Is Gallardo tipping pitches?

[JohnBriggs12]

From the looks of the swings against Gallardo in recent games, it's almost as if hitters are picking something up, be it glove angle, how he sets his hands or what. Maybe he should try the Ryan Dempster glove waggle.

[RockCoCougars]

I don't know, but outside of a few great performances he's been pretty much brutal since last August. This year, the 'overused' explanation isn't going to work. When is it time to start to worry?

[Invader3K]

I know this is one of those generic answers, but it looks like he just has to go after guys more. Seems like he tries to be too fine, which causes him to go into deep counts.

[DuWayne Steurer]

It just looks like his location is off, and his curve.......doesn't look good.

 

My big concern is his very reduced strikeout rate. I don't know what's causing it, but that's definitely reason for alarm, IMO.

[TwinsBrewersWorldSeries]

Something just isn't right. He was lights out in the first half last year, and then imploded in the second half, though his September numbers were decent.

 

I think his major problem is that he wastes WAY too many pitches. I realize strikeout pitchers throw more pitches/AB than pitch to contact pitchers, but that only works for starting pitchers if you don't walk anybody (ala Sheets).

 

Yo needs to get ahead and then finish batters rather than nimbing for 2-3 pitches after getting batters down 0-2

[Ennder]

Pitchers are streaky, he's not pitching well.

[PrestigeWorldwide]

I was thinking of that possibility as well early on during today's game. While possible, it was interesting that it took a while for Kranitz to finally visit the mound, and if Yo was tipping pitches you'd think he or someone else in the home dugout would have noticed and had a chat with him sooner.

[joepepsi]

Can he play ss? We could use his bat in the lineup every day. Estrada can take his place in the rotation. Problem Solvvvvddd.

[DHonks]

Yo can't throw his breaking pitches, especially his curve, for strikes. Throw in that he's nibbling with his heater, and other teams are just sitting back waiting for him to throw a belt-high heater

[Warning Track Power]

Something just isn't right. He was lights out in the first half last year, and then imploded in the second half, though his September numbers were decent.

 

I think his major problem is that he wastes WAY too many pitches. I realize strikeout pitchers throw more pitches/AB than pitch to contact pitchers, but that only works for starting pitchers if you don't walk anybody (ala Sheets).

 

Yo needs to get ahead and then finish batters rather than nimbing for 2-3 pitches after getting batters down 0-2

This is precisely his problem. I remember Sheets would go fastball in the strike zone, big hook into the strike zone and after it was 0-2, he would work outside the strike zone to get the hitter out. Yo seems to be exactly the opposite and this is why he is getting hammered. Nibbling leads to 2-0 or 3-1 counts all the time. Throw strikes. Don't get cute. You're a power pitcher. 3-1 fastball down the middle to Votto will get you beat everytime. Votto is a stud though and that will happen. What's unforgiveable is the 2-0 counts to Paul Janishes, Ryan Hanigans and Chris Heiseys of the world.

 

Maybe Sheets should be our assistant pitching coach. He can teach Yo to pound the strike zone and chew his nails between innings.

[DHonks]

Warning Track Power, that is correct sometimes, but not today. I don't think Yo had a single 0-2 pitch today. He was behind of his first 12, and the streak only continued after that. Point is, he's not throwing strikes, not getting ahead of hitters, and not throwing quality strikes when he does find the zone.

[rluzinski]

Every pitcher will look like he's nibbling when his can't locate his pitches. I guess he could just groove fastball down the middle...

[bork]

He says he is 100%, but I'm concerned about his velocity today. I was at the game and he was sitting in the mid-upper 80's in the first inning. For the game, I can't recall anything over 91 or 92. He just doesn't seem right. But I do see from Fangraphs that his velocity was lower in April and started picking up in May last year.

[Invader3K]

Bernie's Crew has an interesting write-up, which mentions that Gallardo seemed to have trouble replicating his release point yesterday.

[CheezWizHed]

So, if Gallardo continues to struggle prior to Grienke coming back, would you send Gallardo to AAA to find his groove back? (I'm assuming he still has an option, but I can't find that page right now).

 

Yes, Gallardo will bounce back. Yes, small sample size. Yes.... Just curious if you would do that with the way everyone else has been pitching or if you would just wait it out at the MLB level.

