Saturday featured six wins by relievers and seven saves. However, they also suffered seven losses on a slate that included a one-out save and a career first. Here are the saves in condensed form:
| Reliever | Save # | Pitches | Strike% | SwStr% | K:BB | BF |
| Josh Hader | 25 | 24 | 70.8 | 20.8 | 2:0 | 5 |
| Andrés Muñoz | 20 | 10 | 90% | 50 | 2:0 | 3 |
| Ryan Helsley | 17 | 11 | 72.7 | 27.3 | 1:0 | 3 |
| Tommy Kahnle | 9 | 17 | 58.8 | 5.9 | 1:1 | 4 |
| Shawn Armstrong | 3 | 3 | 66.7 | 33.3 | 0:0 | 1 |
| Lake Bachar | 1 | 8 | 62.5 | 0 | 0:0 | 3 |
| Yennier Cano | 1 | 13 | 61.5 | 7.7 | 1:0 | 3 |
For the save streamers:
Vulture Save Options for July 6
- Griffin Jax (MIN): Durán logged two innings while throwing 34 pitches on Saturday.
- Reed Garrett (NYM): Díaz and Stanek have appeared in back-to-back games, three of the last four.
- Yennier Cano (BAL): Bautista, Baker, and Kittredge have all worked in consecutive contests.
- Jacob Webb (TEX): Garcia, Martin, and Armstrong have pitched in back-to-back games. Those seeking multi-innings should target Jacob Latz.
- Sam Bachman (LAA): Jansen and Detmers have pitched on consecutive days.
Vulture Save Stashes for July 7
- Anthony Bender (MIA): If Henriquez pitches today, it will be back-to-back games and three in four days.
- Jordan Romano (PHI): If Strahm and Kerkering are used today, it’s consecutive contests.
Three Takeaways
(1) Garcia and BAbip: Forced into action with the bases loaded and two outs, Shawn Armstrong induced a game-ending fielder’s choice groundout by Xander Bogaerts, resulting in his third save, needing only three pitches (two strikes). Robert Garcia opened the ninth with a three run lead by issuing Martin Maldonado a lead-off walk, a leverage no-no, struck out Fernando Tatis Jr., gave up Jackson Merrill’s single, retried Manny Machado via strikeout, then allowed Luis Arraez’s single, prompting his removal at 25 pitches (68 Strike%) with four whiffs (16 SwStr%), getting credit for his 11th hold. First, his illustrator:
And results:
He has not recorded a save since June 24, a span of five games, during which he has a 1.86 WHIP with seven strikeouts against two walks (25 K-BB%) across 4.1 innings. In these outings, he has a .500 batting average on balls in play. It’s challenging to remain patient with a struggling closer, but his underlying results show he has skill:
His results should improve, but it may be time to bench him in the last scoring period ahead of the All-Star break. For now:
Updated Hierarchy: Robert Garcia | Chris Martin | Shawn Armstrong
(2) Philadelphia’s recent patterns: Entering a tied contest at the top of the sixth, Jordan Romano allowed a hit during a scoreless outing and collected his first win after his teammates plated two runs at the bottom of the frame. Tanner Banks notched his second hold, retiring the side in the seventh. Orion Kerkering faced the 3-4-5-6 Reds’ hitters, allowing a lead-off single by Elly De La Cruz and Austin Hays reached on an error before a double play groundout and an inning-ending groundout, securing his 13th hold. This marks the fifth straight appearance Kerkering has pitched in the eighth inning. Matt Strahm worked a scoreless ninth, yielding a hit and striking out one, sealing a four-run win in a non-save capacity. Since the team removed Romano from the preferred closer role, here are how Kerking and Strahm stack up:
- Kerkering since June 1: 14 games, 1-2 record, two saves, three holds, one blown save, 13 IP, 15:6 K:BB (15.3 K-BB%), 3.54 SIERA, 1.23 WHIP, 10.7 SwStr%, 74.7 percent contact rate allowed
- Strahm since June 1: 12 games, three saves, one hold, one blown save, 12 IP, 12:3 K:BB (18.8 K-BB%), 4.32 SIERA, 1.00 WHIP, 13 SwStr%, 74.7 percent contact rate allowed
The most significant difference has been their inning upon entry since June:
| Reliever | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
| Orion Kerkering | 1 | 2 | 8 | 3 |
| Matt Strahm | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
Which results in:
Updated Hierarchy: *Matt Strahm | *Orion Kerkering | Jordan Romano
*= “floating closer” concept
(3) Clayton McCullough as Lucy Van Pelt: Did the first-year Marlins’ manager pull the football from the fantasy community during Saturday’s win? After working his way back into the leverage “trust tree,” Lake Bachar recorded his first career save, retiring the side against Milwaukee’s 8-9-1 lineup pocket, preserving a two-run lead. He threw eight pitches (62.5 Strike%) without a whiff. This extended his scoreless streak to six games, during which he has recorded two wins and this save across 11.1 scoreless innings. Ronny Henriquez took over a tied game at the top of the eighth and disposed of the 5-6-7 hitters while striking out two on eight pitches (87.5 Strike%) with two whiffs (25 SwStr%).
