What’s wrong with J.J. Putz?

One of the side effects of losing streaks in Major League
Baseball is that it’s tough to get regular work for your
closer.

With the Arizona Diamondbacks riding a 4-game losing
streak entering Wednesday night’s series finale with the
St. Louis Cardinals, such was the case with J.J. Putz.

Putz hadn’t been used since last Friday, when he worked a
clean ninth inning and picked up his 6th save of the
season in a 5-4 win over the New York Mets.

Manager Kirk Gibson inserted Putz into the game in the 9th
inning Wednesday night even though it was a non-save
situation. With the Diamondbacks trailing 3-2, Putz
retired Tony Cruz and Skip Schumaker on groundouts. But
that’s where the trouble started.

Rafael Furcal reached on an infield single. Carlos
Beltran laced a single to center field. Matt Holliday
roped a 2-run double off the center field fence. Allen
Craig homered to right. Just like that, the Cardinals’
scant one-run lead had ballooned to five. Putz didn’t
finish the inning; Craig Breslow was summoned from the
bullpen to record the final out. St. Louis won the game
7-2.

There are many concerns with the D-backs right now, and
Putz’s performance to this point is nearing the top of the
list. The right-hander, who converted 45 of 49 save
opportunities last season, has struggled mightily in 2012.

“He’s not locating,” Gibson said
following Wednesday’s loss. “Not throwing the ball where
he needed to throw it and he couldn’t control it.

“On Craig, you don’t want to throw him up and out over the
plate. You don’t want to do that, and that’s where that
pitch was.”

Putz’s ERA ballooned to 9.00. He’s given up runs in five
of his 11 appearances and the four home runs he’s allowed
match his total from all of last season.

Since opening the season with four straight saves, Putz is
0-2 with a 13.50 ERA in his last seven appearances.

Arizona Sports’ Craig Grialou contributed to this
report

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