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Brewers call on rookie Gallardo in key matchup with Pirates

Sep 11, 2007 - 12:58 PM Milwaukee (73-70) at Pittsburgh (64-80) 7:05 pm EDT

PITTSBURGH (Ticker) - The Milwaukee Brewers have relied heavily on rookie Yovani Gallardo this season.

They will call his number again on Tuesday as the Brewers try to snap back from a series-opening 9-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates and stay atop the National League Central Division.

Milwaukee enters Tuesday tied with the Chicago Cubs (73-70), three games ahead of the defending World Series-champion St. Louis Cardinals (69-72).

The 21-year-old Gallardo (7-4, 4.27 ERA), who was summoned from the minor leagues in mid-June, has won his last two starts, including a 3-2 triumph over the Pirates on August 31 in which he yielded two runs and five hits in seven frames and also hit a home run.

The righthander pitched even better in his last outing, surrendering just six hits and two walks in seven scoreless frames against the Houston Astros.

The Pirates, who are playing the role of spoiler for everyone, will send Bryan Bullington (0-1, 15.00 ERA) to the mound for his second major league start.

Bullington, who was the first overall pick in the 2002 draft but missed all of 2006 season after shoulder surgery, was tagged for five runs and seven hits in three innings in a 16-4 loss to the Cardinals on Thursday.

Pittsburgh has won five of its past eight games - all against the three teams fighting for the NL Central title.