Wednesday’s slate featured five reliever wins, nine saves, and six losses, plus three blown saves. Here are the saves in condensed form:
There have been 378 saves this season, by 132 different pitchers.
As for the vulture options during today’s slate:
Vulture Save Options for 5.21.2026
- Tyler Rogers (TOR): Varland has appeared in back-to-back games.
- Hunter Gaddis (CLE): Smith, “The Big” Sabrowski, and Holderman have all worked in consecutive contests.
- Juan Mejia (COL): Recent usage patterns imply he’s the preferred option, which puts him in play tonight against Arizona.
Vulture Save Stashes for 5.22.2026
- Will Vest (DET): If Jansen and Finnegan pitch today, it will be back-to-back appearances.
- Juan Morillo (ARI): If Sewald gets a save chance tonight, he will have worked in consecutive contests.
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Putting the finishing touch on a sweep of the Giants, Paul Sewald shut the door on his 11th save with a clean top of the ninth while striking out one. He threw 13 pitches (8 strikes – 61.5 Strike%) and induced one whiff.
Through seven appearances this month, he has converted four of five save opportunities while recording a 0.948 WHIP with seven strikeouts versus three walks (15.4 K-BB%) over 6.1 innings. In 2026, he’s posted a 0.865 WHIP with 20 strikeouts versus six walks (20.6 K-BB%) and a 11.5 percent swinging strike rate. He gets by with guile and command, though there will be occasional dustups, illustrated by multiple runs against in three of his 20 appearances. However, as long as he’s getting saves, fantasy managers will absorb risk.
- Brandon Pfaadt notched his first hold, retiring the side in the eighth.
- Taylor Clarke stranded a runner and retired his only batter in the seventh, securing his tenth hold.
- Brandyn Garcia allowed a walk during his two-thirds of the seventh for his second hold.
Hierarchy Remains: Paul Sewald | Juan Morillo | Taylor Clarke
Three Takeaways
Yates is the closer? With a one-run lead at the top of the ninth, Kurt Suzuki summoned veteran reliever Kirby Yates. He suffered his first blown save, giving up a game-tying solo home run by Jeff McNeil at the top of the ninth. He also issued a walk, hit a batter, and recorded a strikeout during two-thirds of the inning, throwing 20 pitches (60 Strike%) with two whiffs. First, his illustrator:
And, his results:
He’s working with reduced velocity, but this note from Jeff Fletcher’s post reveals Suzuki’s comments about the grizzled veteran:
Opportunity is half the battle this year, mining saves from the waiver wire, but fantasy players should take a wait-and-see approach if they roster him. Velocity charts do not lie:
Stay tuned, but this bullpen remains messy. Also from this contest, Chase Silseth let the “courtesy runner” score on Tyler Soderstrom’s one-out RBI single and issued an intentional walk while striking out two, resulting in his first loss during the top of the tenth. Tayler Saucedo stranded two runners and retired his only batter in the ninth. Sam Bachman tossed 1.2 scoreless frames, giving up a hit and striking out one for his eighth hold. Ryan Zeferjahn entered at the top of the seventh, allowing an eventual earned run after hitting two batters and recording one out, getting credit for his third hold. This usage pattern implies that roles are fluid again for this leverage ladder.
Updated Hierarchy: Kirby Yates | Ryan Zeferjahn | Sam Bachman
Has Schaefer shuffled his leverage roles? A common mistake by a first-year manager is over-managing a save opportunity. Representing a prime example, with a one-run lead, Warren Schaefer summoned Brennan Bernardino to face the 9-1-2 lineup pocket, lining up against Joc Pederson. He retired pinch-hitter Danny Jansen via strikeout, but Pederson reached on catcher interference, followed by consecutive singles, prompting his removal. Juan Mejia took over and let two of three inherited runners score on a passed ball and Josh Jung’s RBI single against a drawn-in infield, suffering his first blown save. Bernardino was charged with his second loss while getting credited with his third hold, allowing two hits and two unearned runs during one-third of the ninth. Antonio Senzatela logged two scoreless frames, scattering two hits and striking out one for his second hold, but was removed after only 21 pitches despite averaging 29 per outing this season. Jaden Hill gave up a hit during 1.1 scoreless innings and stranded three runners at the top of the fifth. This usage pattern implies that Mejia has emerged as the preferred save-share, so why not let him open the ninth? Or leave Senzatela in the game for the ninth? Of course, the game is easy from my couch.
