Yovani Gallardo

Infobox MLB player


width = 150px
name=Yovani Gallardo
position=Starting pitcher
team=Milwaukee Brewers
number=49
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1986|2|27
birthplace=La Piedad, Michoacan, Mexico
debutdate=June 18
debutyear=2007
debutteam=Milwaukee Brewers
statyear=September 23, 2008
stat1label=Win-Loss
stat1value=9-5
stat2label=Earned run average
stat2value=3.38
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=114
teams=
*Milwaukee Brewers (by|2007-present)

Yovani Gallardo (born February 27, 1986 in La Piedad, Michoacan, Mexico) is a right-handed starting pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers. He was selected in the second round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft out of Trimble Technical High School in Fort Worth, Texas. Gallardo has good size for a pitcher; he is 6'1" and 210 pounds, and also shows good hitting ability for a pitcher. In 48 at-bats, he had an average of .229 and hit 2 home runs for a total of 6 RBI. He regularly throws four pitches: a fastball, curveball, slider, and changeup with a lot of movement. He has an above-average arm with a fastball that touches the mid 90s, but he usually throws in the 93 MPH range with a hard-breaking 80-84 MPH curve that, when he was in the minors, was considered the best curveball in the minors. His slider is also very good, with a late, sharp break.

2006 season

With Single-A Brevard County, on June 9, Gallardo had a no-hitter for 8 1/3 innings before surrendering a triple; Gallardo finished the game with 11 strikeouts. Splitting time between Brevard County and Double-A Huntsville, he led all minor league pitchers with 188 strikeouts in 155 innings of work, the most in a single season by a Brewers prospect. His Double-A line included 13 starts and a 1.63 ERA.

2007 season

Gallardo started the season with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds. On June 14, the Brewers announced the call-up of Gallardo to replace starter Chris Capuano, who was placed on the disabled list with a strained left groin. Gallardo made his major league debut against the San Francisco Giants on June 18, yielding 3 earned runs in 6 1/3 innings for the win, with three walks and four strikeouts. In Gallardo's first at-bat in the majors, he hit an RBI double.

For his second career start on June 23, Gallardo had a no-hitter into the 5th inning. He would later take the no-decision when the bullpen blew the lead in the 8th. After coming out of the bullpen for three games, Gallardo was inserted back into the starting rotation on July 17 when Brewers ace Ben Sheets went on the 15-day disabled list with a right distal finger sprain.

2008 season

Gallardo started the season on the disabled list. He went on the 15-day DL on March 21, mlby|2008, with a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee. Upon his return on April 20, Gallardo pitched well during the next three games compiling a 1.80 ERA in 20 innings.

During his start on May 1, Gallardo collided with Reed Johnson, of the Chicago Cubs, during the 5th inning. He continued to pitch but was later diagnosed with a torn ACL in his right knee. Gallardo was placed on the 15-day DL and was not activated until September 24.

Gallardo will be starting pitcher in game 1 of the NLDS, October 1, 2008 against the Philadelphia Phillies. In doing so, Gallardo will become the only pitcher in major league history to start a postseason game with a 0-0 record for the season.

External links