We saw on Sunday why being a Devil Ray All-Star isn't all that impressive. With a comfortable and commanding 5-0 cushion in the 9th inning against the lowely Padres, Grady Little proceeded to insert the struggling Lance F'n Carter in for some work. Surely, he isn't bad enough to let the quiet Padre bats get back into the game, is he? As Mike Cameron singles to start the inning and Brian Giles singles him to third, Mike Piazza stands in the batters box facing the listless pile of Tampa garbage. A 3-2 counts runs to ball four and suddenly the Dodgers are in a mess, bases loaded with no outs.
Danys Baez is brought in to restore order, but he is wild and unable to find the plate, walking in two runs after he gives up a basehit, the final run to tie the score in the inning scoring in a high fly ball to center. Now, I'm still going to back Baez because it's not really his fault. He inherited a full boat, and the lack of being able to work all zones of the plate makes it difficult for any pitcher. He has to have some room to operate and that is simply not possible when you pretty much have to throw strikes to everyone you face. Plus, the Dodgers used him in back to back games, and realistically he should have been able to take the day off because of the five run lead. In any case, at the end of the afternoon the Dodger relievers managed to waste a great outing by Derek Lowe and the great hitting performance of Nomar Garciaparra and Bill Mueller.
I'm sure that given the same situation, nine out of ten pitchers make the requisite outs and put the game in the books. Even if you give up a couple of runs, it's still a win in the record and you get to go a game above .500 hundred. Carter, however, found a way to royally screw the pooch on this one. Putting the team in that situation, with the perfect game they have played up to that point, and then letting the game slip away is down right unexcusable and Carter should have immediately been put on a flight to Las Vegas, not Phoenix. What a way to truly let your team down.
Reading the AP story, there is no mention of Lance Carter's pitiful performance, and from the way it is written, it makes it sound as is if the 9th began in the bases loaded. For those that stuck through this game however, we are left with the sinking feeling of knowing that there is a spot not being filled in the bullpen, as Carter is a clear hole in the 25 man roster. Eric Karros noted in the post game that he still thinks that Carter can snap out of it, a little confidence is all he needs. This coming from a guy that used to always say that games in April and May had no real bearing on a season to excuse his and the team's slow start to campaigns. I guess that is why he only lead the Dodgers to 2 post season births.
In the end, I think we would be better off with D.J. Houlton or even Jonathan Broxton, or Kelly Wunsch. I mean, they were all on the big club last year and have experience, and quite frankly, if I'm going to have some jag off come in and ruin a great game, I might as well go with a dead arms that I already know, and not some throw in, player to be named later piece of shite that is as effective as I am on the mound. At least Kobe came through for the City, and for that, along with my bottle of Xanax, I am eternally gratefull. It's a long season, God bless pharmaceuticals indeed.
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