MLB Debuts- Kason Gabbard

Lefthanded starting pitcher Kason Gabbard is the poster chiled of "Sleepers".

You have to go to page No. 600 in the Red Sox's media guide to find information about Gabbard, who was pick No. 872 overall by Boston in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft, fresh out of Royal Palm Beach School in Florida.

Yow. He's not in any of the guides I own either.

Anyway, Gabbard put up reasonable numbers in two stops this season at AA Portland and AAA Pawtucket. With the Bosox in desperate need of a starter on Saturday after Tim Wakefield was put on the shelf with a fractured rib, Gabbard got the call.

He did a creditable job hurling 5 1/3 innings against the Mariners allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 8 hits. All this in a matchup with one of the hottest young pitchers in the big leagues, Felix Hernandez.

Gabbard has suffered a number of injuries so had logged just 288 innings in his first 5 seasons of pro ball, nearly a half of those last year at Portland where he was less than spectacular (9-11, 4.61, 1.45 WHiP). This year Gabbard started again at Portland where in 13 starts he posted a 9-2 record with a 2.57 ERA and a 1.03 WHiP. At Pawtucket (just outside of Quahog), Gabbard made 5 starts going 1-3 with a 4.97 ERA and a 1.38 WHiP.

The 24 year-old out of Oxford, Ohio was the Sox ninth rookie starter this season.

Donutball can't say much about Gabbard's stuff or the pitches he throws. But, we'd guess he'll get a few more chances so long as Terry Francona is around.

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