Don Rowe was hardly surprised upon learning Monday afternoon that the Seattle Mariners had fired pitching coach Nardi Contreras. Don Rowe Seattle's bullpen had been particularly putrid in the first two weeks of the season, going 0 for 3 in save opportunities. The coup de grace came Friday in Boston when the Red Sox scored seven runs in the bottom of the ninth without making an out.
Somebody has to be blamed, and that's the guy they picked.
The Brewers, whose scheduled game vs. the New York Mets Monday night at County Stadium was postponed because of rain, have not experienced anything close to Seattle's bullpen horrors. But the fact remains that the relief corps has been responsible for all four of the club's losses through 11 games. Garner would be less concerned about the three bullpen losses and two blown saves if they were not directly related to a handful of very bad pitches that were tattooed. And generally it's been after we get two strikes. Even when he gets beat they say it's a fluke.