Burgos Blows Another Game

Game Date: August 4, 2006
Game Score: Twins 8, Royals 5 / Box Score
WP: Reyes (3-0), LP: Dohmann (0-1)
Royal Home Runs: None
Royals Record: 38-71

This is not a recording. Ambiorix Burgos should not be a closer in the major leagues. I don’t say that because he’s wild, or because he’s unable to throw more than one pitch for a strike—although both of those statements are true. I say it because he simply can’t get guys out. His ERA is 5.64. You simply cannot give the ball to a guy to close the game out when he allows a run more than once every two innings.

If those words sound familiar, it’s because I wrote them about the game on Tuesday against the White Sox, during which Burgos blew yet another game. And how ironic is it that the last time (July 3) we had Johan Santana on the ropes, Burgos also blew that game? Well, actually it’s not all that ironic. It’s expected. He gets behind good hitters and when he grooves a fastball on 3-1 (as he did with Joe Mauer in the ninth inning), they crush it. Then he fell behind Michael Cuddyer and he hit one out of the park to tie the game 5-5. Scott Dohmann wasn’t much better. He was pounded for three runs in the top of the tenth, and that was the ball game.

This is another one of those games where it’s tough to point to the positives when so many negatives abound. Emil Brown was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Esteban German was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Ryan Shealy was 1-for-2 with an RBI and 2 BB. And John Buck drove in two runs. But it was all for naught once Bell handed the ball to Burgos—who hasn’t even been the closer all season, and yet, he still leads the major leagues in blow saves (10).

And tonight, in the era of astronomically high earned run averages, Runelvys Hernandez (2-6, 7.88) goes against Carlos Silva (7-9, 6.49). Hernandez is 2-4 with a 6.53 ERA in his career against the Twins. Silva is 2-1 with a 3.55 against the Royals.