Looking back

By Roch Kubatko

May 29, 2008 6:28 AM

After replaying last night’s game in my head – my cable’s out again – I honestly wonder whether Jeremy Guthrie is the best 2-6 pitcher on the planet.

As The Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec points out in today’s article, the Orioles have scored eight runs in Guthrie’s six losses. He’s posted a 2.21 ERA in his last three starts, and lost them all.

“All the game are close for him,” manager Dave Trembley said after last night’s game. “He takes you late into every ballgame, but for whatever reason, we’re just not scoring any runs when he’s out there. But he certainly gives you everything he’s got. He pitched well again. It just so happened that (Andy) Pettitte pitched better. They took advantage of the opportunities they had, and we didn’t do enough things that we should have done to win the game, and that’s the way it worked out.”

So unfair. But taking two of three from the Yankees shouldn’t have fans banging their heads against the wall. Wouldn’t you normally settle for that – every single time?

Here’s what Trembley said about Johnny Damon’s infield hit, when Jamie Walker was slow getting to first base and Kevin Millar threw late, that drove in an insurance run:

“I’ll have to look at it, but I just think from what I saw, Jamie wasn’t over there. He got there late, so I don’t know if he just assumed that Millar was going to take it himself. But the play is, any ball hit to the right side, you get over there anyway. The play was just not done correctly.”

I guess we could reopen the debate on whether Andy Pettitte pitches Nick Markakis differently if Brian Roberts doesn’t get caught in a rundown and the Orioles have two runners on base – either first and second or first and third, depending on whether we’re giving Roberts the stolen base in our argument – before Markakis steps to the plate. After Roberts was tagged out, Melvin Mora walked and Markakis doubled, but the Orioles didn’t score.

“It was a pivotal part of the game,” Trembley said. “We were going to steal third. We felt we could steal third. The game is such that after those things happen, you get the hits. I’ve been in situations before, you put a hit-and-run on and the guy gets thrown out. You know what’s going to happen next. The next pitch, the guy gets a base hit. That’s how the game is.”

I’ll keep the questions coming: Do you agree with the Yankees’ decision to make Joba Chamberlain a starter?

He returned to the bullpen after coming out of last night’s game and continued to throw so he could build up his pitch count, and his arm, for his eventual move into the rotation. The Yankees need help, with Ian Kennedy injured – though some people might have their doubts about that – and ineffective. But is there anything wrong with having Chamberlain in the ‘pen and being able to reduce games to six or seven innings? With Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera at the backend, leads are pretty safe past the sixth. That is, when they can carry a lead that far.

I still can’t believe last night’s game drew an announced crowd of only 24,791. For the Yankees? And with the Orioles going for the sweep?

Ever heard of Jim Miller? He’s the 26-year-old right-handed reliever acquired from the Rockies on Jan. 12, 2007 for Rodrigo Lopez. He hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last nine appearances with Triple-A Norfolk, with 15 strikeouts in 14 innings. Opponents are batting .108 (5-for-46) during that stretch.

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