Wade Davis bounces back, Jose Alvarado returns.

June 30, 2019

Colorado Rockies — Wade Davis struck out a pair in a perfect ninth inning yesterday to pick up the save.  Davis threw nine of his twelve pitches for strikes and it was especially encouraging because the game was in Colorado, where he has really struggled this year.   It’s worth noting that Scott Oberg was unavailable on Saturday night.  We will see what the Rockies do next but yesterday’s appearance could allow Davis to hold off Oberg at least for now.

Hierarchy remains: Davis | Oberg | Shaw.

Tampa Bay Rays — Jose Alvarado returned to the mound yesterday, pitching the ninth with the Rays up four.  As expected for a guy who hasn’t pitched in almost a month, it was a mixed bag.  Alvarado’s velocity was there, as he was almost hitting triple digits, but he showed some rust.  We will leave Pagan at the top of the committee for now while Alvarado rounds back into form.

Hierarchy remains: *Pagan | Alvarado | Roe.
* = closer-by-committee

Miami Marlins — Sergio Romo has shown no ill effects from the bruised knee injury he suffered a few days ago as he pitched another scoreless inning yesterday for his 15th save of the season.  With Tayron Guerrero on the IL, Nick Anderson assumed set-up duties and pitched a scoreless 8th.  Behind Anderson, lefties Jose Quijada and Jarlin Garcia should see more time in the later innings.

Updated hierarchy: Romo | Anderson | Quijada.

Atlanta Braves — Luke Jackson recorded his 13th save of the season on Saturday.  Although Jackson has 6 blown saves this season, his overall numbers are good, especially in his last 16 appearances.  The Braves are playing really well and Jackson should continue to be a good source of saves.

Hierarchy remains: Jackson | Swarzak | Minter.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Scott Oberg – Wade Davis has pitched in three of four, and four of six.
2. Jose Quijada – Sergio Romo and Nick Anderson have both pitched in three straight
3. Hector Rondon – Roberto Osuna and Ryan Pressley have both pitched in back-to-back games.

Monday
1. Jeremy Jeffress – If Josh Hader pitches on Sunday, it will be two straight and three of four.

Wade Davis is no Fernando Rodney right now

June 29, 2019

Colorado Rockies — After Thursday’s brutal outing, Bud Black has said that the Rockies are “contemplating a few things” with regards to Wade Davis’ role in the bullpen, specifically pointing to his walk rate as a concern. Meanwhile, Scott Oberg’s excellent year continued last night, as he pitched a scoreless ninth in a four-run game. It is possible that Davis still has the closer’s role, as he would have been unavailable yesterday after having pitched in back-to-back games and three of the last four. We told you yesterday that Scott Oberg was a good speculative add; today he looks like a must get, although he is likely unavailable today after pitching three in a row and five of the last six. 

Hierarchy remains: Davis | Oberg | Shaw.

Cincinnati Reds — Michael Lorenzen came on with one out in the eighth inning last night and stuck around for all five of the remaining outs to lock up his fifth save on the year. This is the third straight Reds save for Lorenzen, and while the previous two featured Raisel Iglesias coming into a high-leverage spot, Iglesias was not used last night at all. While we don’t expect the Reds to completely abandon Iglesias as a closing option, Lorenzen has become the best choice to own for the Reds. 

Updated hierarchy: *Lorenzen | Iglesias | Garrett.
* = closer-by-committee

Tampa Bay Rays — Jose Alvarado has rejoined the team after being reinstated from the bereavement list. Alvarado had returned home to care for his mother in Venezuela, and had been working his way back into game shape over the past week. Alvarado, who Kevin Cash said is in a good spot, was the clear first choice for Tampa when he was available, but Emilio Pagan has done well enough to hold the top spot in the committee for now.

Hierarchy remains: *Pagan | Alvarado | Roe.
* = closer-by-committee

Washington Nationals — Fernando Rodney heard about our Twitter thread and set out to prove all his haters wrong. With Sean Doolittle and Wander Suero both coming off back-to-back games, the Nationals turned to Fernando Rodney to close out the ninth inning with a two-run lead. Rodney slammed the door for his first save of the year. One reason why Rodney drew such widespread ire is that with his save last night, he joins Goose Gossage and Octavio Dotel as the only players to have saves (and presumably blown saves) with nine different teams. At 42, Rodney’s best days are behind him, but last night’s usage and Dave Martinez’s postgame comments suggests he will be in line for save chances in Washington when Doolittle and Suero are both unavailable. Welcome to another hierarchy, Fernando!

Updated hierarchy: Doolittle | Suero | Rodney.