Updated Hierarchy: Juan Mejia | Jaden Hill | Antonio Senzatela
Hinch goes all in, and still lost: Even though A.J. Hinch treated this game like a postseason one, it ended in a loss.
Tyler Holton took over at the top of the tenth against Cleveland’s top of the lineup and suffered his fourth loss, giving up a leadoff RBI triple by Angel Martínez, followed by José Ramírez’s RBI double. He finished with two hits, two runs (one earned), and a strikeout. Will Vest was charged with his second blown save during the top of the ninth. He allowed a leadoff single by Daniel Schneeman, followed by Travis Bazzana’s single, a sacrifice bunt, and Patrick Bailey’s RBI groundout, scoring the game-tying run. Vest’s struggles against left-handed hitters this year continued in this game. He has a .343 weighted on-base average against them this year, with a 1.91 WHIP and a 13.9 percent walk rate.
Kenley Jansen matched up against the top of the lineup, working around Chase DeLauter’s two-out walk with an inning-ending strikeout for his eighth hold during the eighth inning, throwing 18 pitches (11 strikes – 61.1 Strike%) with three whiffs (16.7 SwStr%). Brant Hurter logged 1.1 scoreless frames while walking one. Kyle Finnegan stranded two runners at the top of the fifth and navigated around two hits while striking out one across a scoreless combined inning, facing the top of Cleveland’s lineup.
Hierarchy Remains: Kenley Jansen | Will Vest | Kyle Finnegan
American League
Baltimore Orioles
Tyler Wells worked a clean bottom of the seventh for his sixth hold. Anthony Nunez had a rare meltdown, allowing three hits, four earned runs, and a walk during two-thirds of the eighth, resulting in his first loss and a second blown save. Rico Garcia took over with two runners on and two outs, but let both score on Richie Palacios’ RBI single, followed by another run scoring on a double steal, before he induced an inning-ending lineout to shortstop.
Hierarchy Remains: Rico Garcia | Anthony Nunez | Yennier Cano
Boston Red Sox
Capping his team’s come-from-behind rally, Aroldis Chapman worked around Starling Marte’s leadoff single at the bottom of the ninth by retiring the next three hitters, one via strikeout, for his 12th save of the season. He threw 16 pitches (62.5 Strike%) and induced two whiffs (12.5 SwStr%) while facing the 7-8-9-1 batters in Kansas City. Since April 7, he’s produced a 14-game scoreless streak during which he has converted all ten save chances with a 0.878 WHIP with 20 strikeouts versus six walks (26.4 K-BB%) across 13.2 innings.
- Jovani Móran stranded a runner while striking out his only batter in the eighth for his first hold.
- Greg Weissert tossed 1.1 scoreless frames, yielding a hit and striking out two, securing his fourth hold.
Hierarchy Remains: Aroldis Chapman | Garrett Whitlock | Justin Slaten
Cleveland Guardians
Although he let the “courtesy runner” score, Cade Smith closed out a win during the bottom of the tenth in Detroit, securing his MLB-leading 16th save. His outing began with Zach McKinstry’s leadoff RBI single before retiring the next three batters, one via strikeout. He threw 14 pitches (71.4 Strike%) and produced two whiffs (14.3 SwStr%). This marked his 23rd appearance this season, during which he has posted a 1.141 WHIP with 35 strikeouts versus five walks (31.3 K-BB%) through 23.2 innings.
- Colin Holderman stranded two runners while striking out both batters in the ninth. He was awarded his second win as a result.
- Erik Sabrowski recorded a strikeout but issued two walks at the bottom of the ninth, prompting his removal.
Hierarchy Remains: Cade Smith | Erik Sabrowski | Colin Holderman
Minnesota Twins
Protecting a three-run margin, Andrew Morris recorded his career-first save, retiring Houston’s 3-4-5 lineup pocket in order and striking out one. He threw ten pitches (80 Strike%) and produced one whiff.
