| Yovani Gallardo | |
|---|---|
| Milwaukee Brewers – No. 49 | |
| Starting pitcher | |
| Born: February 27, 1986 | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| June 18, 2007 for the Milwaukee Brewers | |
| Career statistics (through 2011) |
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| Win-Loss | 53–34 |
| Earned run average | 3.63 |
| Strikeouts | 732 |
| Innings pitched | 712 |
| Shutouts | 3 |
| Teams | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Yovani Gallardo (born February 27, 1986) is a Mexican professional baseball pitcher with the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball. He was selected in the second round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft out of Trimble Technical High School in Fort Worth, Texas.[1]
Gallardo is listed at 6'2" and 210 pounds.[2] He has showcased impressive hitting skills for a pitcher. In 188 career at-bats, he has an average of .213 with nine home runs and twenty-six RBIs.[2] He regularly throws four pitches: a fastball, curveball, slider, and changeup with a lot of movement.
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With Single-A Brevard County, on June 9, Gallardo had a no-hitter for 8⅓ innings before surrendering a triple; Gallardo finished the game with 11 strikeouts.[3] 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.[4] His Double-A line included 13 starts and a 1.63 ERA.[4]
Gallardo started the season with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds.[4] 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.[5] Gallardo made his major league debut against the San Francisco Giants on June 18, yielding 3 earned runs in 6⅓ innings for the win, with three walks and four strikeouts.[6] In Gallardo's first at-bat in the majors, he hit an RBI double.[6]
For his second career start on June 24, Gallardo had a no-hitter into the 5th inning.[7] He would later take the no-decision when the bullpen blew the lead in the 8th.[7] After coming out of the bullpen for three games, Gallardo was inserted back into the starting rotation on July 17 when then-Brewers ace Ben Sheets went on the 15-day disabled list with a right distal finger sprain.[8]
Gallardo started the season on the disabled list. He went on the 15-day DL on March 21, 2008, with a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee.[9] Upon his return on April 20, Gallardo pitched well during the next three games, compiling a 1.80 earned run average in twenty innings of work.[2]
During his start on May 1, Gallardo jumped to get out of the way of a diving Chicago Cubs player – Reed Johnson – and landed awkwardly, bending his right knee extensively, during the 5th inning.[10] He continued to pitch through the 6th, but was later diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).[10] Gallardo was placed on the 15-day disabled list, and was not activated until September 24.[9]
Gallardo was the starting pitcher in game 1 of the NLDS on October 1, 2008 against the Philadelphia Phillies.[11] He ended up taking the loss to Cole Hamels.[11]
During Spring Training for 2009, Gallardo was offered to pitch for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, but turned it down to focus on getting ready for the 2009 season.[12] A few baseball commentators, notably Eric Karabell of ESPN, believed that Gallardo would be the Brewers' ace for the coming season.[13]
His first start was on April 8 against the Giants, lasting 6⅔ innings, giving up only 2 runs and striking out six en route to getting the win.[14] He made news in the 6th inning when he hit a three-run home run off of Randy Johnson, becoming the first pitcher to ever hit a home run off of Johnson.[15]
Gallardo pitched his first career complete game on April 24 against the Houston Astros.[16] Gallardo allowed only two runs on five hits, striking out seven.[16] His family was in attendance for the game, and were moved to behind the Brewers dugout for the final inning.[17]
Gallardo made baseball news again in his next start against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Gallardo pitched 8 shutout innings and hit a home run in the 7th, which was the only run of the game. Gallardo became only the 26th pitcher in major league history to win a game 1–0 while hitting a home run, and joined Red Ruffing and Early Wynn as the only ones to do so while striking out 10 or more batters (Gallardo struck out 11, also a career high). Gallardo tossed a 2-hitter on Memorial Day against the St. Louis Cardinals. He struck out 6 batters, one of them Albert Pujols. He struck out 9 on May 31 against the Cincinnati Reds. Gallardo pitched another 2-hitter on June 5, shutting out the Atlanta Braves 4–0. He struck out six.
Gallardo struggled with his stamina in the final two months of the season, and was finally benched for the remainder of the year in mid-September. Gallardo started 30 games for the Brewers, with a record of 13–12 with a 3.73 ERA. He struck out 204 batters over 185 innings pitched, becoming only the 4th Brewer pitcher to strike out 200+ batters.
On April 7, the Brewers signed Gallardo to a five-year, $30.1 million contract extension through the 2014 season, with an $13 million option for 2015.[18]
Gallardo pitched his first career complete game shutout on May 28 at Miller Park against the New York Mets, outdueling Mets ace Johan Santana 2–0.
