Interesting that on the day my closer poll closes, runaway winner Joe Beimel gets his first save opportunity with the Nats.
And we all know what happened. Another Curly W erased from the books.
While the crap was hitting the fan earlier, we beleaguered Nats fans consoled ourselves with the thoughts that at least ol' Joe would be back soon. Ol' Joe would get it done.
I'm not about to throw him off the boat for one blown save but I do wonder about the pattern that has developed, the mentality that must be festering among all the relievers: NO, NOT THE NINTH! PLEASE NOT THE NINTH! Can any one of them be confident going out there to finish a game?
"Someone else" got 9 votes in the poll and I have no clue who that someone else could be. My new hero Ron Villone? I'm open to any and all suggestions and I suspect Mr. Acta might listen, too.
This was Manny's take on it afterward: "We have tried everybody and their cousins, and we still can't get anybody to put a zero up in the eighth and the ninth innings."
Actually, no. You haven't tried me. You haven't tried my cousins. You have tried my wife. You haven't tried her cousins. Right now, I'd feel better with just about any of that crew out there in the ninth.
It is depressing, demoralizing, mystifying.
At least it happened after midnight, so it technically didn't sour what was a great birthday. Z-one-n hit 30 (the same day I did!) before midnight.
11 comments:
I vote for Hanrahan or Mock. Let them work out their problems as a closer, at least they already have closer-stuff.
I'd take Hanrahan over Mock - I've seen Hanrahan hit 97. He did OK at the end of last season. But how do you fix the head after the disasters of this season?
I guess you keep throwing him out there and hope he figures it out. The good thing about being terrible is you aren't risking your playoff position by trying things.
I guess, too, there's a reason that Beimel has always been considered an eighth-inning guy.
We're what, 10-21? How many of those losses move to the win column if not for ninth-inning debacles by the pitching staff? Four? Six?
But hey...we're only 7.5 games outta first!
I think the Post said the count was now six - I know of at least four (the whole Marlins series and last night) and I'm sure I'm forgetting some.
Let's try Clippard. I can't believe Kensing is still with the team at this point. I agree that Hanrahan has the pitches, but the shell shock he suffers from is a disqualifier at this point.
At least Cintron got a hit last night.
Former top relief pitching prospect Zech Zinicola seems to have overcome his recent difficulties at AA this year.
Why not him? (and Clippard for middle relief?)
Also - I feel the need to point out this about Craig Stammen (as I've previously been one of his biggest advocates): despite his low ERA at AAA this year he is striking out roughly a miniscule THREE batters per nine innings.
Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen in the bigs. Ugh!
They haven't tried A-Rod's cousin either. Might be worth a shot.
I really wanted Hanrahan to pitch the 2nd half of the 9th as soon as I saw Beimel struggling. To me (what they showed on MASN), it didn't look like Joel was warmed up enough.
Villone would have been a good option too since he hasn't give up any runs yet.
I saw Chad Cordero in the stands during the Arizona series, I was half hoping they would pull him out of the stands. I will cast a vote for Zincola because he's been closing games his pro career, why not give him a shot at this level.
This one looks like it could come down to needing a closer, too, unless Martis can finish again.
Where's Dunn?
Isn't Cordero with the Mariners' organization?
You bet I'd trade a loss for keeping the streak alive. It's the only real buzz we've had in the last 3 years, and right when it is being noticed, it fizzles out on the last day of a roadie. No streak excitement for us at home. That is the karma of being a Nats fan.
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