Baltimore Orioles: The Yovani Gallardo Era Begins

Apr 4, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado (13) and shortstop J.J. Hardy (2) run off the field during the fifth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

New Baltimore Orioles starter Yovani Gallardo will make his debut tonight against the Minnesota Twins in the second game of the season.

Gallardo represents a great measure of hope for the O’s to bolster the rotation and provide some innings-eating consistency. His historic record would argue that he will be able to do this. Gallardo’s past seven seasons have seen him throw between a low of 180 innings to a high of 207.

His lowest ERA of those years was in 2015 with a 3.42 in Texas. However, at the same time, last year saw his highest WHIP number at 1.416. Those two stats do not logically go together very well. But Gallardo induces a high number of ground balls, thus limiting the damage. And he has also been highly effective at pitching with runners on base and stranding them there.

Those are skills he is going to need in Baltimore, especially keeping the ball on the ground. This defense can help him in that regard.

In that Gallardo pitched in Milwaukee prior to his 2015 season in Texas, he does not have many extensive records against Twins hitters. However, Joe Maurer is 5-for-11 and Brian Dozier is 5-for-10 with a home run. Trevor Plouffe is 3-for-7 with two homers.

On the other side, Kyle Gibson starts for Minnesota. Their most consistent pitcher in 2015, Gibson will seek to build on a season where he had a 3.82 ERA in 32 starts. Gibson started twice against the Orioles last year with a win and a no-decision. Both games he gave up but two earned runs.

J.J. Hardy and Mark Trumbo are both 1-for-5 with a home run against the Twins’ starter. Adam Jones is 1-for-8, Manny Machado 2-for-6, and Chris Davis 0-for-5. Ryan Flaherty has been 2-for-4, so could we see him in the starting lineup? Buck likes to break the ice with his players early in the year. But at the same time, Jonathan Schoop is 2-for-4. Pero Alvarez has never faced Gibson, so maybe Flaherty could be the DH today.