Wanted: An 8th Inning Guy

We had a great time watching the Brewers take out the Giants this afternoon in front of a sold out Miller Park. I was really looking forward to seeing how the 8 of us reacted to Barry Bonds (boo? cheer? be indifferent?), but unfortunately - he wasn't in the lineup so we didn't get put on the spot.

It was an ideal game - we were always pretty much in control... but still competitive throughout. What was really apparent though is that more than ever we are lacking someone in the 8th inning. It appears that it's no longer Turnbow - he wasn't in there today, but perhaps more telling is the fact that he WAS in there the last couple days, when we didn't have the lead.

Actually, Turnbow seems to have not been able to pull it together since a certain point in April.

So, aside from the rumors on the offensive side which would be great (Griffey Jr, Teixeira) and the one that I'm not so sure of (Dunn) - there has also been some talk on the pitching end of things. What I've heard are basically *any* of the Rangers relievers - Gagne, Otsuka, or Benoit and then Dotel (KC).

All of these guys (as is typical of relivers) are sometimes unstoppable and sometimes can't seem to find the strike zone, but for me the big differentiation is the *next year* factor. If Cordero leaves - which is looking increasingly likely - we're going to need someone to step into those shoes. The right man for the job is... Benoit. Wicked stuff and much more reliable than Gagne or Dotel at this point.

I could see making a case for Otsuka but his recent injury issues are a bit concerning. Actually, maybe we can get both? That could put us in a desirable position next year...