Toxic Twins

Tony La Russa can’t manage, Dallas Keuchel can’t pitch. It’s as simple as that. Keuchel gave up nine hits and two walks over five innings yesterday, good—or bad—for six runs in an 8-4 loss to the Rays. Afterwards, he and La Russa talked about how a lot of those hits were of the seeing-eye variety. Granted, the ball Wander Franco hit did bounce off of third base. Even if the two runners already on were there courtesy of just-missed groundballs, there’s the inconvenient fact that Brandon Lowe, the next batter, smoked the first pitch he saw from Keuchel for a two-run double. Somehow, La Russa’s patchwork lineup pulled to within 6-4 going into the bottom of the ninth. You might think it was time to bring in one of the better pitchers out the bullpen, but La Russa opted to send Mike Wright Jr. out for a second inning. Result, another two Tampa runs. And we’re carrying fourteen pitchers why, exactly? Fingers crossed that the A-team goes out today. Even then, with La Russa calling the shots, you never know.