Probably Too Good To Last:
Todd Jones had been unexpectedly incredible in the first two weeks of the season, going 7-for-7 in save opportunities, and making some Tigers fans think, "Wait a minute - who is this guy?" Of course, Jones was bound to blow a save at some point. That's just what closers do. What makes many of Jones' blown saves particularly disheartening is that they often turn into a meltdown.
It's easy to say now, but did anyone else have a bad feeling in the ninth inning when FSN would show each Kansas City batter's record against Jones? 1-for-3. 2-for-4. Mike Sweeney had a near-.500 batting average. But as both Billfer and Lee pointed out on their blogs, the real problem started when Jones walked the leadoff batter. If you're a pitch-to-contact kind of closer that will give up hits, you can't just put people on base.
Can You Hear the Drums, Fernando?
I'm not really sure I have much to say about Fernando Rodney losing the game. I wish he hadn't thrown such a fat meatball to John Buck. How's that for analysis? I've just been trying to think of a way to apply a lyric from that (awful) ABBA song to a guy who's not having a very good season thus far.
Dear Teammates: Why Do You Hate Me?
What do you think goes through Jeremy Bonderman's mind when he sees that Wilfredo "The Vulture" Ledezma has three wins, while he still has none? After yet another start in which he gave up only one run and didn't walk anyone, Bondo's still facing a zero in the win column. If you ever needed a finer example to demonstrate how misleading wins can be as a barometer for starting pitchers, here's your case study.
To try and imagine what Bonderman must have felt like after the game, I cooked a nice pasta dinner for myself last night. But instead of enjoying my meal, I threw it against the wall, and stared at the noodles and sauce sliding down to the floor. I then ate from a jar of peanut butter while watching the Indians-Yankees game on ESPN2. It sucked.
Okay, But He Keeps Swinging and Missing:
One of the positive things we heard about Gary Sheffield coming into this season was that he rarely strikes out. Apparently, someone forgot to tell him that, because the guy I've been watching has been making that embarrassing walk back to the dugout a lot. I expected (though hoped not) to see Craig Monroe, Brandon Inge, and maybe even Curtis Granderson frequently take that walk this season. But not Sheffield. Joakim Soria made him look flat-out silly on a swing-and-miss in the 10th inning.
Is this bad karma from wearing #3? It's the best explanation I can come up with right now.
Apparently, I'm Still 12 Years Old
Out of curiosity, does anyone else chuckle when Mario Impemba refers to good hitting as "swinging the wand"? Or am I the only person my age who still hasn't outgrown his inner Beavis and Butthead? Why could I not stop giggling when Placido Polanco singled in the first inning and Mario gushed, "He continues to swing the wand!" I know; it's time to be a big boy now.