Jim Johnson was supposed to give the Oakland Athletics a veteran presence at the back end of their bullpen. Instead he has pitched poorly blowing a save, taking two losses and posting a 45.00 ERA though his first two outings.
“Those guys are playing their butts off and we should be 3-0,” Johnson said of hits teammates, via San Francisco Chronicle. “I’ll take the blame for that. But if I sulk and pout, it doesn’t do anyone any good.”
Manager Bob Melvin was quick to point out what Johnson is doing right after the Athletics dropped Tuesday’s game.
“The velocity is there, the movement is there,” Melvin said. “At times, they laid off some tough pitches.”
Johnson has saved 101 games over he past two seasons. That will give him some leash but only enough if he is able to turn things around quickly. While he saved 50 games last season in Baltimore he also blew nine save chances and took eight losses.
