Oliver, bullpen jolted again

[FreshFish]

c/o Palm Beach Post

 

 

Oliver, bullpen jolted again

 

By Joe Capozzi, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Monday, May 3, 2004

 

 

 

SAN FRANCISCO -- With Barry Bonds out of the starting lineup Sunday, the Marlins figured they had their best shot at returning to South Florida with a winning road record.

 

They just didn't expect to get beat by.167 hitter Yorvit Torrealba.

 

In a disturbing scene all too familiar this season, left-hander Darren Oliver once again allowed another home run that cost the Marlins another ballgame.

 

After allowing a franchise-record five home runs in Denver on Tuesday, Oliver served up a grand slam to Torrealba that set the tone for a game Florida would end up losing 9-8 in 11 innings.

 

It was Torrealba's first home run of the season. But he got a bigger hit in the 11th when he doubled off Matt Perisho to score Bonds with the winning run. Bonds had drawn a pinch-hit walk on a full count after being intentionally walked four times on Saturday.

 

"We ought to be walking Torrealba instead of Bonds,'' Marlins manager Jack McKeon joked.

 

But the Marlins aren't laughing about their pitching staff's struggles to hold leads. The front office is looking outside the organization for relief pitching after Florida's 3-4 road trip in which the Marlins lost all games after having the lead.

 

On Sunday, McKeon was perplexed that Oliver allowed six runs in four innings after he struggled so badly Tuesday. Pitching coach Wayne Rosenthal will work with Oliver on Tuesday at Pro Player Stadium on adjustments to his mechanics.

 

"He'll have to work on keeping that ball in the ballpark. I don't know if Rosie's going to find a formula to keep it in the park,'' McKeon said.

 

Third baseman Mike Lowell tried to take part of the blame Sunday for failing to turn a double play on a ground ball that wound up being an infield hit four batters before Torrealba's home run.

 

Lowell went 2-for-6 with a double that tied him with Cliff Floyd's franchise-record 167. But Lowell popped out to first base in the eighth and struck out in the 10th, both in runners-on-base situations that killed rallies.

 

"I kind of screwed up the game myself,'' Lowell said.

 

But McKeon clearly placed the blame on a lack of effective pitching.

 

"We still can't give them a big lead early and then our guys have to battle back,'' he said. "Some of our pitchers have got to get in gear.''

 

The Giants scored 30 runs in their four games against the Marlins, which equals one-fourth of all the runs San Francisco has scored this season.

 

"I've just been bad altogether lately. I feel like I'm letting the team down. They go out there and score runs and I can't seem to put anything together,'' said Oliver, whose ERA rose to 8.54 from 8.06.

 

"I just can't seem to get the ball down. Something's not right, but I'm not going to make any excuses. It's just been a struggle the last couple of times out. I want to keep the games close, not the way it's been going. That's not why I'm here.''

 

Giants manager Felipe Alou said he was reluctant to use Bonds, who has a sinus infection.

 

"I didn't want to use Barry. I've been there before,'' Alou said. "You use all your energy by playing, playing, running.... We had to put him in, but we knew they weren't going to give him much to hit.''

[Ice Man]

i kinda feel bad for Oliver, i guess.

[WildMarlinMan2003]

"We ought to be walking Torrealba instead of Bonds,'' Marlins manager Jack McKeon joked.

 

 

 

 

No Jack we ought to put Oliver in the pen where he belongs.

[Pavanosbabii]

hopefully when Burnett come back Oliver will be put in the bullpen and Burnett can take his spot. Then the rotation would be awesome!

[rferry]

"We ought to be walking Torrealba instead of Bonds,'' Marlins manager Jack McKeon joked.

No, you shouldn't have thrown balls to Yorvit and given every Giants a hitters count.

[Ashley]

I feel really bad for Oliver, i guess he just needs to try harder until AJ comes back...

[Ramp]

it would be nice if he faked an arm injury for his sake

[BIG Z]

I feel really bad for Oliver, i guess he just needs to try harder until AJ comes back...

He's rich why should you feel bad for him,he's the one that probably feel's sorry for us cuz we're not rich.Plus he's been pitching for 11 year's,i don't feel sorry for him right now,he's wealthy an healthy.

[Guest Juanky]

He doesn't have major league talent save the fact that he throws from the left arm, why feel sorry for someone basically scamming us out of our money? He is no better than a con artist.

[BIG Z]

He is no better than a con artist.

:burglar