3.83 to 4.70) and WHIP (1.25 to 1.41), though Kansas City’s bullpen has posted a slightly higher strikeout rate.
That combination is what makes this an interesting pregame read. Arizona has the better season profile overall and the steadier bullpen. Kansas City, despite its place in the standings, appears to hold the more favorable starting-pitching matchup by a wide margin. In a game between teams coming in from very different seasons, the first few innings may be where the numbers diverge most sharply.
- Kansas City’s biggest statistical edge is the probable starting matchup: Daniel Lynch IV has a 3.51 ERA and 1.10 WHIP, compared with Zac Gallen’s 6.34 ERA and 1.56 WHIP.
- Arizona owns the better overall season record (78-68 vs. 64-82) and the stronger bullpen numbers, with a 3.83 relief ERA to Kansas City’s 4.70.
- The offenses are close by rate stats, but recent results differ: Arizona is 6-4 in its last 10 despite scoring 3.00 runs per game, while Kansas City is 3-7 despite averaging 4.30.
How the lineups match the starters' pitch mix
Pitch data coverage: partial. Usage and velocity only.
Team OPS vs opposing starter's hand
Lineups
Final lineupsOrder from the stored snapshot; treat as unofficial until the card is filed.Full lineup page
Team comparison
AZ·KCAVG.246 12th.248 8th
OPS.720 14th.718 17th
Home runs166 25th170 21st
Runs739 11th690 22nd
OBP.318 13th.316 18th
SLG.402 14th.402 15th
AZ·KC1stMLB rank30th
AZKC
AZKC
AZKC
AZKC
AZ·KC1stMLB rank30th
no league rank
no league rank
AZKC
AZ·KC+37112th
Run differential
+26626th
86–76 Record69–93
6–4 Last 103–7
Last 10 games
W
W
W
W
L
W
L
L
W
L
L
L
W
L
L
W
L
L
L
W
2026 head-to-head
Season Series
1—2
Frequently asked
Who is starting for the Diamondbacks?+
Zac Gallen (6.34 ERA, 3–9) is listed as the starter.
Who is starting for the Royals?+
Daniel Lynch IV (3.51 ERA, 4–5) is listed as the starter.
What time does the game start?+
7:40 PM ET at Kauffman Stadium.
Where is the game being played?+
Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals.
Are the lineups confirmed?+
Not as official league cards. The orders shown are the current projected or last-posted lineups.
How have the Diamondbacks and Royals performed head-to-head?+
Season series: Royals 2–1 this season.
How do the starters compare on P-Score?+
Zac Gallen is at 32; Daniel Lynch IV is at 39. P-Score is PitcherStat's 0–100 season index for qualified starters.