Two Blown Baseball Games

I was sitting through two different major league baseball games last night, both involving Florida teams playing on the road.  That they were "away" games is important, because this figures into what happened in the bottom of the ninth inning, when the home teams were up at bat. The Miami Marlins overcame a deficit they had endured for almost the entire game and scored a couple of late runs to take a 3-2 lead over the New York Mets, going into the bottom of the ninth.  For New York's last chance, the Marlins had as their regular closer Steve Cishek, who I understand hadn't blown a save opportunity since June of last year.  Which is saying a lot, since Miami wasn't very good last year!  Unfortunately, for this game Cishek just didn't have his usual stuff and the Mets batters hit him hard, culminating in a walk-off hit that won the game for them 4-3.  I was disappointed that Miami had lost, but I understand that sometimes your ace reliever is just having a bad night.  And sometimes the other team is having a good one!  And then, there was the Rays game...

The Tampa Bay Rays were in Chicago playing the White Sox (by the way, I'm following both the White Sox and Mets and root for them whenever they are NOT playing a Florida team).  The game, which the Rays had threatened to blow wide open in the second inning, was locked 4-4 before Evan Longoria put them ahead late with a two-run homer.  Then, it was the bottom of the ninth and manager Joe Maddon brought in his own closer, Grant Balfour.  Balfour, who had been picked up by the Rays to be their closing relief this year, has not been very effective for them.  I remember another game in which he was trying to protect a slim lead and it looked for a long time as if he wasn't capable of throwing a strike.  Well, if anything, he was worse last night and walked batter after batter.  The lead had been whittled down to 6-5 and the bases were loaded with two out.  Balfour pitched to Jose Abreu and did manage to find the strike zone on one of his pitches.  Which the Chicago batter then proceeded to hit for a game winning grand slam home run.  Final score: Chicago 9, Tampa Bay 6.  The Rays closer managed to pitch only two thirds of an inning while giving up FIVE runs!!  My problem isn't just with Balfour, though.  Why didn't Maddon intervene when anyone could see what was going down and bring in someone else?  There's only one reason I see for him sitting on his hands: maybe he's letting this sorry performance be Balfour's swan song as a closer and he'll switch to someone else.  Otherwise I don't know whether I even want to watch the end of a close Rays game if they're going to bring him in again.  I understand and appreciate that Balfour is trying his hardest to be a good pitcher and help his team out, but, unlike with Cishek, he has not inspired any degree of confidence with his appearances this year.  I say keep him on as a middle reliever and let someone else get a shot at closing. Who knows, maybe he'd use the time in middle relief to get his effectiveness and confidence back...