The Mariners bullpen....what the has happened to it?

Today's Mariners game showed the fans something that they probably have already figured out.......our bullpen stinks. When the season started the Mariners bullpen was lights out. In April the M's bullpen were lights out. They posted a 3.90 ERA with Stephen Pryor leading the way posting a 0.00 ERA in 7 games in 7.1 innings but went down mid way through the month with a torn right latissimus dorsi muscle. Both Tom Wilhelmsen and Oliver Perez posted almost identical records. Perez appeared in 11 games going 11.1 innings with a 0.79 ERA and Wilhelmsen appeared in the same number of games going 12 innings with a 0.75 ERA with 8 saves. Those three guys pitching like was the big reason that the team posted a 12-17 record. 

The next month saw the bullpen post an ERA about the same as the first month, posting a 3.80 ERA. Wilhelmsen had another successful month, appearing in 11 games saving 4 of them in 12 innings posting a 0.75 again. June saw the M's bullpen collapse as the bullpen posted a horrible 5.53 ERA. June also saw Wilhelmsen fall apart as he blew 3 saves while posting a 0-2 record with a 10.57 ERA, the only successful relievers in the month of June for the Mariners came from Perez and Yoervis Medina. Perez posted a 1-1 record with 1 save, appeared in 11 games, and had a 1.74 ERA; Medina posted a 2-1 record with 1 save, appeared in 12 games, and had a 1.93 ERA. Now finally this month, July has seen the bullpen post another bad ERA at 5.05. 

Now, let me get to the point of all this. Since June the bullpen has cost the team at least 20 wins and in yesterday's 12-5 win it the bullpen almost fell completely apart and I thought they would blow the game for the team. The Mariners currently sit at 46-52 thanks to a season best 6 game winning streak, now if the M's would like to continue their hotstreak and hopefully have a shot at finishing above .500 or make the playoffs they must first fix their bullpen. Right now Wilhelmsen is getting back to his lights out ways, Perez is one of the best relievers in the game, Medina is always a help, and Furbush is back to throwing hard like he used to. 

The biggest problems in the bullpen for the M's are Danny Farquhar, Bobby LaFromboise, Blake Beaven, and Carter Capps. The Mariners need to make some serious call ups if they would like to make a run at .500 or the playoffs, for example if they gave Logan Bawcom the call up that would give the M's a 3-4 inning reliever to work with. Brian Sweeney right now to me could use a call up, he's had a great year in Tacoma posting an 8-3 record with 3.92 ERA. Sweeney can be used in both the starting role and in the bullpen in case a starter needs to be pulled early.

The bottom line is, Eric Wedge needs to wake up and smell the java. In my opinion he's too stupid to realize that his bullpen is one of the worst in baseball and if he doesn't see it now then that could cost him games. The Mariners have great young pitchers in Tacoma right now that deserve a call up to give the team a boost in the bullpen and help the reach their goal at either finishing the season at or above .500 or making another Refuse To Lose run at either the American League West title or the Wild Card. Both titles don't matter to me, all those titles say is that the M's are in the the playoffs.