All over the board

On the morning of "the matchup" between Padres future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux and Rays current Walk of Shamer Scott Kazmir, I bring you a hodge podge of thoughts.

Maddux is the epitome of consistency, while Kazmir has been maddeningly inconsistent. Kaz has outings where he beats Cy Young winner Johan Santana in Minneapolis (throwing 8 innings, giving up 2 runs while striking out 6 and walking none) and then he has a game like his last outing in Toronto (5 innings, 2 runs, walked 5 while striking out 4).

In 13 starts, Kaz has pitched 5 or less innings 5 times. Every time but one he's thrown over 100 pitches (and that one was 96 pitches).

IMO Kazmir's problem is not throwing strikes, it's getting cute after he gets two strikes on a hitter. I cannot count the number of 1-2 counts he's turned into walks over the last two years.

Maybe he'll learn from Maddux tonight how to be more economical with his pitches. Greg will never be considered a strikeout pitcher. Yes he's struck out over 3,200 in his career, but remember that he's pitching in his 21st season. That's under 150/year - not exactly Nolan Ryan or Roger Clemens numbers.

Maddux has made his career by painting the edges and keeping hitters off-balance. His four Cy Young awards have been earned by allowing his teammates to help him by making plays behind him.

I can recall in the mid-90's while watching the Braves on TBS seeing Maddux throw one 3 and one 4 pitch inning in the same game! Kazmir rarely throws less than 3 or 4 pitches to any one batter.

It should be a fun game to watch. The DVR is set!

If Kazmir can get deep into the game, he will be working with a revamped Rays bullpen.

• Gone are Tim Corcoran and Chad Orvella - they of the combined 9.24 ERA.
• Gone from the rotation is Jae Seo who was sent down to Triple-A Durham.
• Moved to the pen from the rotation is Casey Fossum.
• Added to the pen from Durham is Chad Hammel who was 4-5/3.42 as a starter there this year. He will provide help in long relief.
• Throwing in extended spring training today is Jay Witasick who was recently released by Oakland although he'd produced well in their pen (1-0, 3.60, 14 hits and nine walks in 15 innings). Expect Witasick to be added to the bullpen today or tomorrow and (hopefully) Shawn Camp will be sent down.
• New to the rotation are J.P. Howell (obtained in the Joey Gaithright trade last year with KC) and Andy Sonnanstine who "allowed just two runs on solo homers while striking out 10 - including a team-record seven straight from the second through the fourth - and not walking any, throwing 99 pitches." (St. Pete Times) in his last outing against the Marlins in Miami.

Things are looking up in Tampa Bay. The team is 28-33, and with just two less blown saves would be 30-31 and in second place in the AL East (and James Shields would be 8-0 instead of 6-0). Hopefully these changes to the pitching staff will allow them to close out games better and climb into wild card contention.

Rays Wi.... CRAP, not again!!

So the Devil Rays rap out 17 hits and score 11 runs. They put an "insurance run" on the board in the top of the ninth, thanks to Carl Crawford beating out a dropped third strike, stealing second, going to third on a shallow fly ball, and then scoring on a single.

With how reliever Gary Glover had sailed through the eighth inning, I headed out to check on construction of my new deck. I mean 11-6 is insurmountable, right? WRONG!

Joe Maddon didn't send Glover back out to work the ninth. Instead, with closer Al Reyes "unavailable" due to recent workload Maddon went with Chad Orvella who proceeded to go WALK-DOUBLE-DOUBLE-2 RUNS IN.

Orvella was "relieved" by Shawn Camp who went WALK-force out-DOUBLE-2 RUNS IN.

The score was now 11-10.

Former starter Casey Fossum then took over and allowed a game-tying DOUBLE.

This brought in Tim Corcoran who intentionally walked Frank Thomas, then threw a wild pitch to Troy Glaus which left first base open with only one out. So he intentionally put Glaus on base.

Finally, Corcoran walked in the winning run.

Game - Set - Match - SportsCenter highlight.

As Carl Crawford told the St. Pete Times, "I've been through it. As you can see, I don't look surprised. ... We were definitely thinking we could win it, but in the back of your mind and you've gone through this for six years, naturally you think it's going to happen again."

That's the scary part of a game like this to me. I expect the Rays bullpen to fail. It's been pretty much the norm for ten years except for the 2005 season. The problem is that young stars like Crawford, B.J. Upton, and Delmon Young are having their hearts ripped out.

How long before they start causing clubhouse problems? How long before they start demanding a trade and not showing up to spring training?

There are so many young offensive stars - Crawford, Young, Upton, Iwamura, Dukes - that all they need is some help in the bullpen.

There is no way that 11 runs and 17 hits should not win a Major League baseball game - especially with a five-run lead going into the ninth inning.

I blame Maddon for not leaving Glover in after he only threw 13 pitches (10 for strikes) while striking out two in the eighth. I've got little leaguers who can throw 60 pitches, but Gary Glover can't start the ninth after throwing only 13? BS!! Put him out there, Joe!

I blame management - specifically Gerry Hunzeker for not trading for some decent middle relief to allow them to get to Al Reyes.

How about James Shields and Scott Kazmir and the number of wins they've had blown by the "bullpen" in the last two years? Think that's frustrating??

Keep Reyes and Glover, dump EVERYONE ELSE!

Give Seth McClung another shot.

Pull up some of those "promising young arms" in the minors and get them some MLB work!

DO SOMETHING!! Turn that "cow-pen" into a true bullpen.