What to do about the bullpen?

[Aristotelian]

He was pitching to get better matchups. His stuff does not play vs quality RH batters. Once he fell behind he was not going to give in.

There were no better matchups. You do not 4-pitch walk Pedroia with Ortiz coming up no matter what. Even so, he fell behind Ortiz too. The wild pitch to Hanley was surely not intentional. And the walk to Napoli...you don't pitch around the leadoff guy to get a good matchup when that guy is the winning run. That was just bad all around.

[ChuckS]

Hunter and Matusz will not be DFA. Maybe Matusz will be when Wright comes off the DL if he is still pitching poorly, but not before then.

A team that has aspirations of making the playoffs cannot afford to keep a rule 5 pick in their bullpen that they don't plan to use. Give Garcia back to the Red Sox and call up MacFarland to have that extra lefty. I'd then send Gausman down to start every fifth day and call up Mike Wright who I think can be the real power arm we are lacking in the bullpen.

That's a start I think.

[eddie83]

I'll say this, the bullpen could be the demise of the team this year. I am genuinely concerned even though it is early.

[eddie83]

There were no better matchups. You do not 4-pitch walk Pedroia with Ortiz coming up no matter what. Even so, he fell behind Ortiz too. The wild pitch to Hanley was surely not intentional. And the walk to Napoli...you don't pitch around the leadoff guy to get a good matchup when that guy is the winning run. That was just bad all around.

Caleb should have caught the wild pitch. You want someone with his stuff to RH hitters giving in?

[Crazysilver03]

Haha that's why I just nailed exactly what we're going to do. I'll just keep getting the best of you without having to resort to obvious common wording mistakes. Go learn Dothraki or something.

Was this last line meant to be some kind of insult?

So you just "nailed exactly what will happen." I will eat so much crow if they actually DFA Gausman. Doubt I have to worry about it though.

[Nevermore]

It is clear that Gausman doesn't want to be in the BP

If true, then tough toenails. He needs to perform in whatever role Buck assigns him to.

[Crazysilver03]

I was thinking about this in the 8th inning when Matusz came out. I can't see any other option than sending Gausman down. The entire reason for him being in the pen is to provide long relief if something happens to your starter. Well, something happened to the starter and Gausman comes into a tailor made long man situation but instead gives up more runs which he's done in each of his 4 appearances this season.

Instead of riding Gausman out for the long relief through the good and bad, Buck quickly yanks him. To me, this says that Buck no longer has confidence that he can be a long man. There's now no role for Gausman but to be a minor league starter and build some confidence.

This is what really baffles me. Pulling Gausman after less than 2 innings. You don't have a long man in the bullpen. Garcia has the longest appearance of a reliever I believe at 2.1.

[Palmoripken]

This is what really baffles me. Pulling Gausman after less than 2 innings. You don't have a long man in the bullpen. Garcia has the longest appearance of a reliever I believe at 2.1.

Yeah that was a head scratcher to me. I was also confused about starting the 9th with Matsuz with a righty due up. I understood why he did not start the 9th with Britton. But I thought Matsuz was too shaky for a second inning.

[Crazysilver03]

Yeah that was a head scratcher to me. I was also confused about starting the 9th with Matsuz with a righty due up. I understood why he did not start the 9th with Britton. But I thought Matsuz was too shaky for a second inning.

After the walk and bunt in the 9th, why not IBB to reinstate the double play. Britton would have been the preferred choice for the groundball.

[eddie83]

This is what really baffles me. Pulling Gausman after less than 2 innings. You don't have a long man in the bullpen. Garcia has the longest appearance of a reliever I believe at 2.1.

It tells me they didn't want to burn him for the rest of the series.

[Crazysilver03]

It tells me they didn't want to burn him for the rest of the series.

Which doesn't make sense. I would rather burn one guy and send him down for a fresh arm than burn the whole bullpen.

[Palmoripken]

After the walk and bunt in the 9th, why not IBB to reinstate the double play. Britton would have been the preferred choice for the groundball.

I would have done the IBB but not Britton. I'm a subscriber to the belief about bringing your closer in for a tie game in the 9th at home but not on the road But fair point. It really all goes back to IMO the Ubaldo tossing. That really threw our pen out of sync for the whole game.

[CA-ORIOLE]

This is what really baffles me. Pulling Gausman after less than 2 innings. You don't have a long man in the bullpen. Garcia has the longest appearance of a reliever I believe at 2.1.

Maybe there is no intention to send Gausman down and he will be ready again on Sunday.

[Crazysilver03]

Maybe there is no intention to send Gausman down and he will be ready again on Sunday.

Than the whole bullpen will be driven into the ground before May.

[Diehard_O's_Fan]

The Orioles need to call up McFarland from Norfolk but I think he is stuck in Norfolk for awhile

because the Orioles view him as a 2016 starting pitcher candidate. Screw next year the

Orioles need to win now.