Everything Brenly Does Is Snakebit

This is not a second guess.

This is not a guess at all.

This is a fact.

Here at the World Series, in the dugout of the Arizona Diamondbacks, the boss snake is shedding his brains and thinking with his rattler.

After Thursday’s second consecutive stunning defeat to the New York Yankees--3-2 in 12 innings--the Diamondbacks don’t need any more hitters or pitchers.

They need St. Patrick.

And they need him to drive out the boss snake, now, before the greatness of this series is overshadowed by the embarrassment of his decisions.

Or maybe give him three days’ rest?

That way, the veteran team could manage itself through this weekend, when consecutive victories at home are required to overcome the overcoming Yankees and their sudden three games-to-two lead.

That way, maybe reliever Byung-Hyun Kim could also get a day off.

For a second consecutive night Thursday, Kim gave away the victory.

For a second consecutive night, he shouldn’t have been given the chance.

On Wednesday, Kim threw 62 pitches and allowed the game-tying and game-winning home runs.

Which, in the nutty mind of Bob Brenly, earned him 15 more pitches on Thursday.

Which meant Kim was back on the mound to allow the two-out, game-tying, ninth-inning blast to Scott Brosius.

Another hanging pitch. Another soaring fly ball. Another helpless Diamondback outfielder trying to climb a fence as the ball sailed pver his head.

Another prolonged deafening roar of another amazed crowd.

For the Yankees, this is getting surreal.

For practictioners of old-fashioned baseball sense, this is getting old.

His team qualified for the world’s greatest baseball stage, yet rookie boss Bob Brenly is treating them like little leaguers.

Like he has only one kid who can pitch out of the bullpen..

And like that kid has to pitch every night.

Do you know how much rest the average major league pitcher would receive after throwing 62 pitches under the incredible duress of a World Series game?

Four days.

It seemed like Kim was allowed to rest all of about four hours.

His first pitch to Jorge Posada in the ninth inning was smacked to left field.

His next two pitches, to Shane Spencer, were balls.

Anybody see a trend here?

He eventually retired Spencer on a grounder. Then Chuck Knoblauch took three good foul-ball hacks against him before striking out looking.

Up stepped Brosius.

Ball one.

Then, essentially, ballgame.

Brosius’ blast only tied the score.

But by the dejected look on Kim’s face as he crouched in the front of the mound, and the shocked looked on Brenly’s face as he stared into nowhere, you knew it was over.

Alfonso Soriano’s run-scoring single to right field in the 12th inning only made it official.

The Yankees have once again, against all reasonable thinking, taken control of baseball’s most important week.

While Bob Brenly has surely lost his mind.

“He’s our closer,” Brenly said of Kim, who is now 0-1 with a 13.50 ERA in the series. “I talked to him at length this afternoon ... asked how he was warming up ... and the bullpen coach said his stuff was electric. He is our closer. He wanted the ball in that situation.”

Whoa. Back up.

Brenly talked to Kim at length? That would be a neat trick considering Kim does not speak English.

Ok, so Brenly worked through an interpreter, and Kim’s message was clear.

Even then, no veteran manager should ever believe a haggard guy who claims he still wants the ball.

Has there ever been a young pitcher who, hours before a World Series game, has refused the ball?

Brenly probably didn’t rely on Kim’s courage.

He probably relied on his own fear.

More than likely, Brenly, who has panicked throughout the postseason-see suicide squeeze in division series-simply panicked again.

He used Kim because he didn’t think he had anyone else.

Which sends a message to the rest of the team, a message which could haunt them this weekend.

Here’s a thought:

Why couldn’t Brenly have used left-handed Greg Swindell at least start the ninth inning?

After all, he fooled Tino Martinez into a flyout with runners on first and second in the eighth.

Let Swindell face Jorge Posada to start the inning, considering the switch-hitter is less effective against left-handers. Then bring righty Mike Morgan for the five consecutive right-handers. It could have been that easy.

Here’s another thought:

If Brenly really wanted to go for the Yankee jugular, why not bring in Randy Johnson?

Today was his day to throw on the side, anyway. Johnson said he could give an inning if needed.

“This is not the regular season,” Johnson said. “This is the World Series and adrenaline takes over, and you realize that, you know, the effort that you give may be the difference in the ballgame and you’ve got plenty of time to rest during the off-season.”

So why not give him that chance?

“[Kim] assured me he was fine and wanted to pitch,” Brenly said.

Afterward, Kim said he was still fine.

“I felt fine before,” he said. “I feel fine now.”

In fact, he said he was ready to pitch again this weekend.

“I want to give [Brenly] the chance to give me another challenge,” Kim said.

The same request was once made by the last man to blow two saves in the same World Series. A man who never recovered.

Byung-Hyun Kim, meet Mitch Williams.

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Bill Plaschke can be reached at bill.plaschke@latimes.com