It is a credit to Ken Macha and Rick Peterson that they have been able to navigate the championship season with essentially a three man bullpen in an era when teams need six relievers to play the game.

Chad Bradford once again was called upon to extricate the team from a sixth inning jam. He did so, taking the team into the eighth before tiring.

Enter Keith Foulke with second and third and the team clinging to a 5-3 lead. Not only did Foulke leave the runners stranded, but he retired Bill Mueller, Nomar Garciaparra, and Manny Ramirez without a run scoring.

Amazing.

Now the real story of the game. Macha wouldn’t go to Ricardo Rincon to face one or two lefty batters in the eighth because he had to save his lefty just in case Boston tied the score.

So here comes the top closer in the league Keith Foulke for a two inning save attempt.

Neither Michael Neu, Chad Harville, nor John Halama are considered by Macha when the game is on the line, meaning tied or close.

So, until Jim Mecir returns the A’s are operating with a three man pen.

They can get away with this scenario as long as the starters continue to go seven innings, but if Ted Lilly, Rich Harden, and Zito (from time to time) continue to go out in the sixth, they will need help, and I mean real bullpen help that they trust.

Is this the beginning of the end for Boston?

Click below for more!I don’t think so. Boston has a solid lineup, a good hitting club although they have very little speed. It is only that the A’s have some of the best pitching in the big leagues that has allowed them to keep the Red Sox in check in this series.

Pitching is still the name of the game and when John Burkett gave up five runs in the first, his team had an uphill battle all night.

Derek Lowe, in my opinion, holds the key to this team’s eventual success. Lowe has a devastating sinker. It appears only occassionally this year. With Lowe and Perdo Martinez on their game, Boston can win a series, which is the key to success down the stretch. Take two of three and I’ll see you in October.

Burkett is OK. Jeff Suppan should keep them in the game, Tim Wakefield as well. But give me the guy who you KNOW will keep you in the game against the other guys ace, and take the pressure off the offense and that’s the guy I’m looking for.

The A’s have it in Mulder and Hudson. The Yankees have it in Mussina and Pettitte. Seattle has it to some degree with Moyer and Pineiro (and Freddy Garcia when he is perfect). Boston needs someone to be that guy with Pedro.

Boston can hit with anybody, the bullpen is much improved. They aren’t going to disappear by any means, but the promised land of the playoffs would be a helluva lot easier to reach if Derek Lowe could find his sinker.

The Marlins, like the A’s are now wild card leaders all by their lonesome. Miami got great bullpen help and shut the Dodgers down until they could score a run in the fourteenth inning. With all I’ve said about the Marlins and their starting pitching Nate Bump, Braden Looper, and Ugueth Urbina are doing the job from the seventh inning on.

Carl Pavano, one of the better fifth starters around, goes today against Andy Ashby. Ashby will be gone after six, so more pressure on the Dodger pen which also was fabulous last night in the loss.

The Giants now lead by ten games over Arizona. JT Snow is out with a groin strain. Sidney Ponson didn’t have much last night, but Barry Bonds still kept his team in the game with two homers and a double.

Art Howe has always pitched to Bonds if and only if Bonds couldn’t change the outcome of the game with one swing. The Mets got away with that strategy again last night. I have often said Steve Trachsel would be a good fit on the Giants and they will face the tough righty (he has given SF trouble in the past) tonight.

How Felipe Alou is keeping all this together is amazing.

Shawn Estes gets the ball against the Astros in a game the Cubs could use. Houston has a good righty lineup and Estes needs to keep them off balance with his changeup. Take it from me, the Cubs bullpen better be ready today, Carlos Zambrano’s complete game helped a lot yesterday, everyone in the pen should be available.

The Phillies send Kevin Millwood out aginst Milwaukee. The lack of a true offense keeps the pressure on the Phillies staff. It is time for Millwood to be the man and throw a low run game at the Brewers.

There is something about St. Louis that keeps them in the race. It is a dynamite offense a team that knows how to play the game. Rookie secondbaseman Bo Hart has been a big help for the Cards with Fernando Vina out. Hart leads off, plays good defense, and is a catalyst whe you least expect him to come through. Vina will have a new home next season.

Ryan Franklin is capable of a big game performance, he may also give up three homers in the game. Getting the bullpen straight is helping Seattle right now. Rafael Soriano (I’m on him big time) and Armando Benitez will get the ball to Hasegawa and maybe even Kaz Sasaki who was activated yesterday. The one Seattle has to worry about is Arthur Rhodes who is getting roped regularly by hitters who shouldn’t be touching him.

The Yankees seem to be placing emphasis on the return of lefty reliever Gabe White from the DL. White wasn’t getting batters out in Cincinnati before his trade to NY, so what should be different now? Who knows what they will get from White, but the bullpen failures in NY will keep Boston close by.

Jason Giambi, Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter, and Alfonso Soriano are a dynamite one through four if they ever heat up at the same time. Jeff Weaver will need all their help tonight because KC can hit.

The Yanks already have their eyes on Carlos Beltran for the future.

James Baldwin got the call last night for Minnesota in the sixth inning with the game close. End of story, Baldwin one of the tougher pitchers around when healthy let the game get away, unfortunately for Baldwin he is through as an effective major league pitcher after a nice career.

Tonight Johann Santana, a budding star, faces Clevland’s Jason Davis who has pitched well also.

How would you like your third starter in a series to be Mark Mulder after you have thrown Tim Hudson and Barry Zito?

Thta is precisely why Ken Macha can sleep well at night despite an offense that still cranks along and a bullpen with only three relievers that he trusts.