Tuesday September 11

UGLY....9-2 as predicted yesterday. Arms are finished.... on Marcum, Downs, Janssen and Accardo.

I maintain that blame has to lie squarely with Manager Gibbons. He has no clue how to use his pitchers. Throughout the season he has pushed those arms way beyond sanity. This is Marcum's first season as starter. Gibbons killed Burnett earlier with the three games of 120 plus pitches before his injury.
He has had Downs and Janssen up and pitching almost every game of the season and even if he didn't bring them in they were warming up instead of talking a day off. When they come in it was for one batter more often than not. How does that make any sense? Warm up with 20 pitches come in for 3 or four then out ? Thus Janssen and Downs are overused whilst Frasor sits. Similarly Towers. and where is Tallet ?
Marcum for the last few games has also been showing tiredness and last night's game was not unexpected. Hard to fathom though the pitch to Giambi bases loaded ??? should have walked him.

The good: Johnny Mac two year contract. Yeah....
nothing to think about the game though, maybe the relief pitching.

The bad:Bats wherever they are..... when two runs are scored through Cabrera's error ? very sad.

The ugly: Manager and the lack of bats.

Post script. Halliday and Burnett are now pitching well over 100 pitches each game, Gibbons has to reduce this for last few weeks, put a maximum on them and use the 100 other relief arms in the bullpen. What is there to gain by ruining more arms ? and everything to gain by using the new arms. Give Frasor, Talett and Towers some innings and reduce load on starters.
Prediction here September 11 that Gibbons is gone at end of season.