The Diamondbacks vs. Dodgers game ended a little while ago.  At one point the Diamondbacks led 5 to 0.  Starting pitcher Dan Haren gave up one home run and left the game with the score at 5 to 1.  Our eighth inning man, Tony Pena came in and loaded the bases, and walked in a run.  He was removed for our young reliever Dan Schlereth who came into a bases loaded situation and ended up giving up three runs (only one was earned), putting the score at Diamondbacks 5 and Dodgers 6.  Schlereth got stuck with a loss and Haren’s seven inning performance and Justin Upton’s grand slam went for naught. 

I understand even a good relief pitcher like Pena can have a bad night, and poor Schlereth got tossed into a bad situation. I am certainly not happy that the Diamondbacks lost this game.  However, I am fed up with Darron Sutton and Mark Grace always blaming the offense.  Certainly the offense has underperformed a number of times, but it isn’t always the offense.  As Tom Candiotti and Greg Schulte said on the radio, the Diamondbacks offense did miss some opportunities, but had done a good job.  This loss was due to the relief pitchers giving up five runs.  Augie Ojeda made a spectacular catch to end the Dodgers eighth inning, however unfortunately the Diamondbacks could not score in the ninth and the game was over.  

There have been times when the offense has failed, and times when the pitching has failed.  There have been times when the pitching and/or the offense has been spectacular.  Even though, as Tom Candiotti and others said tonight, the Diamondbacks offense missed some opportunities, they did well tonight.  It was the relief pitching, plain and simple. 

While Mark Grace played for the Diamondbacks he was my favorite player, and I still like him.  However, I am tired of him always blaming the offense; and, frankly, Darron Sutton (whose father Don was the first player I ever named as my ‘favorite’ player while he played for the Dodgers) is just as bad as he is.  If someone such as Digger Phelps disagrees with Mark’s assessment, as he did tonight, Mark will argue the point.  And then Darron will agree with him. 

Mark Grace is probably the single most knowledgeable announcer on television and he is often fun to listen to as is Darron.  However, there are times, like tonight, where I frankly have had enough of both of them and am about ready to run both of them out of town myself and ask FSN to find some announcers who are capable of calling the game the way it really happened.  Mark used to be good, and sometimes still is; he can be a very nice guy, however there are times like tonight when, as I just stated, I would like to personally run him and Darron Sutton out of town. 

Enough already, it isn’t always the offense.