Let The Boy Pitch...

I'm not one to second guess a manager when it comes to pulling a starter for a proven closer in a close game but...

When you bullpen has been tremendously overworked this year and....

When your young middle reliever turned starter is acclamated to his new role and has been pitching well and...

He only has thrown 88 pitches...

...wouldn't you let him try to finish the game? At least let him come out and face the first batter? Just asking. Losing to Vlad Guerrero will happen but why not save Ray's arm a bit and let you starters carry the load for awhile? Guerrero could have just as easily knocked Guthrie around to but at least you would have had some good reasons to let Guthrie try to close it out.

I guess the thing about Perlozzo that bothers me is that he doesn't seem to have reasons for the decisions he makes. If you have a philosophy and it fails, fine but you have to make a decision basedon somethign other than gut instinct or what a player may say to you...

"Perlozzo said he asked Guthrie how he felt when he returned to the dugout and the pitcher said, "'Who's coming up?' That's not an answer I wanted to hear," Perlozzo said."

Dude, who's in charge here? That's what you based your decision on?

The O's have now lost 5 straight one-run games. When that becomes a trend, that's the manager's fault.

Anyway...

What a catch by Nick Markakis on Saturday night! I'm really happy he didn't crack a rib on that one...

I didn't expect the O's to win the sereis with the Angels but they didn't get run off the field. They played nip and tuck with the best team in the west all weekend and hopefully things will bounce our way in Seattle.