Miami Marlins — The day after leaving a game with a bruised knee, Sergio Romo pitched a scoreless ninth inning in a four-run game. This wasn’t a save situation, but it was certainly a relief for Romo owners to see him right back in the mix. 

Hierarchy remains: Romo | Guerrero | Anderson.

San Diego Padres — With a one-run lead in the seventh inning, the Padres gave the ball to Luis Perdomo. He pitched a clean inning to record his third hold in his last four appearances. Perdomo has allowed just one run in June and is riding a nine-game scoreless streak. While Trey Wingenter hasn’t been bad, Perdomo has been getting the higher-leverage looks lately. 

Updated hierarchy: Yates | Stammen | Perdomo.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today:
1. Austin Brice — Sergio Romo has pitched in back-to-back games and is coming off an injury scare on Thursday. Tayron Guerrero just hit the IL and Nick Anderson has gone in two straight. Brice and Jose Quijada are the next guys up.

Sunday:
1. Kelvin Herrera — Today would be back-to-back and three of four for Alex Colome.
2. Seth Lugo — Edwin Diaz was rested last night, but he threw 34 pitches on Thursday, so another long outing today could earn him another day off Sunday. 
3. JD Hammer — Hector Neris was also rested yesterday, but that was after three straight days of work.
4. Kyle Crick — Felipe Vazquez threw 25 pitches over two innings last night, so another long outing could make him unavailable on Sunday.
5. Tony Watson — Will Smith tossed 34 pitches last night. Another appearance would likely keep him out Sunday. 

Injury scare for Sergio Romo; Wade Davis and Edwin Diaz struggle

June 28, 2019

Miami Marlins — Pitching for the first time in six days, Sergio Romo had to be removed from Thursday’s game with a knee bruise after colliding with Trea Turner. He limped off the field and was in obvious pain, but the Marlins think he’ll be fine. Still, this situation is worth monitoring.

Hierarchy remains: Romo | Guerrero | Anderson.

Colorado Rockies — It was a rough night for Wade Davis, who entered a tie game in the ninth and allowed four runs on an RBI single and a three-run blast. Davis now has a 6.00 ERA and a 1.83 WHIP. Yuck! Stash Scott Oberg if you haven’t already. For what it’s worth, manager Bud Black pointed to Davis’s resume and suggested that he’ll be fine.

Hierarchy remains: Davis | Oberg | Shaw.

Chicago Cubs — Craig Kimbrel was activated and thrust right into duty in the ninth on Thursday. He showed signs of rust, allowing a hit and a walk, but did record a strikeout. He got Freddie Freeman, the go-ahead run, to ground out with two men on to end it. Steve Cishek was used in the sixth inning, followed by Brandon Kintzler and Pedro Strop. We’ll keep an eye on Cishek and Kintzler, who are basically splitting the second-in-line job.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Strop | Cishek.

New York Mets — Edwin Diaz allowed five runs on two home runs in a rough blown save Thursday. He has allowed nine runs in his last five appearances, ballooning his ERA to an unpleasant 4.94 and sending the Sports Pope into a frenzy. Diaz has been a bit unlucky, as his swinging-strike rate is about as good as it was last year (18.2%), and his xFIP (2.65) and SIERA (2.36) look strong. With these last two homers allowed, though, he’s already matched last year’s total (five).

Hierarchy remains: Diaz | Lugo | Gsellman.

Oakland A’s — Blake Treinen threw 20 pitches from flat ground on Thursday, a step in the right direction. He’ll have an off day Friday with a bullpen session planned in the near future. 

Hierarchy remains: Hendriks | Trivino | Soria.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today:
1. JD Hammer — Hector Neris has pitched in three straight, including a stressful outing Thursday, when he blew a save chance.
2. Seth Lugo — Edwin Diaz has gone in two straight and threw 34 pitches in a blown save Thursday.
3. Pedro Baez/Julio Urias — Kenley Jansen has pitched in two of three, three of five and four of six. He has thrown 45 pitches over his last two outings. Pedro Baez has had the same workload (two of three, etc.), but the pitch count is lower, at 23 pitches, over the last two appearances. 
4. Scott Oberg — Manager Bud Black confirmed that Wade Davis, who has pitched in three of four, including Thursday’s disastrous outing, will not be available Friday.
5. Tayron Guerrero — Sergio Romo probably gets today off.