He collected his fifth win courtesy of a two-run rally at the bottom of the frame. He has emerged as the team’s highest-leveraged reliever. He has been scoreless in ten of his last 11 appearances, posting two wins and converting all four save chances with a 0.841 WHIP while recording 16 strikeouts against two walks (35.9 K-BB%) through 10.2 innings. With Anthony Bender unavailable in this game after appearing in the two previous, this hopefully represents Henriquez being deployed at the highest-leveraged moment, but, just in case:
Updated Hierarchy: *Ronny Henriquez | Calvin Faucher | Anthony Bender
*= highest-leverage reliever and the preferred save share
Monkey Merch
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Here are the remaining leverage events of interest from Saturday.
Closer CliffsNotes
Atlanta Braves – Summoned at the top of the tenth, Rafael Montero allowed Ramón Laureano’s one-out RBI double, intentionally walked Ryan O’Hearn, followed by Jacob Stallings’ two-RBI double, then retired the next two batters, but the damage had been done. He gets tagged with his first loss, giving up two hits, three runs (two earned), and a walk while striking out one.
- Raisel Iglesias worked a scoreless ninth, walking and striking out one.
- Daysbel Hernández logged 1.2 scoreless frames, issuing a walk and striking out four on 27 pitches (16 strikes – 59.3 Strike%) with eight whiffs (29.6 SwStr%).
Hierarchy Remains: *Dylan Lee | *Raisel Iglesias | *Pierce Johnson
*= closer-by-committee
Baltimore Orioles – Presented a three-run lead at the bottom of the tenth, Yennier Cano retired the side and recorded a strikeout against Atlanta’s 7-8-9 lineup pocket for his first save of the season.
Félix Bautista earned his first win, firing a clean bottom of the ninth while striking out two ahead of his team’s three-run rally at the top of the tenth. He threw 13 pitches (10 strikes – 76.9 Strike%) and produced four whiffs (30.8 SwStr%).
He has been scoreless in his last three and has only allowed one earned run across 14 games since May 31.
- Bryan Baker tossed a scoreless eighth, walking one and striking out three.
- Andrew Kittredge retired the side at the bottom of the seventh.
Hierarchy Remains: Félix Bautista | Seranthony Domínguez | Bryan Baker
Detroit Tigers – Completing a combined shutout and his ninth save, Tommy Kahnle issued a two-out walk to Daniel Schneeman, then ended the game on Kyle Manzardo’s strikeout. Kahnle threw 17 pitches (10 strikes – 58.8 Strike%) while recording one whiff. It’s his first save since June 4, and he has been scoreless in his last two outings.
- Brant Hurter worked a clean bottom of the eighth and recorded one strikeout for his third hold.
Hierarchy Remains: Will Vest | Tommy Kahnle | Tyler Holton
Houston Astros – Called upon with two runners on and two outs at the bottom of the eighth, Josh Hader retired pinch-hitter Esteury Ruiz via strikeout. Returning for the ninth, he allowed a lead-off single by Shohei Ohtani, then recorded three consecutive outs against the Dodgers’ 2-3-4 hitters, preserving a two-run lead and locking down his MLB-leading 25th save. He threw 24 pitches (17 strikes – 70.8 Strike%) and generated five whiffs (20.8 SwStr%) while logging 1.1 scoreless frames, giving up a hit and striking out two.
- Bryan Abreu issued a walk and hit a batter while striking out one in two-thirds of the eighth for his 22nd hold.
- Bennett Sousa notched his third hold, yielding a hit and striking out one in the seventh.
Hierarchy Remains: Josh Hader | Bryan Abreu | Bennett Sousa
Los Angeles Angels – Tasked with a tied game at the bottom of the tenth, Ryan Zeferjahn issued Alejandro Kirk an intentional walk, then retired the next three batters. Returning for the 11th, he allowed Nathan Lukes’ lead-off bunt single, retired George Springer, intentionally walked Vlad Guerrero Jr., recorded a strikeout, then gave up Addison Barger’s walk-off RBI single, resulting in his third loss.
- Kenley Jansen fired a clean ninth, striking out the side against Toronto’s 3-4-5 lineup pocket on 13 pitches (10 strikes – 76.9 Strike%) with two whiffs (15.4 SwStr%).
- Reid Detmers navigated around two hits and recorded a strikeout in a scoreless eighth, keeping the game tied.
Hierarchy Remains: Kenley Jansen | Reid Detmers | Ryan Zeferjahn
Minnesota Twins – Benefiting from his team’s walk-off rally, Jhoan Durán collected his fifth win after working two scoreless frames. He allowed two hits and two walks while striking out three, navigating around a runner reaching third with one out at the top of the ninth. He threw 34 pitches (20 strikes – 58.8 Strike%) and produced five whiffs (14.7 SwStr%).
This marked his first multi-inning outing of the season, and he has been scoreless in his last four, posting three saves and this win.
