Bullpen Takes Another Bullet To The Head
They're calling it Russian Roulette Relief, the daily load the chamber, put the reliever to your head, pull the trigger and watch another lead explode out of the back and splatter another blown victory all over the wall.
Congratulations, douchebag. You just blew another one.
Last night it was the Pirates who ate up a 5-1 lead Pedro had left the game with, satisfied with the outing after 99 pitches and a reasonable six innings under his belt.
Don't get too excited, Petey, there's still 3 innings and a piss pot bullpen to go...
It was a game, at that point, with the Pirates seemingly demoralised, that seemed one even the bullpen couldn't blow.
But they did.
Point fingers, break fingers, pull triggers, however you choose to deal with it the bottom line is that the Mets have NO PRAYER of winning the NL East or squeaking in as a wild card so long as the bullpen cannot hold a lead.
The definition of ugliness courtesy of the NY Times
And it wasn't just Aaron Heilman's fault last night. Sure, coming in as the closer to try and earn his third save, he collapsed after a promising beginning, no doubt.
But that doesn't absolve Joe Smith or Pedro Feliciano or Scott Schoenweiss from equal guilt for their own shitty outings.
Smith was the first one in to begin the 7th. A walk, a double, a run scored, a visit to the mound. Out he goes and in comes Feliciano.
A sacrifice bunt followed by a walk to put two men on and a run scoring double.
Just like that, a convincing 5-1 to lead is cut to 5-3, there's still two men in scoring position and only one out. Another coaching visit to the mound. Dan Warthen is getting more exercise in the late innings than he is in the other 23 1/2 hours of the day combined. Anyone in that shitty bullpen care to get some outs? Sac fly makes it 5-4 before Duaner Sanchez, the only reasonably competent arm out of the pen last night, mercifully ends the inning.
But of course we all knew by then we could forget about it.
Heilman and Schoenweiss only confirmed it.
So with the solution of this problem in essence, the make or break reality of the season, Manager Manuel has decided that none of the veteran pen is worthy of the closer role and Eddie Kunz, up from Double AA should get a shot.
It makes sense in the distorted way of this season which has seen so many guys from Double AA and Triple AAA carry or lead this team in the way several veterans have failed to do.
And if not Kunz, than maybe John Maine.
At this point he might as well bring in a drunk and doped up Amy Winehouse to be the closer.
Just gimme the bloody ball!
I'll tell you what, if Johan Santana doesn't insist on pitching a complete game, he's an idiot.
Congratulations, douchebag. You just blew another one.
Last night it was the Pirates who ate up a 5-1 lead Pedro had left the game with, satisfied with the outing after 99 pitches and a reasonable six innings under his belt.
Don't get too excited, Petey, there's still 3 innings and a piss pot bullpen to go...
It was a game, at that point, with the Pirates seemingly demoralised, that seemed one even the bullpen couldn't blow.
But they did.
Point fingers, break fingers, pull triggers, however you choose to deal with it the bottom line is that the Mets have NO PRAYER of winning the NL East or squeaking in as a wild card so long as the bullpen cannot hold a lead.
The definition of ugliness courtesy of the NY Times
And it wasn't just Aaron Heilman's fault last night. Sure, coming in as the closer to try and earn his third save, he collapsed after a promising beginning, no doubt.
But that doesn't absolve Joe Smith or Pedro Feliciano or Scott Schoenweiss from equal guilt for their own shitty outings.
Smith was the first one in to begin the 7th. A walk, a double, a run scored, a visit to the mound. Out he goes and in comes Feliciano.
A sacrifice bunt followed by a walk to put two men on and a run scoring double.
Just like that, a convincing 5-1 to lead is cut to 5-3, there's still two men in scoring position and only one out. Another coaching visit to the mound. Dan Warthen is getting more exercise in the late innings than he is in the other 23 1/2 hours of the day combined. Anyone in that shitty bullpen care to get some outs? Sac fly makes it 5-4 before Duaner Sanchez, the only reasonably competent arm out of the pen last night, mercifully ends the inning.
But of course we all knew by then we could forget about it.
Heilman and Schoenweiss only confirmed it.
So with the solution of this problem in essence, the make or break reality of the season, Manager Manuel has decided that none of the veteran pen is worthy of the closer role and Eddie Kunz, up from Double AA should get a shot.
It makes sense in the distorted way of this season which has seen so many guys from Double AA and Triple AAA carry or lead this team in the way several veterans have failed to do.
And if not Kunz, than maybe John Maine.
At this point he might as well bring in a drunk and doped up Amy Winehouse to be the closer.
Just gimme the bloody ball!
I'll tell you what, if Johan Santana doesn't insist on pitching a complete game, he's an idiot.
Comments
Johan goes 7 and 1/3 tonight. Why? Because we need more, of course.