Gallardo was selected to his first all-star game in the 2010 season, but just after he was elected, he got injured.
On August 27, 2010, Gallardo was robbed at gunpoint at a Milwaukee supermarket. He and clubhouse attendant Alex Sanchez handed over jewelry and money to the robbers. Sanchez was struck on the head with the butt of the gun.
Gallardo had a solid 2010 season, going 14–7 with a 3.84 ERA and 200 strikeouts in 185 innings pitched, plus two complete game shutouts. Gallardo also was stellar at the plate, batting .254 with 4 homeruns, 10 RBIs, and a .504 slugging percentage. Gallardo was awarded the National League Silver Slugger award as the best hitting pitcher.
Gallardo was named the opening day starter for the second straight year after a rib injury placed Zack Greinke on the DL. On opening day, Gallardo was in line for the win, but due to the collapse of the bullpen and a walk off homer, received a no decision.
On April 5, his second start of the season, Gallardo recorded his third complete game shutout in his career. The opposing Atlanta Braves were only able to record two hits and two walks. Gallardo also recorded a hit and scored the only run of the game.
On April 23, he hit his seventh home run of his career off of the Astros' Nelson Figueroa as the Brewers won 14–7.
On May 7, Gallardo pitched a no-hitter into the 8th inning against the St. Louis Cardinals, but it was ended by a lead-off single by Daniel Descalso in the 8th that just slipped past a diving Craig Counsell. It turned out to be the only hit of the game for St. Louis as Gallardo finished the 8th inning by retiring the next 3 batters and Brewers closer John Axford closed out the 9th inning in a 4-0 Brewers win. Gallardo walked 4 batters and struck out 6 in the game.
On his August 21 start against the New York Mets, Gallardo earned his 14th win of the season, matching his career high. The win was also his 50th career win in the majors.
On September 17, Gallardo set a new career high in strikeouts with 13 against the Cincinnati Reds, including 4 in one inning, with Brandon Phillips reaching on a wild 3rd strike. Gallardo became the second Brewer ever to strike out 4 batters in one inning, with Manny Parra being the other. Gallardo also won his 17th game of the season, the most by a Brewer since Chris Capuano won 18 games in 2005.
On September 23, in his final regular season start, Gallardo struck out 11 Marlins. It was the third straight start in which Gallardo struck out at least 11 batters, and it ensured him another 200 strikeout season, his third in a row. As a result of this game, he became the first Brewers pitcher to notch 3 straight double digit strikeout starts, as well as 3 straight 200+ strikeout seasons. The only other pitchers to have three 200-K seasons at 25 or younger over the last 20 years is Kerry Wood and Felix Hernandez. Wood did it in 1998, 2001 and 2002. Gallardo did it in 2009, 2010, and 2011.
Gallardo finished with a 17–10 record for the season with a 3.52 ERA, and 207 strikeouts (fifth in the league) in 207.1 innings pitched. His 17 wins were fourth in the NL.[19]
In Game 1 of the NLDS against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Gallardo pitched 8 innings, only surrendering 4 hits and a walk, and one earned run on a solo home run by Ryan Roberts. His nine strikeouts tied a franchise record for most strikeouts in a postseason game for the Brewers. Gallardo earned a win as the Brewers went on to win 4–1.
Gallardo started game 5 of the NLDS, lasting 6 innings. Control was a problem for him throughout the game, bouncing multiple pitches in front of home. He threw 66 strikes in a 112-pitch, 6-inning effort. Gallardo didn't receive the decision, surrendering 1 earned run as the Brewers went on to win 3-2 in 10 innings.
Gallardo finished in 7th place in Cy Young voting, the first time Gallardo had ever received votes for the award.
Gallardo has a five pitch repertoire consisting of a Four-seam fastball, a curveball, a slider, a change-up, and a cutter. The fastball is generally thrown between 92–95 mph, occasionally reaching as high as 96, the curve is thrown hard in the upper 70's to lower 80's, and the slider is usually in the mid 80's and has a late sharp break. When he was in the minors, his curveball was considered the best curveball in the minor leagues. He has somewhat phased out his change-up, only throwing it sparingly in his recent starts. More recently, he has begun to throw a cutter in the upper 80's to supplement his change-up. Gallardo is a strikeout pitcher, having a career average of around one strikeout for every one inning pitched.
Gallardo is married to his wife Patricia; the couple has a son named Yovani Jr[20] They reside in Fort Worth, Texas
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