BENCH HIM FOR GOOD

"I felt pretty good. That situation, I felt like I was going to get it done."
(Austin Kearns, via Washington Times, 5/18/2008)

Orioles 6, Nats 5: Can't pin this loss on just one person, but yet again, The Austin Kearns LOB Machine never seems to come through when it actually matters (this time, an eighth inning whiff with the bases loaded to snuff out a comeback).

Kearns now 2-for-his-last-150 (at least it feels that way). Enough. He's had 900+ ABs since becoming a National in 2006, they know what they've got in AK. Time to park him on the bench, give his starting job to Elijah Dukes, and give Dukes an opportunity to show that he's a part of the future.

Meanwhile...

Surprise! Shawn Hill's elbow is hurting.

(Photo of Austin Kearns flailing around on Thursday in NY by Al Bello/Getty Images. Sadly, he looks better here then he has at the plate in '08.)