Penning a Tragedy
Arizona bullpen throws gas on fire in loss
Sept. 15, 2009
LAS VEGAS -- Arizona starter Clark Griffith didn't have his best stuff. Nevertheless, he kept his team in the game. The Arizona bullpen took them out of it.
Grffith allowed 4 runs over 6 innings, leaving down 4-3 after six. Then things went from bad to worse. And Arizona's bullpen, which had been the Southern League's best a mere three weeks ago, was torched.
Mike Koplove retired Juan Uribe and Jason Tyner to start things off. But in a span of four batters he walked Cesar Izturis, allowed Las Vegas pitcher Tommy Bond to double, surrendered a two-run double to Tom Daly and then gave up a first-pitch two-run blast to left to Lip Pike, his 21st of the season.
Koplove entered with a 2.92 ERA. He departed at 5.40.
Arizona, to its credit, battled back in the top of the 8th, as Gerald Laird smacked a two-run double to plate Frog Redus and George Gore - both of whom had singled off Bond.
Webster McDonald relieved Koplove for the Sandmen, and had nothing. Jimmy Ryan, who had hit his 16th homer off Griffith in the 6th, launched number 17 to lead off the 8th, the last of four homers the Bosses would hit on the day (the other coming from Alejando Oms, also in the 6th).
After retiring Grant Johnson and Juan Uribe, it seemed McDonald would minimize the damage. Not so.
Jason Tyner walked. Cezar Izturis singled. Wily Taveras singled to score Tyner. Then Tom Daly tripled to score Izturis and Taveras, giving Vegas a 12-5 lead, which is how it would end.
At the end of August, Arizona's bullpen was baseball's best, boasting a cumulative 2.65 ERA for the season. But September hasn't been kind, seeing the bullpen go 1-4 with 3 blown saves and a 9.59 ERA. The pen has appeared in 11 games this month, and has been scored upon in 8 of them.
As disconcerting is Clark Griffith's failure this month, particularly in his last two starts. He lasted only an inning in his last start, against Memphis, surrendering four runs. He has a 7.43 ERA on the month and has now given up 6 homers in 13.1 innings this month.
Arizona needs both of these issues fixed if they are to catch San Antonio. The Sheriffs, who were idle yesterday, now lead the division by a game and a half.