Zac Gallen reveals what makes Freddie Freeman, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber tough pitching puzzles

Diamondbacks All-Star Zac Gallen shared what makes it tough for pitchers like him to draw whiffs from MLB's best sluggers. Gallen has been one of the most clinical hurlers of the past five years and is known for his immense baseball IQ.

The 29-year-old revealed that stars like Freddie Freeman, Bryce Harper, and Kyle Schwarber have a distinct approach that makes the them hard to figure out. The D'backs' ace stated that hitter like the aforementioned trio would spend time gauging an at-bat meticulously whilst also posing the danger of hitting a ball outside the park at any given time.

"I think Freddie [Freeman] is a guy that is tough to pitch. He thinks along with you, but he also can hit for damage, too," said Gallen. (23:00-23:10)

In the most recent episode of "Dugout Discussions" with Mike Rose, the D-backs pitcher named Freeman, along with Harper and Schwarber, as the toughest hitters he had to pick the brains of.

"Some of the guys that tend to think with you aren't necessarily like huge power guys in a sense. But the guys who think along with you and cant hit for damage and make it a tough at bat — [Freeman], Schwarber, and Harper's up there too. Those guys are trying to think along with you. To me, those bats are the true chess matchup." (23:11-23:38)

Zac Gallen's hot start gets blemished after sixth inning meltdown

Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen had a terrific start in his most recent outing against the St. Louis Cardinals last Friday . Having shutout the Cards for the first five innings, the hurler was poised for a victory as Arizona was leading 1-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth.

However, all of his efforts went down the drain fast after he loaded the bases and let Victor Scott II run home freely when he walked Ivan Rivera. This was followed up by a bases-clearing triple by Nolan Arenado to cap off a four-run inning for the hosts.

The D-backs would ultimately lose the game 4-3 with the All-Star pitcher eating the loss after giving up four earned runs on three base hits with four walks and four strikeouts in a 5 and 1/3 innings shift.

Gallen's record now stands at 3-6 with a 5.25 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, and 63 strikeouts across 11 starts. He would have the chance to redeem himself as he's projected to start the series-close against the lowly Pirates at home on May 28.