Rangers like Gallardo’s track record against Astros
The decision to switch Cole Hamels to Thursday in the finale of the three-game series against Oakland pushed Yovani Gallardo into the opener of a critical three-game series at Houston on Friday.
Based on his history against the Astros and at Minute Maid Park, that could be a good thing for the Texas Rangers.
Gallardo hasn’t beaten another team more than he has Houston. He’s 15-4 with a 3.09 ERA in 20 career starts against the Astros, 13 of them while with Milwaukee, and he is 5-3 with a 2.92 ERA in nine starts at Minute Maid Park.
He has learned how to deal with the quirky Crawford Boxes only 315 feet away from home plate in left field.
“The main thing is keeping the ball on the ground,” Gallardo said. “Any ballpark, you never want to pitch to the ballpark. You’ve got to not look at that. I’ve pitched my game. If you keep the ball on the ground, good things will happen.”
His numbers this season against the Astros aren’t great, though his 6.14 ERA is offset by wins in two of three starts. Gallardo is also trending the wrong way in September, at 1-2 with a 5.49 ERA in four starts.
But Gallardo likely won’t be unnerved by the magnitude of the game as the Astros try to gain ground on the Rangers in the American League West. He pitched in playoff environments in 2008 and 2011 with the Brewers.
“I’ve still got to go out there and make pitches at the end of the day no matter what the situation is,” Gallardo said. “There will be more excitement. I’m excited every time I get the ball. That’s the way I look at it, but maybe just a little bit more to start against the team that’s behind us in the standings.”
Significance of No. 8
Bobby Wilson is a catcher who is wearing No. 8 for the Rangers.
Yogi Berra was a catcher who wore No. 8 all the way to the Hall of Fame.
I was thinking about that last night. It kind of sunk in. I felt like, ‘I don’t know if I’m worthy enough to wear this number.’
Rangers catcher Bobby Wilson
It’s merely a coincidence that Wilson is wearing the same number as Berra, the New York Yankees legend who died Tuesday at age 90. But it wasn’t lost on Wilson this week.
“I was thinking about that last night as I was reading all the Yogi-isms,” Wilson said. “It kind of sunk in. I felt like, ‘I don’t know if I’m worthy enough to wear this number.’ ”
Berra was a 10-time world champion and a three-time MVP who was considered the greatest living Yankee and perhaps the greatest living Hall of Famer. Wilson was designated for assignment earlier this season.
“That’s what every catcher strives to be, a world champion and an icon,” Wilson said. “There’s not enough words to describe what he did for the game.”
Closing time
Manager Jeff Banister said that closer Shawn Tolleson was going to pitch the ninth inning Wednesday night with 7-3 lead, technically a non-save situation.
The Rangers had a chance to extend their division lead, and he wanted his best on the mound even with a four-run lead.
“We’ve been in scenarios in this ballpark earlier in the year where we let one of those get away from us,” Banister said. “I wasn’t going to let that happen.”
As soon a Rougned Odor started the ninth with a homer, though, Tolleson sat down and Ross Ohlendorf started to warm up. Ohlendorf has carved out a role in the bullpen as a pitcher who has good enough stuff and enough experience to give the primary relievers rest when needed.
“With the exception of the one outing the other day against Seattle, I feel like he’s been strong for us in those situations,” Banister said.
Odor’s homer was his 15th of the season, giving him the second-most homers in a season for a second baseman 21 or younger. He trails only Bill Mazeroski, who hit 19 for Pittsburgh in 1958.
Jeff Wilson: 817-390-7760, @JeffWilson_FWST
This story was originally published September 24, 2015 at 3:14 PM with the headline "Rangers like Gallardo’s track record against Astros."