One is tempted to add a string of expletives to the title, which is something one was tempted to add to most of his starts going back to July. This guy was just awful from the get-go, and he has been for quite a while. Give credit to the Mets and all that. They outplayed and outhit and outpitched the Cubs through the entire series, but if elimination depends upon one pitcher, you know you are finished if that guy is Hammel. I have no idea what went wrong with him in the second half, but something did.
The fourth game was pretty much over in the first inning, certainly in the second when Hammel was finally removed.
After the game, Hammel revealed that he sucked throughout the second half and blamed it on a knee injury. That's kind of the first we heard of that, the nagging injury, I mean, we knew he sucked. Earlier it was thought to be a hamstring. Anyway, it was nice to know that now, although it would have been nicer earlier.
What is troubling is that the Cubs continued to trot him out there every fifth day and to start him in an elimination game. I know all about Lester or Arrieta on short rest, but come on, there is some room for legitimate second-guessing here. Haren could not have been any worse in that situation, by the way, and he pitched a good deal better than Hammel after his acquisition.
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