Since returning from the DL following his valiantly stupid attempt to swing the bat late in an interleague game, Scott Downs has been nothing less than awful.In 6.2 innings since his return, Downs has one save (versus two blown saves), along with three losses. He's given up 6 runs over that short span, good enough for an ERA of 8.10, and opponents have posted a 1.104 OPS against him.
Cito Gaston might like the notion of players having their specific role that they fill on the club, but with Jason Frasor, Brandon League and even Jeremy Accardo all pitching better than Downs over the past month, it's time to let Scotty GreaseMullet to return to a low-leverage LOOGY role until he can throw strikes again.
Because seriously, Downs' past week has been ridiculous.
I have no idea why you bring in your "closer" in a tie game on the road anyways... Really, that was some piss-poor managing from Cito (where have I heard that before?)
ReplyDeleteFree BJ Ryan!
ReplyDelete(too soon?)
I'm suffering here Tao. By my calculations the Jays are 2 HBP, 5 bloop singles and 3 throws from the outfield that needed to go one degree off of where they ended up from being tied with the Red Sox. I've never seen this kind of luck for the Jays and I remember the snowy games at the Ex.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, the Closer... I agree, Downs needs to figure it out in innings other than the 9th. Frasor's the guy now for me (even though the 9th would now take the equivalent of three of Doc's innings). I'd really like to see a total fireballer in that spot. Someone with a 91 mph slider, like *dun dun DUNNNN...* MacGowan. I'll go back to dreaming about next year now and hoping that MacGowan will find his way back.
Yeah, I think Frasor has got to pick up his pace in the ninth if he's going to be the closer.
ReplyDeleteAll that walking around the mound and heavy sighing and whatnot isn't going to help keep his fielders focused and on their toes.
@ Voodoo Matt, luck is the iffiest metric of all metrics. Let's be blunt: they are not a great team. Their closer has blown a few games this year,the 3 and 4 hitters were the worst in the league and the manager is absolutely clueless when it comes to a bullpen. One run losses? Luck? One run losses tells me one thing; they can't seem to have the offense that would give them the edge the other way(and their bullpen has been spotty this year). All in all, luck effects every team BUT shittyness is this team's real affliction NOT luck!
ReplyDelete@ W I W G:
ReplyDeleteWhat's wrong with Lind and Rolen?
As Branch Rickey said: "Luck is the residue of design."
ReplyDeleteFrankly, I'm wishing that we had someone like Joe Madden handling our bullpen at this point. He's too cute by a half sometimes, but he's not afraid of deviating from the plan in order to get the out that he needs at that moment.
I thought Madden was being absurd with his bullpen on Saturday afternoon...but look who was smiling in the end.
@ Voodoo Matt
ReplyDeleteI assume he means Vern and Rios before they were shifted in the order.
I like Pete Rose's definition of luck: when preparation meets opportunity.
ReplyDeleteDowns made a great pitch to Suzuki (I still don't like the fact that he has his first name on the back of his jersey) but he never should have been in that situation to begin with.
Of course a lead going into the bottom of the inning would have been nice. Ahem...Mssrs. Wells and Rolen.
Is it possible that Scotty has been a little overworked this week? Cito's been adimate at throwing him out there game after game - he's been out there 5 times in the last 8 games.
ReplyDeleteBring in The Sausage King!
tsk, tsk,
ReplyDeletenot enough trust in Cito - he's already made it clear in the past that he likes to stick with guys who seem very likely to lose games now because they are the ones who win twice as many later. So, in other words, if Frasor or League came in, and the Jays won, we'd basically be screwed because we don't to win NOW, we want to win LATER.
You don't get to claim that you made a great pitch when you loaded up the bases to begin with.
ReplyDeleteAlso, as noted over on our Tweeter thingy, Downs is probably still hurt. He really hasn't had a clear outing since he got back.
Downs made plenty of shitty pitches in that inning. It's just a further kick in the balls that the last one was a good one. Sausage King for closer in 2009! (and it shocks me that anyone could think for a moment that I didn't know WIWG was talking about Wells and Rios)
ReplyDeleteBegin the awful reign of Brandon League! We are all beholden to his leverage aversion!!!
ReplyDelete@ Matt, of course I meant Vernon and Rios. They don't suffer from bad luck...they just sucked BTW!
ReplyDeleteIf sane people manged and ran the Jays, FRasor would be the closer right now. I don't know if Accardo could repeat his 2007 performance so maybe not him.......
You're kidding right? this is some sort of absurdest attempt at mockery?
ReplyDeleteComing into his July 21 apperance Downs had a 1.84 ERA
since then he has had ONE BAD WEEK!
For the sake of one bad week he should be kicked into obscurity?
My lord :rolleyes:
Not that I'm a fan of Cito's bullpen management but that's an astounding over-reaction.
I'm not sure what to think, exactly. The first half of that inning, Downs was the same as he's been all week. First pitch balls, fastballs not sinking properly, fumbling instead of fielding.
ReplyDeleteThen something clicked. His last three batters he got to 0-2. One groundout (force play at home), one K, then Ichiro. He looked to be in pre-toe-stub form.
I'm not trying to exonerate him or anything, but maybe he'll be over his little bad spell now.
Time for Leaguer to step into the closer role.
ReplyDeleteIs Arnsberg still contemplating a push for Cecil as closer?
ReplyDeleteIf you look at what I actually wrote, it was that they needed to take Downs out of the closer role for the time being and let him get a few good clean innings under his belt before putting him into the closer role.
ReplyDeleteHe's not pitching well, and he hasn't pitched well - with the exception of one game - since coming off the DL.
It's not that he's a bad person.
Did any of you happen to catch the Cardinals/Dodgers game last night? That was a great game with managerial moves and clutch hitting that we haven't seen in a long time with the Jays. St Louis managed to tie it twice (bottom 9 and 11 before winning it in 15)
ReplyDelete