Brewers-Yost: 'Mota is my eighth-inning pitcher'

[Lil Bit Special]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080607&content_id=2865395&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

DENVER -- Brewers manager Ned Yost described Guillermo Mota as his "eighth-inning pitcher" on Friday night, and he was not backing away from that stance on Saturday. Mota surrendered hits to all four batters he faced in a five-run Rockies' eighth inning that led to a 6-4 Brewers loss.

"I've got no problem with what happened last night," Yost said Saturday afternoon. "Mota didn't walk the ballpark. We didn't throw the ball around. He got beat. It happens."

Mota, whose role was elevated to setup man when Brewers relievers Eric Gagne and David Riske went on the disabled list, fell to 2-4 and his ERA bumped up to 4.56 in 22 games. His batting average against was a respectable .246, but left-handed hitters were hitting Mota at a .366 clip (15-for-41).

Yost discounted that statistic because of the small sample, and said according to his own numbers; over the last year and a half Mota has held left-handers to .263. The skipper chided reporters for being shortsighted.

"He had one bad outing, to be honest with you, lately," Yost said. "No, I don't think that his trend line of going down because he had a bad outing [on Friday]. The last bad outing he had was when he blew the save."

That would be May 14, when Mota surrendered three Dodgers runs on two hits and a walk. But don't try to include May 25, when Mota surrendered the losing run on a walk, a single and a wild pitch against the Nationals.

"He came in after throwing two innings the day before where he was lights-out, had a clean first inning, walked a guy on a 3-and-2 pitch, gave up a base hit which made it first and third and then wild pitched him home," Yost said. "That's not a bad outing. He lost. So, it would be nice if we can get our facts straight."

Sorry Brewers fans. From a Mets fan... Mota sucks. He will always suck.

The only thing he should be setting up is the buffet at Golden Corral.