by Matt Barr

Hard luck

Jake Westbrook is having a hard-luck year, and nowhere was this more evident than in yesterday's start against the Angels. Westbrook has been thumped for seven earned runs in two innings, nine in two and a third and six in three and a third this year, but in his other starts he's managed a 2.14 ERA with 26 strikeouts and nine walks in 42 innings. Now, I know, getting raked in three out of nine starts is hard to describe as "hard luck," but he's not consistently below average-to-average -- 5.7 innings, 4 runs, say -- each time out, he's excellent two thirds of the time. And yet he's sporting a 1-7 record with a 5.80 ERA.

Yesterday he carried a shutout into the ninth before the Angels pushed across two runs, the last with Arthur Rhodes in relief, to win 2-1. Bad enough, but before Adam Kennedy singled with one out in the ninth, Westbrook had set down 21 straight batters. Mike Hampton retired 20 Astros in a row May 8, Kevin Millwood 18 Angels in a row May 9, and Pedro Martinez 16 Braves in a row April 10, but they all won their starts. You set down 21 straight and lose in the ninth, you're having a hard luck year, I don't care how badly you've been pounded in some of your other starts.

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