Photos: 2008 Phillies
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Bypassing a couple of veteran options, the Brewers said they will send the 22-year-old righthander to the mound against Phillies lefthander Cole Hamels in Game 1 of the National League Division Series tomorrow afternoon.
The Brewers' ace lefthander CC Sabathia likely will start Thursday against righthander Brett Myers. Phillies lefty Jamie Moyer will start Game 3 in Milwaukee, and the Brewers have not named a starter for that game. Ten of Moyer's 16 victories came on the road.
Gallardo was a top pitching prospect when he broke into the big leagues last season. He shut down the Phillies on Aug. 3, 2007, allowing one run on four hits and striking out seven in 6 2/3 innings of a 2-1 Milwaukee win.
He finished last year 9-5 with a 3.67 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 110 1/3 innings. After recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in spring training, Gallardo joined the Brewers rotation for three starts, going 0-0 with a 1.80 ERA. But he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in a start against the Cubs on May 1. He did not return to the rotation until last week, when he allowed one run on three hits in four innings of a 5-1 win over the Pirates.
When the Brewers acquired Sabathia in a trade with the Indians in early July, they appeared to have a 1-2 pitching combination with the potential to take them deep into the playoffs. But veteran righthander Ben Sheets, who went 13-9 with a 3.09 ERA this season, has struggled with elbow pain and could be out for the playoffs.
The Brewers could have started veteran righthander Jeff Suppan, who faced the Phillies twice this season (both losses) and has pitched in nine postseason games in his career, or 28-year-old righty Dave Bush, 9-10, 4.18 this season.
There wasn't much surprise yesterday when the Phillies announced their first three starters for the series. Myers, who has struggled his past two starts after a stellar performance for most of the second half, will pitch Game 2 at Citizens Bank Park, where he is 7-5 with a 3.01 ERA this season.
The Phillies are 5-1 this season against Milwaukee, but have yet to face Gallardo or Sabathia.
The Phillies sent lefthander Fabio Castro to Toronto to complete the Aug. 30 Matt Stairs trade. *
For more Phillies coverage and opinion, read David Murphy's blog, High Cheese, at http://go.philly.com/highcheese.
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