Losing streak is over, but bullpen blues continue

David Huff turned in the best pitching performance of his fledgling major-league career last night, and earned the right to relax through an easy ninth inning, leaving the game with a 5-0 lead. But that isn't what happened.

Winning and losing is the important thing, and I don't want to lose sight of the fact that the Indians won last night. But what Matt Herges and Kerry Wood put us through in that ninth inning sticks in the mind. Let's recap: After Huff's eight-inning masterpiece, in which he shut out the Pirates on four hits, Herges came in and immediately blew the shutout, giving up a leadoff home run to Adam LaRoche. Then he gave up a single to Robinzon Diaz. Then an Andy LaRoche groundout sent Diaz to second. Then pinch-hitter Brandon Moss doubled Diaz in. And that was it for Herges, who left with the score 5-2 and the runner on second his responsibility.

Wood, who's been maddeningly streaky this year and is on a very bad jag, came in and gave up an RBI double to Jack Wilson. Then he struck out pinch-hitter Delwyn Young with some high cheese, in the only at-bat of the inning in which the pitcher looked halfway decent. That made it two outs, with the score 5-3. Next, an Andrew McCutchen single scored Wilson from second. Then Wood walked Nyjer Morgan, who represented the winning run. Then he walked Freddy Sanchez, sending the winning run to second. That brought up Adam LaRoche, who you may recall led off the inning with a homer off Herges. Tell me you watched that ninth inning and didn't picture LaRoche sending a screamer into the outfield and scoring two.

Well, LaRoche did hit it pretty hard, but it landed in the glove of Mark DeRosa in right field, and the Indians are now on a one-game winning streak. But it shouln't have been that difficult.

On a more positive note, it was great to see Grady Sizemore back, and getting two hits, including his second triple of the season, which scored the Tribe's first two runs. He also made some nice catches. So that's a good sign.

For those keeping score at home, the Indians are back in last place, a game-and-a-half out of fourth, and 10 games out of first. If they're going to do it, they've got to make a move in the standings very soon. But I have serious doubts about whether they can do it with these arms in their bullpen.