Brewers yank Eric Gagne from closer's role

The Milwaukee Brewers pulled Eric Gagné from the closer's role on Sunday after the Canadian reliever remarked that he didn't deserve to pitch the ninth anymore.

Manager Ned Yost said he decided to give Gagné a "mental break" after reading that the native Montrealer had called his performance during a 5-3 loss on Saturday embarrassing.

Gagné gave up two runs in the ninth before Ryan Franklin stepped in for his third career save.

"He's really pushing himself really, really hard and taking it really, really hard," Yost said. 

For now, the manager says he will not choose a single closer to replace Gagné.

"We'll probably just mix and match. I'm not going to do anything crazy," he said.

Gagné blowing games

The reliever signed a one-year, $10-million contract with the Brewers just days before the Mitchell report on performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball alleged he had received human growth hormone during his year with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"It's mental. I think it's negative thinking that creeps back in your mind," Gagné said Saturday. "It's a matter of going out there and executing your pitches, not thinking results and I'm thinking results. I'm going out there thinking three outs before I can even get one."

Gagné (1-2, 6.89 ERA) has nine saves, but his five blown games tie him with Cardinals reliever Jason Isringhausen for most botched closes in the league.

Isringhausen also asked to be removed from the closer's role after he blew a save on Friday.

"Every time we get a little momentum, I come out there and kill that rally," Gagné said.

General manager Doug Melvin said Gagné's struggles will be discussed at a monthly meeting on Monday.

"I would still give him the ball in situations," Melvin said. "His stuff is good, but it's tough at that part of the game."

Gagné won the 2003 NL Cy Young Award before suffering a series of injuries, then giving some of the weakest performances of his career for the Boston Red Sox last season.

He has a 21.60 ERA in his blown saves and losses, but hasn't allowed a run in 11 other appearances.  

The Brewers have lost seven of their last eight matchups, and are now two games under .500.