After a rough start to the season, he has been scoreless in eight of his last nine games, posting a 1.091 WHIP with seven strikeouts versus three walks (8.9 K-BB%) across 11 innings. He’s the ninth Twins pitcher with a save this season, but could be intriguing in deep formats.
- Yoendrys Gómez logged two scoreless frames, yielding a hit and striking out five for his second hold. Since being claimed off waivers from the Rays, he has turned in seven scoreless outings with a 0.563 WHIP and six strikeouts versus two walks (20 K-BB%) through 5.1 innings.
Updated Hierarchy: *Yoendrys Gómez | *Luis García | *Andrew Morris
*= closer-by-committee
Seattle Mariners
Forced into action for a third consecutive day, Jose A. Ferrer held on for his third save, working around a leadoff pinch-hit home run by Randal Grichuk by striking out the 2-3-4 hitters in the White Sox lineup. He threw 19 pitches (13 strikes – 68.4 Strike%) and produced three whiffs (15.8 SwStr%).
- Eduard Bazardo allowed two hits, an unearned run, and a walk while striking out one for his ninth hold at the top of the eighth.
- Matt Brash returned from the injured list with a scoreless seventh, giving up a hit and striking out two while collecting his third win.
- Cooper Criswell gave up two hits and recorded a strikeout during a scoreless sixth.
Updated Hierarchy: Andrés Muñoz | Jose A. Ferrer | Matt Brash
Tampa Bay Rays
Capping his team’s four-run rally at the bottom of the eighth, Ian Seymour fired a clean top of the ninth against Baltimore, securing his second save. He threw nine pitches (66.7 Strike%) without a whiff against the top of the lineup. He continues being a Swiss Army knife for the Rays, appearing as an opener and a high-leverage reliever this season. Through 24.1 innings, he’s posted a 1.192 WHIP with 27 strikeouts against eight walks (18.8 K-BB%) with two wins, two saves, and ten holds.
- Jesse Scholtens collected his fifth win, giving up six hits, two earned runs, and a walk while striking out four across four innings as the “bulk follower.”
Hierarchy Remains: Bryan Baker | Ian Seymour | Kevin Kelly
Texas Rangers
Taking over at the bottom of the eighth with his team trailing by one, Jacob Latz collected his second win courtesy of a rally at the top of the ninth. He worked two scoreless frames, yielding a hit and striking out four, preserving a one-run win on the road in Coors Field, throwing 35 pitches (24 strikes – 68.6 Strike%) while generating nine whiffs (25.7 SwStr%).
This marked his first outing in a week and his second two-inning appearance over his last four. On the season, he’s posted a 0.591 WHIP with 21 strikeouts against five walks (15.6 K-BB%) across 23.2 innings.
- Tyler Alexander fired a clean seventh, striking out two.
- Jakob Junis retired the side in the sixth.
Hierarchy Remains: Jacob Latz | Jakob Junis | Chris Martin
The Athletics
Handed a one-run lead at the bottom of the tenth, Hogan Harris navigated around two walks (one intentional – Mike Trout) with a strikeout and two groundouts while recording his fourth save. He threw 14 pitches (8 strikes – 57.1 Strike%) and induced one whiff.
- Scott Barlow collected his first win, retiring the side and striking out one during the bottom of the ninth, keeping the game tied.
- Mark Leiter Jr. tossed a clean eighth, striking out one.
- Luis Medina logged two scoreless frames, yielding a hit and striking out two.
Updated Hierarchy: *Hogan Harris | *Jack Perkins | *Joel Kuhnel
*= closer-by-committee
Toronto Blue Jays
Despite spoiling the shutout, Louis Varland recorded his sixth save, closing out a win over the Yankees. He allowed Cody Bellinger’s one-out double, followed by Jazz Chisolm’s single, and an RBI groundout by Paul Goldschmidt, before a game-ending strikeout. He threw 24 pitches (66.7 Strike%) and induced two whiffs (8.3 SwStr%) while recording two strikeouts. This snapped his 10-game scoreless streak, but he’s posted a 1.169 WHIP with 37 strikeouts against nine walks (27.2 K-BB%) across 25.2 innings this season.
- Tyler Rogers fired a clean eighth and struck out one for his eighth hold.
