Gallegos (1-3) allowed four runs on three hits and a walk with one strikeout in two-thirds of an inning, taking the loss and a blown save Friday versus the Pirates.
Andre Pallante got into trouble in the seventh inning, prompting Gallegos' entry into the game. Gallegos ultimately gave up back-to-back home runs to Ke'Bryan Hayes and Josh Palacios, and the Cardinals couldn't bounce back. Gallegos has started to falter a bit recently, allowing six runs over his last four innings across four appearances. He's now at a 3.86 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 22:5 K:BB with seven saves, four holds and two blown saves through 23.1 innings. Gallegos had six saves to Ryan Helsley's three in May, but this is likely to remain at least a two-man committee for much of the year, as manager Oliver Marmol tends to take a matchup-based approach to the late innings.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Locks down seventh save
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Gallegos picked up the save in Tuesday's 2-1 win over Kansas City. He allowed one run on two hits and zero walks while striking out one over one inning.
Though Gallegos had some trouble in the ninth, allowing a leadoff double to Vinnie Pasquantino and then giving up a single to Salvador Perez, he managed to pick up his third save in the last five days to improve his season mark to seven. After the Cardinals' slow start to the season, Gallegos has had ample closing work over the last three weeks, picking up six of his seven saves in that span. Through 22.2 innings, Gallegos owns a 2.38 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 5.2 K/BB.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Grabs another save
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Gallegos tossed a perfect inning to earn a save against the Guardians on Saturday.
Gallegos made quick work of Cleveland in the ninth to uphold a one-run lead, retiring the side on just five pitches. The right-hander picked up his sixth save as a result, five of which have come since May 9. Ryan Helsley has just two saves in that span, and though either reliever could get the call to close in any given contest, Gallegos appears to be slightly more likely to see such chances for the time being.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Notches fifth save
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Gallegos struck out two and allowed a run on two hits and no walks over 1.1 innings to earn his fifth save in Thursday's 2-1 victory at Cincinnati.
The right-hander stranded two runners to finish the eighth inning and returned for the ninth, but the Reds broke the shutout with a double and a single before Gallegos closed things out. The run breaks a string of eight straight appearances without giving up an earned run for the 31-year-old, who now owns a 2.18 ERA and 20:4 K:BB across 20.1 innings this year. Ryan Helsley opened the campaign as the Cardinals' primary closer, but he and Gallegos have been splitting ninth-inning work of late.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Records save Saturday
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Gallegos earned a save against the Dodgers on Saturday, striking out one batter in a perfect ninth inning.
Interestingly, Ryan Helsley, who leads St. Louis with five saves, was summoned in the eighth inning of a tie game. He finished one scoreless frame before putting three straight batters on to begin the ninth, leading to Gallegos' entrance. The latter righted the ship for the Cardinals, allowing a sacrifice fly but nothing more to close out the win. Though Helsley has pitched well and likely remains atop the pecking order, it's worth noting that Gallegos has now logged three of St. Louis' past four saves.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Nabs third save
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Gallegos picked up the save in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Red Sox. He allowed one hit over one scoreless inning. He didn't record a strikeout.
Gallegos retired Raimel Tapia and Jarren Duran to open up the ninth before Triston Casas hit a single as a pinch hitter, but he never advanced past first base. Gallegos remains firmly behind Ryan Helsley as the Cardinals' closer and likely saw the save opportunity because Helsley threw two perfect innings Friday. Through 14.2 innings, Gallegos owns a 2.45 ERA with 12 strikeouts and has converted three of his four save attempts.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Converts second save
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Gallegos pitched a perfect inning to earn the save in Tuesday's 6-4 win over the Cubs.
Gallegos retired Dansby Swanson, Ian Happ and Cody Bellinger in order to successfully protect a two-run lead. Ryan Helsley had pitched three of the last four days and battled a knee injury in that span, likely leading to the decision to give Gallegos a save opportunity. Gallegos had allowed at least one run in three of his previous four outings, but he was steady Tuesday. He now has a 2.63 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 12:2 K:BB through 13.2 innings. He's 2-for-3 in save chances, and he's added two holds over 13 appearances.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Takes second loss
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Gallegos (1-2) allowed an unearned run on three hits and struck out one without walking a batter in two innings, taking the extra-inning loss Saturday versus the Tigers.
Gallegos was bailed out by a double play in the ninth inning, but he didn't have the same luck when Akil Baddoo hit an RBI double in the 10th. Ryan Helsley (knee) was unavailable Saturday, which likely factored in the decision to give Gallegos multiple innings in this appearance. Over his last four outings, the right-hander has surrendered five runs (four earned) and taken two losses over 4.1 innings. He's at a 2.84 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 12:2 K:BB through 12.2 frames this season. If Helsley's knee issue requires more than just a couple of days, Gallegos would likely get a look for save opportunities despite his poor pitching recently.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Makes mess of ninth inning
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Gallegos (1-1) allowed three runs on four hits in the ninth inning Wednesday versus the Angels, taking the loss and a blown save.
Regular closer Ryan Helsley was called on to get the last out of the seventh inning and also pitched the eighth. That left Gallegos with a one-run lead to protect in the ninth, and he couldn't get the job done. He allowed solo home runs to Jake Lamb and Mike Trout, and Anthony Rendon added an RBI single. After opening the season with eight scoreless outings, Gallegos has given up four runs over his last two appearances. He's now at a 3.60 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 11:2 K:BB across 10 innings with a save and two holds.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Notches easy save
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Gallegos struck out one batter in a perfect ninth inning to earn a save over the Pirates on Friday.
