July 22, 2016
Los Angeles Dodgers – Adam Liberatore continued his impressive run on Thursday, pitching a clean eighth inning to set things up for closer Kenley Jansen in the ninth. In fact, Liberatore has pitched the eighth inning ahead of Jansen twice this week and has not allowed a run since May 18, when he forked over his only two earned runs allowed this season (0.56 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, nine holds).
Updated hierarchy: Jansen | Liberatore | Blanton.
Boston Red Sox — Converted starter Joe Kelly, currently at Triple-A Pawtucket, could help a beleaguered Red Sox bullpen without Carson Smith, Craig Kimbrel and Koji Uehara for an extended period of time. There’s no word on when Kelly will make it back with the big club, but reinforcements are returning, as Junichi Tazawa will be activated from the disabled list later today. Meanwhile, has anyone seen Clay Buchholz?
Updated hierarchy: Ziegler | Tazawa | Barnes.
Detroit Tigers – As the Vulture Save Watch foresaw, closer Francisco Rodriguez had the night off Thursday, albeit because the game was called after the top of the 7th inning due to rain. We’ll still gloat about it. Shane Greene got the last two outs of the sixth inning, leaving the bases loaded in a 2-1 win. It was his first save since Opening Day, when he closed the door in the 11th after K-Rod allowed three game-tying runs in the ninth.
Hierarchy remains: Rodriguez | J.Wilson | Rondon.
Chicago White Sox — The White Sox are quickly slipping out of contention, and rumors are flying that the team is listening to offers for closer David Robertson, who is owed $29.45 million through the end of the 2018 season. With the deadline less than two weeks away, stay tuned.
Hierarchy remains: Robertson | Jones | Duke.
Major League Baseball — Commissioner Rob Manfred told ESPN’s Mike and Mike Thursday that the league is looking into restricting the number of relievers teams can use in a game or inning, noting that pitching changes “slow the game down.” He added that the relievers are so good that “they actually rob action out of the end of the game.” Furious at the thought of any drastic change to how relief pitchers are implemented, the Closer Monkey was left speechless. He elected to drown his sorrows.
Hierarchy remains: Manfred | Selig | Torre.
VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Jake Barrett/Daniel Hudson, Arizona Diamondbacks — Tyler Clippard is expected to lead this up-in-the-air committee, but theoretically, any one of these three could pick up the next save chance.
2. Adam Ottavino, Colorado Rockies — Carlos Estevez threw just two pitches Thursday, but he has pitched in three of the last four and could need the night off Friday.
