When Bob Melvin wakes up in the morning, he doesn’t ask himself “Do I want to fail today?” He asked himself “How do I want to fail today?” Such is the nature of managing a bullpen that has,, if you squint, 3 reliable arms. Remember those 3 include Jake Diekman, who in 32 innings has walked 17 and given up 6 home runs. With friends like that, who needs enemies?
In his quest to diversify, Melvin has tried everything but the kitchen sink. With the so-called “Big 3” already used, last Saturday he called on Burch Smith in the 10th inning and watched a one-run lead turn into a one-run loss.