Saturday:
1. Blake Parker/Trevor May — Taylor Rogers, Parker, and May have each pitched in two straight entering Friday. After an 18-inning game Thursday, they might all be available for Friday’s game, but anyone who pitches will certainly be held out of action on Saturday.
2. Jose Alvarado — The Rays used an opener to begin what became an 18-inning game Tuesday, so there are a bunch of tired arms in the bullpen. Emilio Pagan is among them, having gone in two straight entering Friday. Should he pitch in a third straight day, could Tampa Bay activate Jose Alvarado for use on Saturday? He’s been back in the States for a while and threw bullpen sessions two straight days earlier this week. 
3. Wander Suero/Tanner Rainey — Entering Friday, Sean Doolittle has gone in two straight, throwing just 21 pitches. Wander Suero has also pitched in two straight, so if he and Doolittle can’t go on Saturday, the save chance could fall to Tanner Rainey, or — *fingers crossed* — 42-year-old Fernando Rodney!

Craig Kimbrel is a closer again

June 27, 2019

Chicago Cubs — At long last, Craig Kimbrel will join a major league roster today. Kimbrel will be activated before this afternoon’s game against his old friends from Atlanta, and should immediately take over the ninth for the Cubs.

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Strop | Cishek.

Boston Red Sox — Boston leads the league with 16 blown saves, the latest courtesy of Matt Barnes, Jose Abreu, and the Green Monster. With an 8.49 ERA since June 2 and 10 earned runs in appearances on zero days’ rest, Barnes is making the case for the team to trade for a closer. Alex Cora pointed to the time off surrounding this weekend’s London series as an opportunity to reset the bullpen, but three days of rest and the return of Steven Wright and Heath Hembree won’t solve the problem. Five weeks remain until the trade deadline.

Hierarchy remains: *Barnes | Workman | Brasier.
* = closer-by-committee

Los Angeles Dodgers — The MLB-leading Dodgers are considering an upgrade to one of their few weak spots, kicking the tires on two premier closers: divisional rival Will Smith and Pirates stalwart Felipe Vazquez. Kenley Jansen is as unhittable as ever (.192 BAA, 12.0 K/9), but the middle innings have been sketchy — and as the Yankees have shown recently, a contender can never have too many lights-out relievers.

Hierarchy remains: Jansen | Baez | Urias.

New York Yankees — Zack Britton got another save chance to spare Aroldis Chapman a third straight day of work. Britton blew the save, but because Alexander Cartwright made it very clear in 1845 that YOU CAN NEVER USE YOUR CLOSER IN A TIE GAME ON THE ROAD, the Blue Jays turned to Nick King Ham and his 9+ ERA instead of Ken Giles, handing Britton a vulture win.

Hierarchy remains: Chapman | Britton | Ottavino.

Cincinnati Reds — Raisel Iglesias gave up four runs in a tie game to earn his seventh loss and worsen his woes in non-save situations (5.71 ERA). Counterintuitively, this sort of performance might ultimately strengthen his hold on the Reds’ closer job if it dampens trade interest.

Hierarchy remains: *Iglesias | Lorenzen | Garrett.
* = closer-by-committee

Atlanta Braves — Luke Jackson and Anthony Swarzak had each pitched in three of the last four games, giving A.J. Minter his first chance at a save in two months. Minter set down four Cubs (two by strikeout) to earn his fourth save, and Jackson should probably be nervous.

Hierarchy remains: Jackson | Swarzak | Minter.

San Diego Padres — Craig Stammen got the last out of the eighth with the bases loaded and a five-run lead, and that qualified him for a save when he finished up the ninth.

Hierarchy remains: Yates | Stammen | Wingenter.

Oakland A’s — Liam Hendriks earned his second save in Blake Treinen’s absence, and Joakim Soria helped him get there, pitching a clean eighth in a two-run game.

Updated hierarchy: Hendriks | Trivino | Soria.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today:
1. Lou Trivino — Two straight for Liam Hendriks (44 pitches).
2. JD Hammer/Juan Nicasio — Hector Neris has also pitched in two straight.
3. Anthony Bass — Roenis Elias needed 32 pitches to get a two-inning save.

Friday:
1. Scott Oberg/Bryan Shaw — If Wade Davis appears Thursday, it will be three of four, and Oberg has already gone in three of four.

Carlos Martinez to close for the Cardinals

June 26, 2019

St. Louis Cardinals – When the news that Jordan Hicks tore his UCL came out, we initially liked Carlos Martinez to be the closer. We moved John Gant ahead of Martinez based on comments from John Mozeliak, but now Mozeliak has changed course after talking with Mike Shildt and said yesterday that Martinez will be the team’s closer. We’ll keep monitoring this situation, but Martinez looks to be the reliever to own in St. Louis.

