Another day, another... well you know

For the second straight day, the bullpen melted down, allowing 4 runs to score in the bottom of the 8th inning to give the Seattle Mariners the comeback win.

The only difference is, the cast had changed. This time the culprits are Chad Bradford and John Parrish. Bradford, so I'm told, had some bad luck as the hits he allowed were seeing eye singles.

Whatever.

But Parrish is a train-wreck. It's time to cut bait with him. He basically embodies the Orioles. Inconsistent, flashes of promise, and then a tear-it-all-down streak of ineffectiveness.

The Orioles have had enough players of this ilk over their decade of losing and they've wasted too much time with them too. So do something with Parrish, please.

So after last night's loss the losing streak, like the terror alert, has been raised to orange. It now stands at 4 games.

Remember that recent 6 game winning streak?

Well in typical Orioles fashion, the O's crumpled it up like yesterday's newspaper and threw it into the fireplace where it instantly ignited in flames.

It's like it never even happened.

The Orioles are back to their normal light hitting, poor relief pitching selves.

And to think they "revamped" their bullpen.

27-31. 11 games out of first. Business as usual in Baltimore.

You knew that the 6 game winning streak was going to extend the life of Sam Perlozzo and Terry Crowley. But at this point, I even wonder if there is a point to making any coaching changes.

There has been talk of bringing back Davey Johnson, but that is just hopeful heresy. But if there is any truth to it, I don't know what has taken so long.

So unless Angelos is willing to go back on his past actions and bring the 1997 AL Manager of the Year back to Baltimore, might as well stick with Perlozzo, so you can get the guaranteed benefit of having Leo Mazzone around to work with the pitchers some more.

After all, improvement has been made. The starting pitching has been the most solid unit on the team. Firing Perlozzo now would mean we'd likely lose Mazzone, which would be as huge a momentum killer as a 4 game losing streak is to a 6 game winning streak.

So don't let Mazzone leave. And if Perlozzo is jettisoned for some reason, extend Mazzone. Make it impossible for him to leave. Put simply, the O's should do what they should have done with everyone else they let get away over the years.

Don't just accept the outcome like it can't be changed. Don't play the stubborn brat who sits with his arms crossed, certain that he is right and everyone else on the schoolyard is wrong.

So the mission for the rest of the 2007 season is this: Build for the future. Use this time to get your ducks in a row. Keep grooming the starting rotation. See if there are some arms on the farm that can improve the struggling bullpen. See if any of Knott, House, DuBois or Sing are for real.

Basically, do what you've never done in the past: the right things during another losing season.

This shit has to end sometime. Make it happen.