Blown Jobs - Jay Witasick Edition

Jay Witasick appeared in 16 games for our A's, posting a 2.87 ERA and 1.21 WHIP with 19 K's in 15.2 IP, before blowing his first save as an Athletic.

Blown Save Number: 1
8/29/2005
Oakland at Baltimore

Kirk Saarloos pitched four innings of one-hit ball, taking a 2-0 lead into the fifth inning.

After getting little Davey Newhan to fly out to center, Saarloos walked Sal Fasano and gave up a two-base hit to Brian Roberts. The next man up was Melvin Mora. He pounded an 0-2 pitch to leftfield for a double, scoring both runners. With the game now tied at two, Saarloos faced Miguel Tejada. I guess Tejada didn't get his recommended dose of B-12 that day because he proceed to strikeout. I think that may have been Saarloos' only strikeout this season. I could be wrong.

One out from escaping the inning with minimal damage, Saarloos got ahead 0-2 on Javy Lopez. Again Saarloos gave up an 0-2 hit. Lopez's RBI single drove in Mora, gave the O's a 3-2 lead and ended Sarloos' night. Macha called in Ricardo Rincon from the bullpen and he retired B.J. Surhoff on two pitches to end the inning.

Dan Johnson gave the lead back to our A's in the top of the sixth, clubbing a first-pitch three-run homer off of starter Erik Bedard.

Now up 5-3, Macha sent Ricardo Rincon to start the bottom of the sixth. The lead was cut in half only two pitches into the inning when Jay Gibbons blasted a solo shot into the rightfield stands. Rincon walked the next batter, Alejandro Freire, on five pitches. Davey Newhan then sacrificed Freire to second and Ricardo's night came to an end.

Jay Witasick was called in from the bullpen and quickly retired Sal Fasano and Brian Roberts to end the inning.

Oakland still had a 5-4 when Witasick took the mound to start the bottom of the seventh. He quickly retired Mora and Tejada before walking Lopez on four pitches. B.J. Surhoff hammered a 1-1 pitch into the gap in right-center , scoring the slow-footed Lopez all the way from first.

With the game now tied at five, Macha replaced Witasick with Duchscherer and he got Gibbons to pop out to third to end the inning.

The game remained tied at five until the top of the 12th, when the A's offense exploded for five runs. Kiko Calero retired Lopez, Byrnes and Gibbons in order to secure the win for our Athletics.

Oakland - 10, Baltimore - 5

One bad pitch from Witasick quickly turned an impressive performance into a blown save. I can't blame Macha for that. That doesn't change the fact that he's a stupidass, though.

Blown Save Number: 2
9/13/2005
Oakland at Cleveland

Kirk Saarloos gave our A's a strong start, allowing only three hits and four walks over six scoreless innings. Holding a slim 2-0 lead, Ken Macha turned to Jay Witasick as the first man out of the bullpen. The lead was gone only three pitches into Witasick's appearance. THREE PITCHES! An infield single and Ben Broussard homerun would tie the ballgame up at two.

The game still tied at two, Macha went with Justin Duchscherer to start the 8th. After striking out Jhonny Peralta on three pitches, The Duke gave up back-to-back singles to Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez. Duchscherer then struckout Ronnie Belliard to bring up Big Ben Broussard with two on and two out. He would hit his second homerun of the night to bust the game open 5-2.

With only three outs to score three runs, our A's were doomed. Bob Wickman, naturally, faced the minimum in the ninth to secure the win for the Tribe.

Oakland - 2, Cleveland - 5

This game might have been Macha's worst display of bullpen "management" this year. He pulled Kirk Saarloos after only 87 pitches even though he was on nine day's rest, his longest of the season. He pulled Saarloos with Belliard, Broussard and Boone due up. In this game, Cleveland's "Killer B's" were a combined 0-5 off of Kirk, managing just one BB.

So why'd Macha pull him?

'Cause he's a stupidass, that's why.

With the game tied and still very much winnable, Macha handed the ball over to Justin Duchscherer. After watching The Duke give up back-to-back singles to Hafner and Martinez, Macha didn't get anyone up. Let me repeat that: After watching The Duke give up back-to-back singles to Hafner and Martinez, MACHA DIDN'T EVEN GET ANYONE UP!

I'm not suggesting that Macha should have pulled Duchscherer right then and there, but that asshole didn't even pick up the phone! Ben Broussard, the LEFTY that tied the game up with just one swing of his bat ONE INNING EARLIER, was still scheduled to bat that inning. Ben Broussard, the LEFTY who had hit 14 of his 17 homeruns on the season off of right-handers, would face RIGHT-HANDER Justin Ducscherer in the eighth unless Duchscherer managed to get the speedy Belliard to hit into a double play.

He didn't.

And Broussard hit another homerun.

Because Macha's a idiot.

[ring,ring]

Bob, it's Ken. Ken Macha. Get Rincon up.

Okay.

[click]

That's all it would have taken to ensure that the game didn't get out of hand.

Now, I know Rincon isn't the best left-hander in the game, but he doesn't suck. He's good enough that Eric Wedge surely would have countered Macha's move...with Jose Hernandez, and he DOES suck.

But Macha's inability to think ahead (or at all) again led to an Oakland loss. And for that:


YOU CAN. PUTITONTHEBOARD!


YEEEESSSS!

Up next: Ricardo Rincon

Previous Blown Jobs: Joe Kennedy