MILWAUKEE -- D-backs manager Torey Lovullo admitted ahead of Wednesday’s game that he couldn’t figure out why there was such a wide variance between starter Zac Gallen’s home and road splits this season. 

Gallen -- an early favorite for the NL Cy Young Award -- has been overwhelmingly elite at home but has so far struggled to carry that success with him in road starts. Though Lovullo noted such an odd quirk was tough to explain, he had little doubt in his ace’s ability to solve whatever the issue was. 

“I know he's an easy bet to figure it out,” Lovullo said. 

Turns out that would’ve been quite a successful wager on his part.

Gallen shook off whatever troubles road mounds had been giving him on Wednesday, allowing just three hits and one run while striking out four over seven innings in Arizona’s 5-1 win at American Family Field. It was his ninth victory of the season, tying him with teammate Merrill Kelly and Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw for the NL lead. 

“[Brewers starter Julio Teheran] was keeping us off the board, so I just kind of had to get back out there and answer,” Gallen said. “It's a solid offense, and this is definitely not a pitcher's park by any means. I knew that our guys were going to break through at some point, so I was just trying to hold them off as long as I could.” 

It’s a task that Gallen has made look quite easy while pitching at Chase Field this year. He boasts a 1.00 ERA across eight home starts, along with an equally impressive 0.852 WHIP and a 9.57 strikeouts-per-walk average.

Those numbers have been on the opposite end of the spectrum in opposing parks. Gallen entered Wednesday with a 5.79 road ERA over seven starts, with 28 runs (24 earned) across 37 1/3 innings. His WHIP was up to 1.527, while he was only averaging 2.75 strikeouts per walk. 

Despite not having dealt with this issue in previous seasons, Gallen doesn’t believe there’s anything major behind it. 

“I think the biggest thing is, pitching at home, obviously there's a comfort level,” he said. “You sleep in your own bed. You're familiar with the surroundings of the stadium. I feel like Chase Field is definitely a little bit more pitcher-friendly, especially the alleys in center field. But nothing that's really stood out to me that I feel like I really need to change.  

“Maybe have a little bit more edge when I'm going on the road, knowing that I’ve got to just be a little bit more cognizant, a little more locked in.”

That certainly wasn’t a problem on Wednesday. 

Gallen shook off a 108.4 mph leadoff single from Christian Yelich to set down seven straight Brewers. He faced the minimum in four of his seven innings, and only had two three-ball counts on the day. Gallen’s lone blemish was a fifth-inning solo shot from Raimel Tapia, one of just six hard-hit balls he allowed. 

"He did his thing out there,” said Alek Thomas, who drove home a run for the second time in three games since being called up on Monday. “A lot of swing and misses, a lot of carve and a lot of paint, too. It was good to see that not only from the TV where I've been watching him, but from center field.”

The D-backs' bats struck in the sixth to ensure Gallen’s outing came complete with a ‘W.’

Pavin Smith sprinted home from first after Brewers center fielder Joey Wiemer misplayed a single from Emmanuel Rivera, who scored the go-ahead run on Thomas’ ensuing RBI single. Arizona would tack on three more from there to seal its second straight series win. 

“This was a hard-fought victory,” Lovullo said. “We had to really grind. I think this team dug down into their reserve a little bit today and found a way to win a baseball game. It's a good feeling.”

As was his prediction that Gallen would eventually figure out how to find his groove on the road again. Lovullo knew it would happen eventually, but did he expect his bet to pay off as soon as Wednesday? 

“Sometimes with Zac, yeah, it's an immediate response,” Lovullo said. “He's just built on making improvements. He doesn't waste days, and I know he has a mindset of never sitting still or being satisfied. 

“You combine all of that, and you just keep pushing out a good start, and that's your expectation. We have a clunker, he gets even better.”