We seriously need to consider another closer at this point

[Bigbie03]

No one questions bringing JJ in...the questioning is pointed at Buck for his incredible ego.

[TonySoprano]

Sorry gang, I was out of town and missed yesterday's news on Strop. The question remains the same, who do you bring in the 9th?

[ExileAngelos]

Against arguably their worst offensive player. WOW.

I personally do not trust O'day as a closer, or Hunter, or Matusz. Who's left?

Why would you have no trust in O'Day?? You must have pretty high standards

[SteveO]

Strop wasn't an option, he's on the DL. But yes, I'd rather have Patton than Jim Johnson right now. Jim Johnson has something crazy like a 20 ERA the last 2 weeks. I'd rather have almost anyone AA and above in the organization than Johnson right now.

Right cause Patton has been great the past few weeks.

Hell McFarland got lit up his last outing.

[Billy Button]

Always thought he was overrated anyhow. Yeah, over 50 saves last year. Lucky if you ask me. Lots of hard hit balls right at people. This year, they're not. His so called hard sinker doesn't sink anymore. Seems everyone knows this 'cept Buckaroo.

[Uli2001]

Why do you NEED to have someone to bring in the ninth? Play match-ups.

[Norfolk orioles]

You mean the clown who even now has this team above .500

The clown who took this team to the playoffs last season when they had no business sniffing it.

Come on man.....

So when the team does well and makes the playoffs, we owe it to buck.

But when Johnson loses 4 of 5 saves chances and buck says he's going to stick with him despite him having NOTHING, it's the players fault and not bucks???

Man that is sound logic.

[SteveO]

Sorry gang, I was out of town and missed yesterday's news on Strop. The question remains the same, who do you bring in the 9th?

You clearly bring in JJ...no question.

You can argue he should have been pulled when he struggled but if O'Day was not available who you bring in? McFarland who got beat up last time out? Patton who has been awful lately? Maybe the best solution was to gamble that JJ could get it done and if not then moving forward devise a new closer plan

[Billy Button]

How much we payin' this guy?

[oriolesmagic9]

Would anybody be opposed to seeing what Arrieta a shot at closing?

Not really.

[eddie83]

I am pissed off like anybody but people need to take the emotion away for a second. JJ was one strike away to get the save, you aren't going to pull a guy like that for McFarland or Patton, no freaking way. He threw great yesterday, you aren't using Patton or McFarland in that spot. I think a lot of pens issues right now are they are being used too much. Look at today no O'day so Hunter was asked to get extra outs. Yesterday if Steve could of gotten that last out in the 8th I wonder if O'Day would of pitched the 8th today. I do think that JJ's issues have nothing to do with being overused like the rest of the pen. Rivera is the difference in the division right now.

[spmags]

Yeah my patience with JJ is gone. This loss was infuriating.

JJ is a guy who relies on getting outs on balls in play guys like that are going to be prone to ups and down, even if they're starters. JJ pitches so few innings in a season several outings with a luck deflated or unluckily inflated BABIP can make him look a lot worse or better than he is. He likely isn't the guy we saw last year, but he isn't a guy who should sport a 4.5 ERA either.

His HR/9 is at a career high which I would hope to chalk up to a few outtings of leaving it up and crappy luck. His GB rate is also at a career low to this point. He'll get better I think. Guys who make a living off of GBs and low BABIPs are just prone to more variance.

EDIT:

All that being said I'd prefer a closer who gets more Ks with the same walk rate....unfortunately those guys aren't exactly a dime a dozen. If worse comes to worse O'Day could maybe be a stop gap at closer for a short period, and Hunter out of the pen is now throwing 95-99 so the fact that he is over the middle too much doesn't hurt him as badly as it did when he was a starter, he could maybe go into that set-up role.

[Norfolk orioles]

Why do you NEED to have someone to bring in the ninth? Play match-ups.

I've been saying as much for years. Why play great match up baseball for 8 innings only to abandon the strategy in the most important inning of all, the ninth!

It makes ZERO sense.

It'd be like a football team handing it to Barry sanders all game long, letting him run for 200 yards and get you the lead and then with 2 minutes left in the game, all you need is one first down to end the game and you throw it 3 straight times with Rodney Peete.

I mean sure, it might work, it might even work the majority of the time, but why take the chance??

Go with what got you there, matching up and playing %'s all the way through the game.

[AlbionHero]

You clearly bring in JJ...no question.

You can bring in sure. But what about when you see his sinker has no movement and he can't throw offspeeds for strikes? Why do you stick with him for nearly 40 pitches until we lose? Thats just Bucks stubbornness, and thats the kinda stuff that got him fired from his previous jobs... he will never admit he's wrong about things. This is the time to admit he might of been wrong about JJ, and pull him if he runs into problems.

[eddie83]

He can't pitch in big spots now, he is a headcase and you want to put that pressure on him, no thank you. Not saying he doesn't have the talent, but if it was all about talent he would already be doing well. Talking about Arrieta here.