Relieve this

Quick thought which I'll try to amplify this afternoon. So in last night's game, with a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the seventh and Damion Easley on second base, Willie pulled Feliciano from the game to send Marlon Anderson up to pinch-hit. I liked the decision at the time, and liked it even more when Anderson put together a great plate appearance, seeing 10 pitches and fouling off a bunch of tough ones and generally giving Ryan Madson the business.

He eventually grounded out to second to end the inning, but he did his job just fine, and I agreed that you had to put someone in there with a guy in scoring position.

Of course, a half-inning later, I felt pretty differently. Heilman came up and promptly gave up a bomb to Howard, walked Burrell, gave up a Delgado single to Jenkins ("Delgado single" defined as a base hit directed anywhere from one to three inches to the right of a completely immobile first baseman) and ended up being booed off the mound. I was pelting my TV screen with jelly beans, and cursing Randolph's decision to pull Feliciano before Howard came up.

Now, as much as I don't think Howard would have gone yard off a lefty in the same majestic manner, which obviously would have changed the trajectory of the game somewhat, sober reflection tells me you have to pull the pitcher there for Anderson. Yet the problem with having a suddenly unreliable setup guy is that you can't stick him in there and feel comfortable. Not when he's given up two runs in three straight appearances. I mean, I don't think Heilman's done or anything, but you've got to use him a little more conservatively until he gets back on track.

Which means what? I guess it would be inconceivable to have Wagner ready to go for a two-inning save in that situation. (Two lefties coming up in the next inning, huge rivalry game, series decider) Now, I think you have to consider using him there, but nobody else seems to think that's a possibility. Obviously, two-inning saves aren't ever going to be regular items, they should be more of an option than they are now. But I know this is a losing fight, so whatever. He won't be in for two.

This is where bullpen usage patterns get really annoying. It's still your best option to bring Wagner in to start the eighth inning. Especially because if he mows down the side (Howard, Burrell, Jenkins), you at least have the option of bringing in Heilman (or someone else) to pitch against the bottom half of the Phils' order (Feliz, Coste, Werth) in the ninth. Let's put it this way -- if you had to line up your two best relievers to face those two sets of hitters, you'd send Wagner in to face the first group, every time. You wouldn't have to think twice.

But again, this can apparently never be done. A closer HAS to pitch the ninth inning, bar none, even if the save situation disappears because you HAD to put a worse pitcher having a tough time of it in to face the most powerful hitter in the game.

Something about that doesn't sit right with me. Wait, check that -- a lot of things about that don't sit right with me. It helps that we pulled out the W, but it didn't even need to come to that. I'm not looking for a crazy amount of innovation from Willie, but even a little thinking outside the bullpen box would be a huge bonus.

Also, hurry back, Duaner.