This pretty much says it all about tonight

[Tony-OH]

[Lawlbringer]

Yeah, once I saw Chen going back out there I scratched my head. You have a pretty well rested bullpen and you send him back out when he was fortunate to escape the 7th?

[AlbionHero]

I want them to use K-Rod till his arm falls off with what they had to give up to get him. I was shocked to not see him out there in the 8th today.

[markakis4pres]

I want them to use K-Rod till his arm falls off with what they had to give up to get him. I was shocked to not see him out there in the 8th today.

I mean seriously, wasn't the whole point of acquiring Krod to pitch him in this situation?!

Blows my mind he wasn't put in or O'day for the matter. Or even Matusz to face Hosmer who already homered off Chen.

Must win tomorrow can't lose 3 of 4 to KC.

[tntoriole]

I mean seriously, wasn't the whole point of acquiring Krod to pitch him in this situation?!

Blows my mind he wasn't put in or O'day for the matter. Or even Matusz to face Hosmer who already homered off Chen.

Must win tomorrow can't lose 3 of 4 to KC.

We certainly are capable of it.

[Gurgi]

A real shame we cant catch the freaking Redsox. I really feel we are the better team.

[Uli2001]

To be honest, if he makes the change to the bullpen and it blows up, everyone blames him: "Chen was cruising! Itchy-finger Buck!" I don't envy his job. I think the last two losses were more on the lack of enough offense than anything else.

But, in any case, for whatever reason, this team gives away too many games. It is a better team than last year's, on paper and on the field, but the magic is not there.

[mark_beckens]

How many threads have been made here about our starters not going long enough? Now the threads are they are going too long.

[AlbionHero]

How many threads have been made here about our starters not going long enough? Now the threads are they are going too long.

You need to know your players. Chen has proven time after time he doesn't have the endurance to go past 100 pitches. It wasn't smart to send him out there to get a season high in pitches, it was just asking for trouble.

[Norfolk orioles]

I've learned to live and die WITH buck.

I used to question him, but really, what good does that do?

He's our manager and I wouldn't have it any other way. He's not gonna get every single decision right every single game.

I think he finally got the message tonight, Chen can't go past 100 with success.

But that's ok, if he can give us 7+ in 100 pitches, that will work nearly every time out with our pen.

Shake it off, come back tomorrow!

[LocoChris]

I'm not sure who you would rather have in the ninth than O'Day, he's been nails for us for almost 2 years now. That's his first loss of the year, and while reliever records aren't important it does show he hasn't blown games very often.

On the Hosmer home run, Wieters was set up inside and that's where Chen threw the ball. I don't think it had anything to do with fatigue because he got the ball where they wanted it. I'd question the pitch calling, not Buck. Hosmer stands far off the plate and you need to pitch him away to get him out. I don't know why they went with an inside fastball but whatever.

This game is on the offense, blowing opportunities throughout the game was why we lost.

[mark_beckens]

You need to know your players. Chen has proven time after time he doesn't have the endurance to go past 100 pitches. It wasn't smart to send him out there to get a season high in pitches, it was just asking for trouble.

I don't have any players, do you? I think Buck knows HIS players better then you or I or anyone else here. He had less then 100 pitches going into the 8, had given up 5 hits and 1 run. He throw the same pitch to Hosmer he hit out the first time. Missed his spot, happens! I agree with the comments that if Buck had taken him out and someone else had given up the lead, there would be just as many if not more here asking why Buck took him out.

[CA-ORIOLE]

I'd have taken him out for Hosmer and used Matusz, if anything just to give Hosmer a differnt look. That said, I was listening to the game on the radio at the time and right up to the point Chen gave up the HR McDonald stated Chen looked outstanding and didn't appear tired. Stated Wieters set up outside and Chen just missed his spot. Very tough loss to swallow, no doubt.

[LookitsPuck]

Chen doesn't do well after 100 pitches. I think letting him face Cain was fine, but after that laser beam of a hit (and every pitch he threw to Cain was up), he should have been yanked. We have an extra bullpen arm and are intentionally playing with a short bench per Buck's request. The bullpen hasn't been used much at all these last few games since the SP has been going deep. There was NO excuse to leave Chen in to face Hosmer...especially after the damage Hosmer did in his first AB and nearly did in his second AB but just got underneath it.

[scOtt]

A real shame we cant catch the freaking Redsox. I really feel we are the better team.

We'll make up our ground against the Sux when we play them! This is not a jinx, we own Boston. Like from a mental standpoint! The last two years... I mean........