With the euphoria of a 2-0 start at the expense of the hated Chicago Cubs it is probably hard to see much downside in the young season. But a troubling trend from last year may in fact be starting to repeat itself, albeit with different names and faces. One of the more apt criticisms of Ned Yost's handling of the bullpen last year was the notion that he over relied on his best relievers early in the season. Derrick Turnbow and Francisco Cordero were very good early last year, and Yost pitched them a lot as a result. Turnbow saw the mound 13 times in April and 12 times in May. Cordero pitched 12 times in April and 11 more times in May. This usage has been pointed to as a potential reason for some of the later problems the two encountered.

In spring training this year newcomers David Riske, Salomon Torres and Guillermo Mota showed some impressive ability to throw strikes and get outs, and it seems that Yost was paying attention. Torres and Riske have pitched in both games of the young season and Mota pitched in the opener. Riske already has logged three innings, including two today. To an extent, it is understandable that Yost would want to go with guys who have shown the ability to get outs in spring over guys who didn't pitch as well this spring, namely Turnbow. Eric Gagne didn't do himself or the team any favors blowing the 3 run lead handed to him in on Monday. It may be that some combination of Riske, Torres and Mota become the setup men and closer at some point. If that is in fact where we're headed, Yost is going to have to show some restraint in using them.

Pitching Riske into the 9th inning of a game after the Brewers tacked on 2 more runs in the top of the inning smacks of over-reliance. Especially when you consider that the bottom of the batting order was due up, Turnbow could use to get into a game and build some confidence and Gagne needs to get back on the horse after a rough first outing. Hell, Seth McClung or Brain Shouse could have been called upon to pitch the 9th inning and save some mileage on Riske's arm. It is still early and it's hard to say anything definitive about how Yost will handle these pitchers as the year progresses. But this situation bears watching as we go forward.

Sorry to be a buzzkill, please resume your normally scheduled revelries.