Gallardo Goes Home Before ALDS Opener

“This is the first step”.

For his career, Gallardo is 3-0 with a 1.33 ERA in his three career starts against the Jays. Are they conceding game 1? Milwaukee took him in the second round of the 2004 amateur draft out of Trimble Tech High School in Fort Worth, less than 20 miles from the Rangers’ ballpark. Whether or not that history weighed on Price coming into Thursday, the lefthander did admit after the game – incredibly for a pitcher of his stature – that he was nervous. So I also say that there’s just a bit of different advantage.

How much of the Rangers’ jump from last in the AL West, last year, and first this year, can be credited to manager Jeff Banister?

“We’ll treat this game just like all the rest of them. He’s put us a few consecutive innings of zeroes also”.

He’s now 0-6, 4.54 in post-season starts, the first pitcher in big league history to lose that many without a win, and his effort – not bad but not dominant (ESPN reports Texas didn’t swing through a Price fastball one time in the game) – was not unlike the playoff games he pitched against Texas in 2010 and 2011. 136 in 13 2-3 scoreless innings against the right-hander.

Would you have a problem with an employee booking a sick day just to watch a Blue Jays game?

There’s a good reason the Texas Rangers are giving Yovani Gallardo the ball for Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Toronto Blue Jays. Who would end up being bumped from the playoff rotation has been the subject of much discussion for a while, and I figured it would come down to either Yovani Gallardo or Martin Perez losing his spot. The Phillies went on to win the World Series as Hamels was voted MVP. Gallardo is the kind of pitcher that can beat anyone (and lose to anyone) on any given night.

The Rangers are expecting Josh Hamilton to produce in the ALDS, after which he will be unavailable for 18 months while Keith Miester and the Ranger team sorcerer perform a lengthy necromantic ritual on his legs. However, considering Gallardo’s struggles as of late (he’s made it through six innings just once since the start of August) he will probably be on a short leash.

“I go out there and pitch my game each and every time out”. Toronto and Texas were 1-2 in scoring runs in the second half of the season when Toronto went 48-23 and Texas 46-28.