 

Personally if Gallardo still struggles in the next outing and Estrada is still solid, I would approach Gallardo with the idea. I wouldn't do it against his wishes.

[rluzinski]

I would think the chances of Gallardo being sent for having a 5.7ish ERA in May at zero. Furthermore, I think he would be insulted for even being asked.

[Invader3K]

I could possibly see them skipping a start if the opportunity presents itself on the calendar, just to let him get a day off and re-focus. I really can't see them sending him down to Nashville if there isn't a verifiable physical reason.

[CheezWizHed]

I think he would be insulted for even being asked.

 

My thinking about it was based on that Bernie's Crew article linked above, which concludes that Gallardo isn't repeating his delivery, which waterfalls into control and velocity issues.

 

Its very possible Gallardo will bounce back immediately and put this small stretch of games behind him. But if a pitcher needs to pitch to get his delivery down, but you can't leave him in the game long enough to get a good amount of practice, its a catch-22.

 

IF (big if) that is truly the problem, I don't see Gallardo being insulted by the idea, especially if he feels out of control himself. Not saying it will happen (or should), but throwing the idea out.

[TooLiveBrew]

I would imagine skipping a start & throwing a bullpen session could accomplish finding that delivery repetition/arm slot, without the possible/likely insult of sending Yo to AAA for a game or two.

[Oxy]

He's had far too many quality innings and quality stretches of pitching this year to send him down. I really don't think he's been nearly as bad this year as his results have indicated. All this talk about his command and getting ahead of batters has been overblown as well IMO. For example, in his complete game 2-hit shutout, YoGa only faced 28 Atlanta hitters. 14 of those batters began with a 1-0 count. NINE batters had a 2-0 or 3-1 count. Was he nibbling too much that day?

 

Contrasting that outing was the Washington and Houston games, where he faced 53 batters, 21 of which he started out with ball one, and only 7 of which had a 2-0 or 3-1 count.

 

While yesterday he was terrible all around, on the whole this season he has been inconsistent rather than outright bad. Giving up three 3-run homers in his last few starts is awfully unlucky. I'll give him another 3-4 starts before I start to wonder if something has actually changed and he needs some time-off/make some changes.

[RockCoCougars]

The only way Gallardo would sniff the minors would be on an injury related rehab. I'm not sure if he's hurt or what, but with a handful of exceptions, he has pitched poorly for about the past 2/3 of a season. I don't want to start any rampant speculation, but I still have that robbery during the wee hours of the morning in a less than desirable neighborhood last summer in the back of my mind. I sure hope that he doesn't have any personal issues that are affecting his play.

[TooLiveBrew]

I don't want to start any rampant speculation, but I still have that robbery during the wee hours of the morning in a less than desirable neighborhood last summer in the back of my mind. I sure hope that he doesn't have any personal issues that are affecting his play.

 

He was robbed = he has personal issues? I... I don't... nevermind.

[RockCoCougars]

I don't want to start any rampant speculation, but I still have that robbery during the wee hours of the morning in a less than desirable neighborhood last summer in the back of my mind. I sure hope that he doesn't have any personal issues that are affecting his play.

 

He was robbed = he has personal issues? I... I don't... nevermind.

Like I said, I'm not making any outright accusations- when I was Yo's age, I was no angel- but part of me questions why he was in Lincoln Village after bar time. We've seen guys like Bill Hall (a 'man about town' by many accounts) implode after getting a deal from the Brewers, so I am a little concerned. Something isn't the same with Gallardo, I'm not sure if it's a physical issue, the league has picked something up or what, but he doesn't look like he did in 2008 in prior to the ASG last year.

 

The Brewers do seem to have an All Star Jinx in recent years... Jenkins, Turnbow, Capuano, Hardy and Hart have all had extremely rough stretches after their ASG selections, so maybe that is the cause.

[Ennder]

His first few starts his Ks were down but he pitched pretty well, after that the damage has mostly just been flare singles followed up by big HRs, I really wouldn't make a huge deal out of this. He'll likely make some minor adjustments and be just fine. Every year someone gets off to a slow start and everyone freaks out and then the player is almost always just fine a month later, give it some time before worrying too much.

[TooLiveBrew]

Like I said, I'm not making any outright accusations

 

No, you're making indirect accusations that aren't based in any kind of fact. Like someone else said in this thread, Yo is struggling... it doesn't need to be due to his Colombian cartel connections or whatever.