What’s there to say?  I called this a few weeks ago and it only becomes more painful by the day, especially when I torture myself by watching more than 1 inning.  You wonder if John Henry has such a great relationship with Bud Selig then why can’t he convince him to let us play the Orioles 143 times per year.  Add the 19 games against the Yankees so they can keep the rivalry going and it’s a perfect season.  Here is what I will never understand.  How does this team play so well for so long, over half the season for these guys, and then you blow one game that goes 19 innings and the tailspin ensues?  What is more frustrating is that every day someone new finds a way to blow it.  The hitting has been atrocious.  Then they hit and the starters fall apart.  If those two groups click then the bullpen blows it.  If none of this occurs then the defense makes a huge blunder and then there is the coaching.

It always comes down to the coaching doesn’t it?  Demarlo Hale made one mistake this season.  Unfortunately it was costly, but he has been the Anti-Sveum all season long.  My ire is focused squarely on Tito.  I always find ways to compare his decision making to Joe Torre’s, but there is one thing that Torre does that I feel has probably won over 100 games for them during his tenure with the Yankees.  When a game is tied in the 9th inning he ALWAYS brings in Mo Rivera to keep the door shut and give the team to win it in the bottom half of the inning.  If they don’t score Mo pitches the 10th as well and more often or not it works.  Knowing that this strategy has been proven to work in your favor, especially when you have a great closer, why in the world does Tito keep Papelbon on the bench only to watch the rest of the bullpen give the game away? 

Timlin is a one inning pitcher.  That’s it.  He can’t be trusted to hold a game in check.  I know it.  Everybody else knows it.  Why doesn’t Tito know it?  Papelbon had Monday off so bring him in on Tuesday.  What do you have to lose?  Why is this so hard to do?  Why?  Why?  Why?  Why?  Why?????????

Let me set the record straight regarding last night’s game.  WiMo did not lose the game for them.  His blunder was inevitable, because Timlin let the lead-off hitter on base and then they all got burned by a perfectly executed hit and run.  Jim Leyland versus Terry Francona.  Game.  Set.  Match Leyland.  And in two days we’re 3 games behind the Yankees.  Now here this, by the time the weekend is over there is a good chance they will be at least 6 back.  Can you even fathom that?