Two saves in two days for Koda Glover

April 24, 2017

Los Angeles Angels – The Angels took a 1-0 lead to the 8th inning, but Deolis Guerra gave up a go-ahead home run and Brooks Pounders allowed considerably more damage, as the Blue Jays rallied to win 6-2. Blake Parker remains our favorite arm in this bullpen, but he was used rather curiously in this game, striking out the side in the 6th inning. That gives him 15 Ks against only 2 BBs (and 0 HRs allowed) in 9.1 innings this year, but given his early usage, we’ll push Bud Norris to the top of the committee. Lefty Jose Alvarez, who got his second hold of the season on Sunday with a clean 7th, slots in behind them for now.

Updated hierarchy: *Norris | Parker | Alvarez.
* = closer-by-committee

Texas Rangers – Though he only picked up his first save of the season on Sunday, it’s probably safe to remove the asterisk on Matt Bush. Since the Rangers put Sam Dyson on the DL, Bush has pitched the 9th inning three times — twice in tie games, and then last night’s appearance, in which he pitched a clean 9th.

Updated hierarchy: Bush | Jeffress | LeClerc.

Washington Nationals – Sunday marked two saves in two days for Koda Glover, though it’s worth mentioning that he was not tasked with starting the 9th inning on either occasion. Yesterday this actually made his job harder, as Oliver Perez allowed a hit to the only batter he faced, meaning Glover started his outing with nobody out and a man on. But with a three-run lead, Glover closed the door, striking out one batter in the process. Shawn Kelley remains at the top of this committee, having picked up three saves in three outings earlier this week, but the Nationals appear to have two players capable of doing this job.

Hierarchy remains: *Kelley | Glover | Treinen.
* = closer-by-committee

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Jeremy Jeffress – Matt Bush has gone back to back and three of four.

Tuesday
1. Daniel Hudson/Felipe Rivero – Tony Watson pitched Sunday (27 pitches) and Friday (16 pitches).

Bud Norris nabs first Angels save after Cam Bedrosian injury

April 23, 2017

Los Angeles Angels – Cam Bedrosian was placed on the DL yesterday afternoon, and Bud Norris got the first save chance in his absence, converting the opportunity. At least one beat writer thinks this makes Norris the closer going forward, and his successful save makes that a strong possibility. Our choice would still be Blake Parker, though, who was unavailable after throwing 2 innings and 33 pitches on Friday night. We’ll see how things shake out.

Updated hierarchy: *Parker | Norris | Yates.
* = closer-by-committee

St. Louis Cardinals – Matt Bowman picked up his 5th hold of the season on Saturday, pitching a scoreless 7th. Until Kevin Siegrist can get the kinks ironed out (10 BBs in 6.1 IPs so far), Bowman will continue to get late inning looks.

Updated hierarchy: Oh | Rosenthal | Bowman.

Chicago White Sox – Dan Jennings hasn’t gotten a hold yet this season, and pitched the 5th inning yesterday with the White Sox trailing. It’s a little hard to guess how this bullpen would shake out if both David Robertson and set-up man Nate Jones were to go down, but right now we’ll give the edge to Tommy Kahnle, who throws hard and has seen some late-inning work recently.

Updated hierarchy: Robertson | Jones | Kahnle.

Washington Nationals – With Shawn Kelley getting the day off, Koda Glover picked up a one-out save. Hope you’ve been reading your Vulture Save Watch.

Hierarchy remains: Kelley | Glover | Treinen.

Baltimore Orioles – Brad Brach got the day off, so Darren O’Day nailed down his first save of the season. HOPE YOU’VE BEEN READING YOUR VULTURE SAVE WATCH.

Hierarchy remains: Brach | O’Day | Givens.

Oakland A’s – Santiago Casilla and Sean Doolittle both got the night off after pitching back to back games, so Ryan Madson came on for the save chance, striking out the side in the 9th. HOPE YOU’VE BEEN oh wait we missed this one. Nomonkey’s perfect.

Hierarchy remains: *Casilla | Doolittle | Madson.
* = closer-by-committee

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Trevor Rosenthal – Seung Hwan Oh has pitched in two straight.

Monday
1. Ryan Buchter – Brandon Maurer pitched yesterday, Thursday, and Wednesday.