Gallegos needed just 10 pitches to finish off the 3-0 victory. He's now sporting a 7:0 K:BB after converting his first save chance of the year. Ryan Helsley did not appear in Friday's game after pitching Tuesday and Wednesday.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Records four outs to earn win
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Gallegos (1-0) earned the win Tuesday versus the Rockies, striking out two over 1.1 perfect innings.
Gallegos got the last out of the seventh inning and set down the side in the eighth before the Cardinals' ninth-inning rally for the lead. After dealing with a back issue to begin the season, Gallegos has been used sparingly with the Cardinals' starters struggling to put the team in a position to need high-leverage relievers. He's delivered with 2.1 scoreless innings so far, striking out four and walking none while allowing just one hit.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Available Monday
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Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Gallegos (back) is available to pitch out of the bullpen Monday against Atlanta, Jim Hayes of Bally Sports Midwest reports.
Gallegos was unavailable for the weekend series against the Blue Jays due to a back issue, but he's evidently recovered enough to be used Monday, if needed. The 31-year-old is slated to serve as Ryan Helsley's primary setup man and could see the occasional save chance.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: MRI comes back clean
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Gallegos (back) won't pitch Saturday versus the Blue Jays, but his MRI came back clean and manager Oliver Marmol is optimistic the reliever will be available for Sunday's series finale, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Gallegos is still expected to avoid the injured list, which is the best sign this is a short-term issue. Once he's able to make his season debut, he'll likely serve in a high-leverage role.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Dealing with back issue
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Gallegos was unavailable for Thursday's game against Toronto due to a back injury, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Manager Oliver Marmol termed the injury as a "tweak," and it appears that Gallegos will be able to avoid a stint on the injured list. The Cardinals have a day off Friday, so it's possible he doesn't miss any additional time.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Picks up save vs. Puerto Rico
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Gallegos allowed two hits, but he was able to fire a scoreless inning Friday to pick up a save in the World Baseball Classic for Team Mexico against Puerto Rico.
Gallegos threw 11 of 17 pitches for strikes, and he was able to fan Enrique Hernandez to get out of trouble. The right-hander is saving games for Team Mexico, but he is expected to operate in a setup role for the Cardinals in the regular season.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Adjusting to pitch clock
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Gallegos is working on adjusting to MLB's new pitch timer, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Gallegos had one of the slowest paces in all of baseball in 2022, but the new rules for the 2023 season will force him to adjust. "It's hard for me. It's a new experience and a big challenge for me," Gallegos said. "I am trying to make some adjustments about the timing, but it's a big change." The 31-year-old reliever has often worked in a high-leverage role for the Cardinals, and he figures to fill a similar spot in the bullpen this year, as long as the pace-of-play changes don't have negative impact on his effectiveness. Ryan Helsley still figures to see the majority of the save chances.
Gallegos signed a two-year contract extension with the Cardinals on Monday.
Gallegos has performed well as a high-leverage reliever for the Cardinals over the last two seasons, converting 28 of 42 save chances with 36 holds while posting a 2.98 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in 139 innings over 129 relief appearances. The right-hander will remain in St. Louis for at least two more seasons and should factor into the team's late-inning mix once again in 2023. His extension includes a club option for the 2025 season.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Snags third win
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Gallegos (3-5) pitched a perfect inning and earned the win Saturday over the Pirates.
Gallegos kept the game tied at 4-4 in the eighth inning and ended up with the win when Nolan Arenado's three-run double put the Cardinals ahead in the ninth. It was a bounce-back effort for Gallegos after he yielded three runs in one-third of an inning versus the Nationals on Wednesday. The right-hander has a 3.27 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 61:13 K:BB, 13 saves, nine holds and six blown saves through 52.1 innings this year. He remains one of the Cardinals' most trusted relievers.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Snags save versus Atlanta
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Gallegos allowed a hit in a scoreless inning to earn a save in Sunday's 6-3 win over Atlanta.
Regular closer Ryan Helsley was brought in for a high-leverage situation in the seventh inning and allowed a three-run home run. He also pitched the eighth and picked up the win when the Cardinals rallied ahead. That left the save opportunity to Gallegos, who delivered with his fifth consecutive scoreless appearance. Both Gallegos and Helsley have picked up three saves this month, which suggests manager Oli Marmol has started to lean on a matchup-based approach to his bullpen usage again. Gallegos owns a 3.04 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 57:12 K:BB through 47.1 innings while adding 13 saves, eight holds and six blown saves this year.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Dealt loss in 10th inning
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Gallegos (2-5) allowed two runs (one earned) on one hit in one inning, taking the extra-inning loss Saturday versus the Brewers. He struck out none and walked none.
Gallegos gave up an RBI triple to Hunter Renfroe, who then scored on a Kolten Wong sacrifice fly. That was enough of a cushion for the Brewers to hold off the Cardinals. Gallegos hadn't pitched since last Saturday, so there may have been a little rust, and this was just his sixth appearance since the All-Star break. The right-hander has a 3.40 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 53:11 K:BB while logging 11 saves, seven holds and six blown saves through 42.1 innings. Gallegos hasn't received many chances to reassert himself in the high-leverage conversation for a team that's won eight of its 11 games in August.
