Eric Gagne....

[Ranger12 46]

Will you please go back to where you came from!

I thought this was going to be a move that would guarantee the division championship, not guarantee an implosion!

[WAR EAGLE!!! 0]

If it wasn't broke...why the hell did you try and fix it???

Oh yeah...greed. And possibly the inferiority complex that Boston has with the Yankees...

[AUJarhead 70]

Bingo. In their effort to topple the Evil Empire, they've become an Evil Empire.

[Ranger12 46]

The real problem was that we needed a more consistent setup man for Papelbon, but instead of getting a setup man, it was decided that a good closer could do the job instead. Guess we found out how screwed up that thinking was.

[AUJarhead 70]

To be honest, I haven't paid a lot of attention to the AL this year, Ranger. Can Boston hold on? Is a lack of a setup guy the big problem? I'd rather Boston win the East than the Yankees.

[Ranger12 46]

The lack of a healthy or consistent setup guy had not really been a big issue if you ask me. The team was doing just fine even with the fact that Mike Timlin has been hurt and Okajima has not been consistent.

However, I understand the club wanting to find somebody they could count on when it came time for the stretch run into the playoffs. It was not really a "if ain't broke, don't fix it" scenario, because the move to shore up some weaknesses at this time of year is something that all teams still challenging for post season play are going to do. Heck, like I said, the Gagne move looked like a very smart move. Yes, he was a closer and not a setup man, but there is not that much difference between the two because both usually only pitch about an inning and have the same pressure of trying to hold a lead or keep their team close.

It just baffles me how Gagne has came over and just totally forget how to pitch all of a sudden. He has cost us two eighth inning leads already and has an ERA of 15.75 in four innings of work since being with us . I find it hard to believe that he is finding it that hard to go from closer to setup man. Hopefully it is just him having to get adjusted to a new team and a new battery and will get this crap straight...like real soon!

[WinCrimson 61]

ranger, thank God for the D'Rays and our remaining 11 games against them.

I was pumped when we acquired Gagne. Now? I want to send him to New York. For free.

[Ranger12 46]

Yeah, fortunately Wakefield was able to go eight innings last night and we did not need Gagne. Maybe the night off will have did him some good.

[WinCrimson 61]

Gagne came through tonight with 3 Ks. You can't argue with that.

DIRTY WATER!!!

[Ranger12 46]

Hopefully this the start of him being the consistent "lights out" pitcher that he really is.

<knock on wood>

[WinCrimson 61]

I nearly shat (or, wincrimson'ed, if you like) myself when Francona sent Gagne in tonight. I realize he's a proven professional, but I'd be very weary of inserting him in a tight situation.

Huge win tonight. More psychologically than what will show up in the boxscore, in my opinion. Entering tonight's game, we were a Shula-esque 1-41 when trailing after 8 innings. Yikes.

[Ranger12 46]

He blew a 9th inning lead in the second game last night. Heck, he was even being used as the closer because Palpabon closed out the first game, but still could not get it done. I think he has made like 6 appearances now and has only been successful in one of them.

I just don't get it. He came from an AL club, so there he can't use the excuse of trying to adjust to a new league and batters. I would think that a MLB player would be able to adjust to a new club and city pretty quickly and I don't recall any issues when he went from LA to Texas. He missed basically all of the 2005 and 2006 seasons because of injury, but he was doing pretty good for Texas before the trade, so it does not seem like his old injuries were bothering him. So, what is his deal? I can't help but wonder if his arm problems are coming back. If so, I have to also wonder if Texas knew that and stuck it to us.

[AUJarhead 70]

When Renteria left St Louis to go to Boston, he was terrible. As soon as we was traded to Atlanta, he's back to being a gold glove short stop. Here in STL, they attributed that to the media in Boston being much less forgiving than St Louis or Atlanta.

[Ranger12 46]

That may be the case with Gagne. Some players just might not be able to handle big market teams and the tough beat writers that come along with them.

[WinCrimson 61]

If Papi can just hit a grand salami every game, we might be able to withstand Gagne's nightly gag.

And if that is the case, about him not being able to withstand the media, we're in a lot worse trouble with him than we originally though. Just my guess, but the media is going to be there for every game. Geez.

[GalensGhost 0]

GAGne blows. He sucks. He reeks.

[Ranger12 46]

GAGne blows. He sucks. He reeks.

This is something we totally agree on right now.

Unfortunately, he is not the only one hurting us. Tavarez is 0-5 in his last 7 starts and Youkalis is in a 4-35 slump.

The Yankees are only four games back now.