It was only a matter of time before I blew up about baseball (and the Padres). Last night "alleged eight-inning specialist" Scott Linebrink blew yet another game for Greg Maddux. Last night Maddux went six innings and left the game with a 5-2 lead. Fast forward to the eighth inning, Linebrick hits the first batter he faces...strikesout the next...walks the next batter...and then gives up a three run hommer to Matt Holiday (thus tying the game and blowing the decision for Maddux).

Rewind to five games ago when in the eighth inning in a 4-1 game against the Mets...with two outs...Linebrick walks two batters and then gives up a three run homer to David Right...again blowing the decision for Maddux (who had gone five scoreless innings).

In two consecutive starts, Linebrick has given up three-run-homers that have tied the game. (At least against the Mets...the Padres ended up winning...not so last night). Anyway...that is unbelievable. Not since the John Rocker days in Atlanta have I been so frustrated with a specific reliever. Nothing infuriates more when Maddux pitches than to have the bullpen piss away a quality start.

On the Lienbrick (and Padres) subject...I don't know what his deal is but he doesn't need to be pitching any more 8th innings unless the Padres are up 10 or down by 10. He is stinking it up. The Padres are reeling...the "best bullpen in the majors" is not that...Peavy has been struggling...and their offense (even with their meager expectations) is not getting the job done. Marcus Giles is playing terrible...Adrian Gonzalez has been in a six week slump. Since the All-star game they have been playing some pretty bad baseball. About the only good thing you can say about the team is that Milton Bradley was a good pick up (so that is saying something right there).

What really has got me thinking is this whole "bullpen blowing the lead" for a starting pitcher. With my count, the Padres bullpen has blown five wins for Maddux this season. That enrages me...but it seems that I have been bitching about that for years...and I mean years. No matter what team Maddux is on it seems like the bullpen is inordinately blowing more games for Maddux than other pitchers on the team (and I freely admit that I have no facts to back that up). So it got me thinking that over his career, I wonder just how many games have been blown for him.

Now I know that it is improbable for a bullpen to hold the lead for a starting pitcher every time out. And I know that...here recently...Maddux has been a relative 6-7 inning pitcher so that the chances of a reliever blowing the game for him has increased. If one were to assume that Maddux has had 3-5 games blown for him a year over his career than we are talking about a potential win total of 406-450 wins (instead of 340). What I really want to know...and I'm sure Tim Kurjkin knows this... is on an average year how many wins are blown for a typical starting pitcher...and where does Maddux fall on that range. I'm guessing slightly above average (but yet again I'm pretty biased). But think about that...in a perfect bullpen world Maddux could have well have over 400 wins. I'm getting so ahead of myself that I better just stop and appreciate the fact that he is a no doubt first ballot hall-of-famer.

I do feel better about this now (a little bit)...after venting. Because last night I was livid and ranted and raved about the game to my wife who was just minding her own business reading the Harry Potter book (which she finished and thoroughly enjoyed). But nonetheless...if anybody comes across any information or stats looking at this blown wins situation I would be ready to digest it.

I want to end on a positive note...so I'm going to remain upbeat for tonight's game and for Maddux's next start again Houston on Saturday (which is supposed to be on Fox but will probably get bumped (for regional coverage) for a shitty White Sox game.)