Updated hierarchy: *Martinez | Gant | Miller.
* = closer-by-committee

Chicago Cubs — Craig Kimbrel struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth inning for Triple-A Iowa last night in what should be his last minor-league outing. Kimbrel is expected to join the Cubs’ bullpen by Thursday or Friday. Joe Maddon said that he doesn’t plan to use Kimbrel for more than three-out save situations until the end of the season when there are more serious playoff implications.

Hierarchy remains: *Strop | Cishek | Kintzler.
* = closer-by-committee

Boston Red Sox — Matt Barnes struck out two in a solid seventh inning, preserving a three-run lead against the 9-1-2 hitters. Ryan Brasier and Brandon Workman pitched the eighth and the ninth, respectively, with Workman earning his third save of the season. Alex Cora has said that he doesn’t want Barnes facing an opponent’s best hitters every single game, and Tuesday seemed like a good spot to give him a high-leverage inning without any of the fuss. Workman and Barnes remain the two best options to pick up saves among the Red Sox bullpen.

Hierarchy remains: *Barnes | Workman | Brasier.
* = closer-by-committee

Washington Nationals — Yesterday we asked our Twitter followers to tell us who their favorite terrible closer of all-time is. Fernando Rodney, one of the most popular answers to that question, made his Nationals debut on Tuesday and pitched the ninth inning of a 5-1 victory. Rodney walked one, struck out one and induced a game-ending double play in his first MLB outing in over a month. Dave Martinez said that Rodney and fellow newcomer Jonny Venters will see some high-leverage situations, so we’ll keep an eye on how Rodney in particular performs with his new club.

Hierarchy remains: Doolittle | Suero | Rainey.

Philadelphia Phillies — Juan Nicasio needed some help from Hector Neris last night, but he got out of the eighth inning unscathed to continue his scoreless month of June. Nicasio hasn’t allowed a run in nine appearances (7.2 IP) this month and should continue to see high-leverage spots along with Adam Morgan and JD Hammer. Morgan bounced back from a rough return to action on Saturday with a scoreless seventh inning last night.

Updated hierarchy: Neris | Hammer | Nicasio.

Los Angeles Angels — Noe Ramirez struggled last month, culminating in a four-hit, five-run disaster on May 23. Since then, Ramirez has thrown 16.1 scoreless innings in a row and struck out 21 batters in that span. That includes three Ks over 1.2 innings of work last night in a 5-1 win. Ramirez probably isn’t ahead of Cam Bedrosian right now, but he’s certainly pitching his way into the late-inning conversation for the Angels.

Hierarchy remains: Robles | Buttrey | Bedrosian.

San Francisco Giants – Sam Dyson earned his second seventh-inning hold in his last three appearances on Tuesday. Dyson has recorded six holds in June and has become a part of the Giants’ late-inning plans. Reyes Moronta is striking out hitters at an impressive rate and has been outstanding in June, not allowing a run in 7.1 IP this month. Both Moronta and closer Will Smith will be popular trade targets for contenders, which should open the door for Dyson and Tony Watson to see more high-leverage opportunities when the dust settles.

Hierarchy remains: Smith | Watson | Moronta.

Kansas City Royals – While it wasn’t a traditional vulture save, Ian Kennedy sure did steal a save last night after Brad Hand allowed five runs and recorded zero outs in last night’s ninth inning, proving he’s human after all. If only Terry Francona read our Vulture Save Watch and save Tyler Clippard for the ninth. If you had Ian Kennedy in your lineup, congrats on the unlikely save!

Hierarchy remains: Kennedy | Peralta | Diekman.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Nick Wittgren – We thought Brad Hand would get yesterday off, but didn’t and that was probably a mistake as he noted above. After last night, Hand has gone in two straight and five of six. Wittgren pitched two innings on Monday and rested yesterday, while Tyler Clippard threw 1.1 innings last night and has thrown 36 pitches over the last two days.
2. Pedro Baez – Kenley Jansen has pitched in three of four, as has Baez. The Dodgers play on Thursday as well and Julio Urias threw 40 pitches over three innings of work last night, so either Baez or Jansen is likely to get one of the next two days off. It’s just a matter of who gets rested when.
3. Zack Britton – Aroldis Chapman has thrown 25 pitches in each of the last two games.

Tomorrow
1. Cam Bedrosian – If Hansel Robles and Ty Buttrey pitch today then that will be two straight and three of four for each of them.
2. Pedro Baez – Should Kenley Jansen pitch today, it’s very likely he’ll rest on Thursday.
3. Lou Trivino – Liam Hendriks tossed 24 pitches last night and may need Thursday off if he has another lengthy outing tonight.
4. JD Hammer – Hector Neris is in the same boat as Hendriks, as Neris threw 25 pitches in 1.1 inning of work on Tuesday.