ARLINGTON, Texas – For years, a date with Yovani Gallardo was a nightmare for the Diamondbacks. Over a stretch that lasted more than a half-decade, they lost eight consecutive games he started against them.
The Diamondbacks, of course, are a vastly different team than they were when they first saw him in 2007, Gallardo a vastly different pitcher, and facing him now constitutes something entirely different: a golden opportunity.
Paul Goldschmidt smashed a first-inning homer off Gallardo, lining his sixth pitch of the night into the left-field seats to put the Diamondbacks ahead. They scored again an inning later, and by the fourth, Gallardo was gone, and the Diamondbacks were on their way to a 6-4 victory at Globe Life Park.