Long ball pitchers

Kearns just homered off Oliver Perez, who has been decent but not as good as the line indicates here in the fifth inning. Kendall has been setting up for the ball right down the middle of the plate, and Perez has delivered the ball all over the place.

The Kearns homer was the second Perez has delivered - Adam Dunn hit the first - but Redman caught fly balls at the wall in deep center both times Griffey batted.

Horror of horrors: Brian Boehringer is warming up with the Pirates nursing a 4-3 lead. WTF? I thought playing time was determined by performance. In 2003, opponents hit 11 long balls off BB in 62 IP and he finished with a 5.49 ERA. He blew all three of his save opps. In 2002 - his last good year - he blew five of six save opps. This year, in spring training, opponents hit .378 off BB (who authored a 6.78 ERA). On April 7 he couldn't get an out against the Phillies, blew the save opp and took that tough loss. On April 9 he walked two and gave up a hit in one inning of mop-up work.

Mac says he doesn't play favorites. What performance, then, has earned Boehringer playing time when the Bucs have a small lead? One of our intrepid reporters should ask that question if Boehringer comes in today.

...OK, I post this and Boehringer strikes out the side.

...8:30pm update: Considering that we called for using Boehringer today, knowing/betting that Perez would require relief early, we sure can't complain about bringing him in today. For all I know, Mac told Boehringer he would be coming in early if Perez had to come out before the seventh. Johnston and Torres got the job done in set-up, and Mesa struck out two to get his third quick and easy save. The Honest Wagner roadmap to an 83-win season involves eleven or twelve wins in April. So far, so good: the Bucs are on course. Not everything is going perfectly - this isn't the 1984 Tigers - but the Bucs are on course.