- Jeff Hoffman stranded two inherited runners and retired both batters in the seventh, securing his sixth hold.
- Mason Fluharty was credited with his sixth hold but allowed two hits during one-third of the seventh.
Hierarchy Remains: Louis Varland | Tyler Rogers | Jeff Hoffman
Quick Hits
- Chicago White Sox: Entering a tied game at the bottom of the fifth, Sean Newcomb allowed two hits, including a go-ahead solo home run, two earned runs, and recorded a strikeout across his two combined innings. He was replaced by Jordan Hicks with a runner on, who scored on Randy Arozarena’s two-run home run, extending the lead. Hicks finished with a hit, an earned run, and retired one batter while Newcomb was tagged with his first loss.
- Kansas City Royals: Working with a one-run lead at the top of the seventh, Steven Cruz suffered his second loss and first blown save, allowing two hits, including a go-ahead two-run home run by Jarren Duran, and retiring two batters.
National League
Cincinnati Reds
Finishing a five-run lead at the bottom of the ninth, Sam Moll allowed Bryson Stott’s two-out double, then recorded a game-ending strikeout against Justin Crawford. Graham Ashcraft notched his ninth hold, retiring the side and striking out one versus the Phillies’ 3-4-5 lineup pocket in the eighth. Connor Phillips tossed a clean seventh, striking out one for his fifth hold. Despite allowing two hits, including a two-run home run by Edmundo Sosa, Brock Burke was credited with his fifth hold during his two-thirds of the sixth.
Hierarchy Remains: Tony Santillan | Graham Ashcraft | Brock Burke
Los Angeles Dodgers
For a second straight night, Will Klein closed out a win against the Padres, this time in a non-save capacity, finishing off a combined shutout with a clean ninth and striking out one. He threw 11 pitches (72.7 Strike%) and produced two whiffs (18.2 SwStr%). Kyle Hurt worked around two hits and struck out one in the eighth for his second hold. Blake Treinen tossed a clean seventh, striking out one for his sixth hold. Edgardo Henriquez secured his second hold, retiring the side and recording a strikeout in the seventh.
Updated Hierarchy: Tanner Scott | Alex Vesia | Will Klein
Pittsburgh Pirates
Yohan Ramírez gave up a hit and a walk while striking out one for his second hold at the bottom of the sixth in St. Louis. Evan Sisk notched his second hold, retiring the side and striking out one in the seventh. Justin Lawrence worked a clean eighth and recorded two strikeouts. Dennis Santana closed out the combined shutout with a clean ninth, striking out one on 11 pitches (10 strikes – 90;9 Strike%) with two whiffs (18.2 SwStr%).
Hierarchy Remains: Gregory Soto | Dennis Santana | Mason Montgomery
Quick Hits
- Chicago Cubs: Getting in work during an eventual shutout loss, Daniel Palencia allowed two hits and a walk while striking out two. He threw 24 pitches (15 strikes – 62.5 Strike%) and produced five whiffs (20.8 SwStr%). He has been scoreless in five of six outings back from the injured list, with only one save while recording a 1.713 WHIP with six strikeouts versus two walks across 4.2 innings.
- Milwaukee Brewers: Completing a combined shutout against the Cubs, DL Hall tossed two innings, giving up a walk and striking out two, throwing 27 pitches (15 strikes – 55.6 Strike%) with four whiffs (14.8 SwStr%).
- Philadelphia Phillies: Things went sideways in this contest, and Orion Kerkering could not thwart a rally at the top of the seventh, letting his only inherited runner score while giving up two hits and an earned run on his ledger while recording two strikeouts. Brad Keller retired the side in the eighth. José Alvarado gave up two hits, including Sal Stewart’s two-run home run at the top of the ninth.
- Washington Nationals: Providing his teammates with much-needed rest, Andrew Alvarez replaced Zack Littell at the top of the sixth and finished the eventual four-run win over the Mets for his first career save. He logged four innings, giving up two hits, inducing a two-run home run by Juan Soto in the eighth, and one walk while striking out five. He threw 56 pitches (38 strikes – 67.9 Strike%) and generated nine whiffs (16.1 SwStr%).
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