Eddie Guarda-DON'T

Mariner closer Eddie Guardado's campaign to ruin Seattle's summer continues apace, with the merry prankster blowing his third save of the season last night at Chicago.

This time, he gave the game up in the most improbable way, allowing a home run to Pablo Ozuna, who'd never hit one before in 334 previous career at bats with three different teams.

Guardado's ERA is now at 8.38, which is, as master of understatment Ron Fairly would say, a little higher than you'd like.

After the game, Guardado, a media-anointed Stand-Up Guy, took his lumps.

"I'm just not doing my job right now," he told the Times.

"I'll take the heat. Blame me," he told the P-I.

"That @#%@#$," we told our roommate.

Now it's speculation time--will Hargrove replace Guardado as closer? The M's manager can ill-afford to fall too much further below .500 (the team is 12-17 now). They aren't good enough to give games away. And closer of the future Rafael Soriano waits in the wings.

The M's play at 11:05 this morning. Felix starts.

UPDATE: Hargrove announced this morning that Guardado won't close for now. The M's will go with the dreaded "closer-by-committee."