"This final outing should leave a sweeter taste on Yovani Gallardo's palate.

The Milwaukee Brewers right-hander had a dismal start against the Chicago Cubs last week, and with his innings and pitch count climbing, the decision was made Friday that Gallardo would get one more start before being shelved for the season.

So there was one more shot for Gallardo to finish the year smiling.

And he took advantage.

Gallardo threw five shutout innings and reached the 200-strikeout mark as the Brewers swept the Houston Astros with a 6-0 victory Sunday afternoon at Miller Park.

Gallardo (13-12) became the fourth Brewer to get 200 strikeouts in a season, finishing with 204, but just as important as the individual achievement was the way Gallardo tied a bow on his 2009 season.

"You always want to end the season on a good note," Gallardo said. "It was a good year."