Baltimore Orioles: Tip the Cap to Yovani Gallardo

Jun 18, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Yovani Gallardo (49) throws a pitch in the second inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Baltimore Orioles won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports /

Yovani Gallardo returned to the Baltimore Orioles after an eight-week absence and got the 4-2 victory after pitching five innings against Toronto on Saturday.

In near desperate need of more effective starting pitching, the Gallardo return was a significant encouragement for a beleaguered rotation. He threw five frames and 85 pitches, giving up two runs on five hits and four walks.

Allowing nine baserunners in only five innings is not encouraging, nor is only 50 strikes in 85 pitches. But Gallardo found his way out of jams. And seeing the velocity up to 92 mph was even better yet, along with some good late movement on pitches.

I will confess that this exceeds my expectations (though not my hopes). Having seen personally his first rehab start, along with understanding the nature of his shoulder issues dating back to spring training, I was not expecting particularly good results … especially against the hot-hitting Blue Jays. In that Frederick rehab game, every other pitcher from both teams that evening looked better than Gallardo.

There are few things that could happen to, or around the Baltimore Orioles baseball team that could more truly help them in a quantum way than for Gallardo to become a decent rotation piece. We can hope that he will build off of this first game off the DL to go from good to better, and from better to best.

It really was good also to have J.J. Hardy back with the O’s. Things simply go better with him in there and Manny Machado at third base, even though Hardy’s hitting can often be a frustration. The timing is also good for the four-game suspension that Manny will begin today. Having both of them out at the same time would not have been helpful.

Buck Showalter made another unconventional move that turned to gold by batting Jonathan Schoop in the second position in the order. He responded with a single, double and homer, the home run being the game-winning hit and RBI as it worked out.

There is nothing much about Schoop that would identify him as the #2 hitter in a lineup, as he is not a high OBP, high contact guy with bat control. Quite the opposite. But then again, nothing would signify that Adam Jones would be a good leadoff hitter. Yet Jones is batting .275 with eight home runs and 21 RBIs in 22 games from the leadoff spot in the order. It is beyond explanation, and hopefully Schoop’s success hitting in the top portion of the order will be just as amazing.

Also amazing was watching Zach Britton struggle in the ninth inning by loading the bases. Always just a ground ball away from getting out of a jam, he got no less than Josh Donaldson to hit into a game-ending double play. Somewhere, someday, Britton is going to blow a save. Nobody’s perfect, though Zach can come pretty close at times.