[Déjà Bru]

So they pulled Germán after only 5 innings and 90 pitches today. Sánchez has just hit his second home run in the bottom of the inning to tie the game so Germán is off the hook as to a loss. He also cannot win the game. This is why you are not going to see 20-game winners anymore. Shutouts, too.

I understand why Boone made the move; to not make it would expose him to severe criticism should Germán develop arm trouble later on. Everybody else is doing more or less the same thing.

Still, I mourn the slow passing of the era of dominant pitchers. Now it's pitching by committee. Even a Jacob deGrom cannot be considered dominant these days. Not if he goes only five to seven innings because that leaves two to four innings of bullpen relief and that's not dominating the game in my opinion.

EDIT: Loaisiga, whom they brought in to replace Germán, walked a guy, gave up a single, and hit a batter to load the bases. He just missed walking in a run; the pitch looked like a ball to me but it was strike three. Then an acrobatic play by Didi in the hole at short saved Loaisiga's bacon. My point? Germán was dominating the A's but they took him out because he might hurt himself somehow after only 90 pitches.

EDIT 2: Well, the committee was shaky at times but they did all right in the end. DJ LeMahieu with a walk-off home run! So all's well that ends well but Gearrin gets the win, not Germán.

EDIT 3: But anyway, we really, really needed to beat the A's.