[Amazin69]

Well, that was fun. Load the bases in the 8th with nobody out, down by 4 runs and get…zero. (Lindor hits a pointless dinger in the 9th.)

After this catatonic non-effort, we're now 5-5 against the "easiest schedule in baseball". I wasn't expecting 10-0 (although a World Champion-quality club would have done that), but something like 8-2 would not have been out of line, IMO.

And I mostly like Buck as a manager, but I have to question using Darin "1-for-September" Ruf as a pinch-hitter in a crucial spot. If you don't trust Vientos, why not Guillorme? He hits lefties. Or Nido. Worry about McCann getting hurt once you've tied the game.

(Hell, if you REALLY are that stressed about not having an emergency catcher, put Nido at C, move McCann to 1B [he's played it], put Pete in LF [he's played it] and move Canha to RF, replacing Naquin. Anything is better than using Ruf-bad-dog! with the game on the line.)

The highlight of this whole slide into mediocrity was last Tuesday when, in the middle of the Pirates stomping us into the ground, Vogelfat faced a nicely athletic lefthander named Eric…Stout.

Thus giving us more for Bill James's classic "misleading names" list:

Bud Black is white, but Frank White is black (this is what got James started)
Vic Power was a singles hitter
Horace Speed only stole 4 bases in his career
Jim Winn went 12-17 lifetime
Rich Sauveur never recorded a big league save. (Technically, "sauver" is French for "salvage" or "redeem", but close enough.)
Cecil Fielder was a born DH (and so was his son)
Daryl Boston never played for the Red Sox

(Bill Swift did have a good fastball, but there are exceptions to every rule.)

So as long as Stout stays away from the donuts, he has a place on that list.
(Chris Short was 6'4", btw.)

Speaking of staying away from the donuts, it seems that Vogelfat is being a bad influence on our slumping Polar Bear, who looks as though he's bulking up for hibernation. There's a reason we haven't seen any shirtless Pete celebrations lately, methinks.