David Weathers, a.k.a. "Stormy Weathers," did it again yesterday. He came in to the game in a crucial situation with the Reds down 3-2 to the Boston Red Sox in the eighth inning. All he needed to do was keep the score the way it was. But alas, Stormy strikes again and gave up a run on three hits. The run came via an RBI single by Mike Lowell. The earned run raised Weathers' ERA to 4.44 on the season and the three hits raised his WHIP to 1.73. Those aren't numbers you'd like to see out of your supposed set-up man.

There is one thing you can always count on when Weathers takes the mound; someone will be on second base that inning at some point. It seems like almost every time he takes the mound he gives up at least one base-runner. The set-up guys is supposed to be just a step under the closer in how they pitch. Unfortunately for the Reds, Weathers has been a disappointment in the set-up role to this point. Last season he was the closer, picking up 33 saves. But he was a shaky closer with an ERA of 3.59 and six losses. Now that Francisco Cordero is here as the closer, the team expected Weathers to be a serviceable set-up guy that could get the lead to the ninth inning for "The Matador." So far he hasn't been nearly the guy they thought he'd be. Its gotten to the point that when he takes the mound, the fans actually have started to boo him.

Can Weathers change the forecast from stormy to even partly sunny? Only time will tell, but in my opinion, I don't think Dusty Baker should even give him that chance. Weathers needs to be taken out of the set-up role and put into middle relief where the pressure is a little less. Who takes his spot? That I'm not so sure about. Baker could try to see what Bray can do in that role, or even put the youngster Danny Herrera in the role and see what he can do. A lefty as a set-up guy wouldn't be a bad idea. I doubt it will happen, but Baker should try something different and there's no time like the present to do it.

The Reds went on to force extra innings last night despite Weathers' giving up the run in the eighth. Javier Valentin would pinch-hit for the struggling Paul Janish in the bottom of the eighth and knock in Paul Bako who had singled earlier. That cut the lead to one. After reliever Mike Lincoln pitched a scoreless top of the ninth, Edwin Encarnacion hit a solo homerun off the Red Sox closer, Jonathan Papelbon on a 2-2 count with two outs to tie the game. Unfortunately Lincoln would not pitch as well in the tenth as he gave up back-to-back homers to Kevin Youkilis and, of all players, Coco Crisp. The Reds could not stage another comeback in the bottom of the inning and suffered the heartbreaking loss 6-4.