Blake Parker and Bud Norris could split save chances with Cam Bedrosian out

April 22, 2017

Los Angeles Angels — The nightmare continues for the Angels’ bullpen. Now it’s Cam Bedrosian hitting the DL with a right groin strain. Who will close with Bedrosian, Huston Street, and Andrew Bailey (and Mike Morin) all sidelined? Well, tonight, it might well be Bud Norris, but Blake Parker probably has the best shot going forward. We’ll put newly promoted Kirby Yates at the back of this hierarchy, but it could also be Deolis Guerra, or Yusmeiro Petit, or you, if you give Billy Eppler a call. Dude needs arms.

Updated hierarchy: *Parker | Norris | Yates.
* = closer-by-committee

Santiago Casilla grabs another Oakland save

April 22, 2017

Oakland A’s — For the second night in a row, Santiago Casilla pitched the ninth inning with a lead, this time converting a perfect save opportunity. Bob Melvin described Casilla as “a closer,” hastening to add that he wasn’t the only one Oakland has. Casilla has allowed only one hit in eight innings this year, but Sean Doolittle has also been effective, and shut down the Mariners’ 3-4-5 hitters in the eighth last night. We’ll move Casilla to the head of the committee for now, but either guy could still get chances.

Updated hierarchy: *Casilla | Doolittle | Madson.
* = closer-by-committee

Seattle Mariners — Dan Altavilla was sent down to AAA after giving up three runs on Thursday. This leaves a hole in the back end of Seattle’s bullpen, at least until Steve Cishek returns. Cishek had a passable outing for Tacoma last night and is expected back next week. For now, Mark Rzepczynski is likely to see any emergency save opportunities, especially if the Mariners are facing a lefty-heavy lineup.

Updated hierarchy: Diaz | Vincent | Rzepczynski.

Tampa Bay Rays — Struggling lefty Xavier Cedeno has been moved to the disabled list with mild tightness in his forearm. The cupboard’s getting bare in the Rays bullpen — Brad Boxberger was recently transferred to the 60-day DL and can’t return until early June. Jumbo Diaz and Tommy Hunter will help Danny Farquhar get the ball to Alex Colome.

Updated hierarchy: Colome | Farquhar | Diaz.

Baltimore Orioles — Brad Brach continued his impressive start to the season, picking up his third save with a perfect ninth inning. Zach Britton says he feels good and is ready to start throwing, but there’s no need to rush him back, thanks to Brach. Expect Darren O’Day to get any save opportunity today, though; Brach has pitched three in a row.

Hierarchy remains:  Brach | O’Day | Givens.

Toronto Blue Jays — John Gibbons intended to rest his top three relievers on Friday, but a wild thirteenth inning changed the plan. Up three, Joe Biagini was summoned with the bases loaded and no outs. He didn’t make it easy — giving up a run-scoring single, then hitting Mike Trout rather than letting Mike Trout hit — but in the end, he escaped with the save.

Hierarchy remains: Osuna | Grilli | Biagini.

Los Angeles Dodgers — Sergio Romo’s bases-loaded balk (the first of his major league career) opened the floodgates to a nine-run implosion by one of the highest-paid bullpens in baseball. Romo has been underwhelming, with six walks, six hits, and only four strikeouts over his 5.1 innings (11.81 ERA). He has plenty of time to turn this around, but Pedro Baez could be there to pick up the slack.

Hierarchy remains: Jansen | Romo | Baez.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Darren O’Day — Brad Brach has pitched in three straight.
2. Koda Glover — Shawn Kelley made another appearance last night — two in a row and three out of four for him — so he’ll definitely rest today.
3. Joaquin Benoit/Edubray Ramos — Hector Neris has pitched in two straight and three of four. Benoit has pitched in the same games, but has thrown fewer pitches. If neither can go, expect Ramos to get the longshot vulture save.
4. Addison Reed/Fernando Salas — Jeurys Familia has pitched in back-to-back games, throwing 48 pitches. Addison Reed has thrown 41 pitches over the past four days, leaving Fernando Salas as the best-rested option for the Mets.

Sunday
1. Koji Uehara — Wade Davis has pitched in three of four, but hasn’t thrown many pitches in that span. If Davis gets in today, he’ll get Sunday off.