- Griffin Jax issued a walk during a scoreless seventh.
- In his MLB debut, Travis Adams worked as a “bulk reliever,” suffering his first blown save, giving up nine hits, five earned runs, and striking out one over four innings.
Hierarchy Remains: Jhoan Durán | Griffin Jax | Louis Varland
New York Mets – Closing a six-run win over the Yankees, Edwin Díaz tossed a scoreless top of the ninth, giving up DJ LeMahieu’s one-out single, and recorded a strikeout. He threw 18 pitches (66.7 Strike%) and produced two whiffs (11.1 SwStr%).
Over his last 24 games, he has allowed one earned run while posting a 0.75 WHIP with 36 strikeouts versus six walks (33.7 K-BB%) across 24 innings.
- Ryne Stanek gave up a hit, an earned run, and two walks while striking out two in the eighth.
- Chris Devenski secured his first hold, giving up a hit and retiring one batter at the top of the seventh.
- Dicky Lovelady stranded a runner at the top of the sixth and served up Anthony Volpe’s solo home run during a combined inning, recording his second hold.
Hierarchy Remains: Edwin Díaz | Ryne Stanek | Reed Garrett
Seattle Mariners – Locking down his 20th save, Andrés Muñoz fired a clean top of the ninth and recorded two strikeouts, preserving a combined 1-0 win over the Pirates. He threw ten pitches (90 Strike%) and generated five whiffs (50 SwStr%) in a dominant outing.
He has recorded both saves in July without allowing a baserunner and has not allowed an earned run since June 1, posting a 0.822 WHIP with 11 strikeouts versus four walks (24.1 K-BB%) in his last 7.1 innings.
- Matt Brash tossed a scoreless eighth, walking and striking out one for his ninth hold.
Hierarchy Remains: Andrés Muñoz | Matt Brash | Carlos Vargas
St. Louis Cardinals – Capping his team’s rally at the top of the eighth, Ryan Helsley retired the side and recorded a strikeout, preserving the two-run margin while securing his 17th save. He threw 11 pitches (72.7 Strike%) and produced three whiffs (27.3 SwStr%).
He has been scoreless in his last five appearances while converting all four save opportunities with a 0.40 WHIP and five strikeouts (29.4 K-BB%) through five innings.
- JoJo Romero allowed a hit and an unearned run while striking out one at the bottom of the eighth for his 12th hold.
- Steven Matz logged 1.2 innings, allowing Carson Kelly’s solo home run and two walks with three strikeouts. He was awarded his fifth win, following his team’s five-run rally at the top of the eighth.
Hierarchy Remains: Ryan Helsley | Phil Maton | JoJo Romero
Tampa Bay Rays – Entering a tied game at the bottom of the ninth, Garrett Cleavinger issued Byron Buxton a lead-off walk, a leverage no-no, allowed a single by Willi Castro, putting runners at the corners, and suffered his fourth loss on a bunt single, scoring the walk-off run without retiring a batter.
- Edwin Uceta fired a clean eighth and recorded a strikeout.
- Mason Montgomery worked around a hit and a walk while striking out one in a scoreless seventh.
- Kevin Kelly let both inherited runners score and put two earned runs on his ledger, yielding two hits, including Kody Clemens’ three-run home run during his one-third of the sixth.
Hierarchy Remains: Pete Fairbanks |Edwin Uceta | Mason Montgomery
Toronto Blue Jays – Taking over at the top of the tenth, Braydon Fisher worked around Mike Trout’s intentional walk while stranding the “place” runner, and did so once again in the 11th, allowing a walk and striking out one for two scoreless frames. He collected his third win on his team’s walk-off rally at the bottom of the inning.
- Lazaro Estrada had a tremendous debut, logging four innings, giving up two hits and an earned run while striking out four. He threw 47 pitches (33 strikes – 70.2 Strike%) without a whiff.
- Nick Sandlin retired the side in the fifth.
Updated Hierarchy: Jeff Hoffman | Yariel Rodríguez | Chad Green
Quick Hits
- Arizona Diamondbacks: Finishing a six-run win over the Royals, Shelby Miller fired a clean top of the ninth and recorded a strikeout. He threw 11 pitches (63.6 Strike%) and induced one whiff. Kevin Ginkel tossed a scoreless eighth, yielding a hit and striking out one.
- Chicago Cubs: Working on consecutive days, Porter Hodge fired a clean top of the ninth and recorded two strikeouts. Brad Keller suffered his first loss and a third blown save, allowing five hits, including his first two home runs against all season, and five earned runs while striking out one at the top of the eighth.
- Cincinnati Reds: In his return from the injured list, Graham Ashcraft tossed a clean bottom of the seventh and recorded a strikeout on 10 pitches (90 Strike%) with three whiffs.
- San Francisco Giants: Wrapping up a five-run win over the A’s, Spencer Bivens retired the side and recorded two strikeouts at the bottom of the ninth. Tyler Rogers worked a clean eighth. Randy Rodríguez stranded both inherited runners during the seventh, inducing an inning-ending pop-out by Jacob Wilson.
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