The Hector Neris era as Phillies closer may be beginning…maybe

April 21, 2017

Philadelphia Phillies – In his seemingly continuous quest to frustrate fantasy team owners, Phillies manager Pete Mackanin opted to use his newly anointed closer Joaquin Benoit in the eighth inning Thursday to face the 4-5-6 hitters, giving likely closer-of-the-future Hector Neris a shot in the ninth. Neris slammed the door shut for his first save of the year. After the game, Mackanin said, “I was going to use Benoit for the time being. It just occurred to me: It’s nice to have two guys who can close. It was a good opportunity for me to use Neris. He came through very well.” Furthermore, he called Benoit and Neris guys he trusts in the late innings, refused to actually name a closer and then refused to call the situation a closer-by-committee. We’ll do Mackanin’s job for him by calling this a committee and sliding Neris to the top — he’s much younger and better than Benoit — though Benoit may get save chances as Mackanin sees fit.

Updated hierarchy: *Neris | Benoit | Ramos.
* = closer-by-committee

Houston Astros – Chris Devenski is off to a blistering start this year for the Astros and manager A.J. Hinch opted to use the reliever to finish the seventh and pitch the eighth and ninth innings, too, with a slim lead. Devenski ran into some trouble in the ninth — and actual closer Ken Giles was warming in the bullpen just in case — but Devenski closed the door for his first save of the year. But why him and not Giles? “I trust him as much as any pitcher I hand the ball to,” Hinch said, citing that his pitcher had such a clean eighth inning that he didn’t want to take him out. “He’s been exceptional.” Writers in Houston are calling Devenski the team’s relief ace — and who could blame them? He now has an astounding 25 strikeouts in 13.1 innings this year, good for a 16.88 K/9 mark. At worst, he’ll be in line for a number of holds and perhaps a few more save opportunities if he keeps this Andrew Miller-like impression going.

Updated hierarchy: Giles | Gregerson | Devenski.

New York Mets — Jeurys Familia returned from his 15-game domestic-violence suspension and tossed a scoreless ninth inning Thursday for the Mets in a 6-4 loss. Manager Terry Collins planned to pitch Familia in a non-save situation Thursday, with the hope he’d return him to the role as early as Friday.

Updated hierarchy: Familia | Reed | Salas.

Washington Nationals — The new Nationals closer committee got off on the right foot Thursday, with Koda Glover nailing down the final two outs of the eighth and Shawn Kelley finishing things off in the ninth for his second save. Expect Kelley to get the bulk of the opportunities, for now.

Hierarchy remains: *Kelley | Glover | Treinen.
* = closer-by-committee

Detroit Tigers — The Tigers’ top relief prospect, Joe Jimenez, is reportedly getting called up from Triple A Friday to take the roster spot of injured infielder Jose Iglesias. The 22-year-old has dominated hitters this year in the minors (10 Ks, 0 ER in 5 appearances) and may factor quickly into the Tigers’ late-inning plans. We’ll see how Brad Ausmus uses him.

Hierarchy remains: Rodriguez | J. Wilson | A. Wilson.

Milwaukee Brewers – As predicted in yesterday’s Vulture Save Watch, Jacob Barnes was called upon in the ninth inning Thursday and finished the job for his first save of the year. Neftali Feliz and Corey Knebel were both unavailable.

Hierarchy remains: Feliz | Knebel | Barnes.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Matt Barnes — Red Sox manager John Farrell opted to use Craig Kimbrel in relief of a dominant Chris Sale in the 9th inning Thursday and Kimbrel blew the save, allowing a tying home run to Kendry Morales. Kimbrel stayed on to pitch the 10th and gather the win, but he threw 30 pitches in the process. If he’s unavailable Friday, Barnes will likely get the opportunity.
2. Corey Knebel — Neftali Feliz has been used a lot lately (three out of four before Thursday, including a nightmare 33-pitch outing Wednesday). He rested Thursday, but if he needs more rest Friday, Knebel could get the call.
3. Ryan Buchter — Brandon Maurer has pitched in two straight and three of the last four days. Assuming he’ll need a rest Friday, Ryan Buchter would slide in if the opportunity presents itself.
4. Koda Glover — Shawn Kelley threw 21 pitches Thursday and the Nationals don’t like using him on back-to-back days, so expect Glover to have a turn.

Saturday
1. Matt Barnes — If Kimbrel pitches again Friday, he’ll likely be out Saturday.
2. Darren O’Day — Brad Brach has gone in two straight games entering today. If he goes again Friday, he certainly won’t be available Saturday, giving O’Day an opportunity.
3. Joaquin Benoit/Edubray Ramos — If Hector Neris pitches again Friday, he likely won’t be available Saturday as that would be three appearances in four days. If Benoit AND Ramos both pitch again Friday, Edubray Ramos could get a look Saturday.