Monday’s eight-game slate resulted in four reliever wins, though one was accompanied by a blown save (Keegan Akin) and three saves while suffering three losses. Here are the saves in condensed form:
| Reliever | Save # | Pitches | Strike% | SwStr% | K:BB | BF |
| Jeff Hoffman | 19 | 22 | 72.7 | 22.7 | 1:0 | 4 |
| Mason Miller | 16 | 8 | 75 | 25 | 1:0 | 3 |
| Shelby Miller | 10 | 15 | 66.7 | 6.7 | 2:0 | 4 |
For the save streamers:
Vulture Save Options for July 1
- Yariel Rodríguez (TOR): Hoffman has appeared in consecutive contests.
- Bryan Baker (BAL): Bautista has pitched in back-to-back games.
- Luke Jackson (TEX): He aligns for the save chance, if provided, but this leverage ladder has incurred heavy use in four straight extra-inning contests.
Vulture Save Stash for July 2
- Kevin Ginkel (ARI): If Shelby Miller pitches tonight, it will be back-to-back games and three in four days.
Hierarchy Change: Boston Red Sox
Jordan Hicks made his team debut, firing a clean eighth and striking out one on 10 pitches (70 Strike%) without a whiff.
He’s capable of more velocity as a reliever, but he still landed on Statcast’s leaderboard:
Hicks returns as a leverage reliever, not a starter as a result of his trade from the Giants, covered in this post by Ian Browne for MLB.com:
He did not throw a slider or sweeper in his team debut, but with Aroldis Chapman a pending free agent at the end of the season, he could be a closer for hire ahead of the trade deadline, depending on how the Red Sox reside in the standings. Here are the playoff odds for the American League East from Fangraphs:
Alex Cora prefers having Garrett Whitlock as a multi-inning weapon shortening games and Hicks pitched the eighth while Greg Weissert was in the seventh, making him an intriguing save stash for teams with the roster space. He can also record ancillary saves as the high-leverage right-handed complement to Chapman.
Updated Hierarchy: Aroldis Chapman | Jordan Hicks | Greg Weissert
Here are the remaining leverage events of interest from Monday.
Closer CliffsNotes
Arizona Diamondbacks – Called upon with a runner at second and two outs at the bottom of the eighth, Shelby Miller retired all four batters and recorded two strikeouts for his tenth save. He threw 15 pitches (66.7 Strike%) and induced one whiff while securing the first four-out save of his career.
He finished June with a loss while converting five of seven save chances, posting a 0.769 WHIP with 15 strikeouts against one walk (33.3 K-BB%) across 11.2 innings.
- John Curtiss was awarded his first win, despite giving up a hit and striking out one during two-thirds of the eighth.
- Juan Morillo suffered his first blown save, letting both inherited runners score on Tyler Fitzgerald’s double and retiring one during the seventh.
Hierarchy Remains: Shelby Miller | Jalen Beeks | Kevin Ginkel
Baltimore Orioles – Closing a four-run win at the bottom of the 11th, Andrew Kittredge retired the side and recorded a strikeout.
Keegan Akin was handed a three-run lead in the tenth, but allowed two hits, including Adolis García’s game-tying three-run home run, resulting in his third blown save. However, he was credited with his third win following his teammates’ four-run rally during the 11th.
Félix Bautista worked around a one-out walk and two stolen bases by a pinch-runner with a strikeout, followed by an inning-ending groundout, preserving the tie at the bottom of the ninth. He threw 17 pitches (10 strikes – 58.8 Strike%) and produced five whiffs (29.4 SwStr%).
One notices he did not throw his split-finger fastball, which has produced a 26.6 swinging strike percentage this season, being used over 28 percent of his pitches. In fact, he has not thrown one over his appearances on Sunday or last night:
Hopefully, he regains his feel for the pitch in a side session, but this should be monitored in his upcoming outings.
- Bryan Baker navigated around two hits with three strikeouts for a scoreless eighth.
- Seranthony Domínguez allowed an unearned run on a walk and recorded three strikeouts across 1.2 innings during his second blown save.
Hierarchy Remains: Félix Bautista | Seranthony Domínguez | Bryan Baker
Tampa Bay Rays – With the score tied at the top of the ninth, Pete Fairbanks gave up consecutive singles, putting runners on the corners versus the A’s 7-8 hitters before recording a strikeout. However, a pinch-runner entered and stole second ahead of Lawrence Butler’s two-RBI triple, before a fielder’s choice groundout and a picked-off runner ended the inning. Fairbanks was tagged with his second loss, giving up three hits and two earned runs while striking out one on 19 pitches (16 strikes – 84.2 Strike%) with three whiffs (15.8 SwStr%). His illustrator:
And his results:
This snapped his four-game scoreless streak. He finished June with this loss while converting five of six save chances, posting a 1.00 WHIP with five strikeouts versus two walks (7.5 K-BB%) through ten innings.
- Garrett Cleavinger retired the side and recorded a strikeout in the eighth.
- Edwin Uceta fired two clean frames, striking out four.
- Mason Montgomery stranded two runners despite issuing a walk and retiring one at the top of the fifth.
Hierarchy Remains: Pete Fairbanks |Edwin Uceta | Mason Montgomery
Texas Rangers – A franchise-tying fourth consecutive extra-inning game has this leverage ladder running on fumes. Hoby Milner suffered his second loss, giving up three hits, four runs (three earned), and two walks at the top of the 11th. He entered this outing having allowed three earned runs across his previous 19 games.
- Shawn Armstrong allowed a solo home run and recorded a strikeout during the tenth.
- Robert Garcia worked a scoreless ninth, then faced Gunnar Henderson at the top of the tenth, allowing a home run, putting two runs (one earned) on his ledger during his combined inning while striking out two.
- Chris Martin worked a scoreless eighth, yielding a hit.
- Jacob Webb tossed a scoreless seventh, giving up a hit and striking out three.
Hierarchy Remains: Robert Garcia | Luke Jackson | Chris Martin
Toronto Blue Jays – Taking over with a one-run lead against the Yankees’ 8-9-1 hitters, Jeff Hoffman retired the first two batters, allowed Jasson Domínguez’s two-out single, and induced a game-ending flyout by Cody Bellinger, securing his 19th save. He threw 22 pitches (16 strikes – 72.7 Strike%) and produced five whiffs (22.7 SwStr%) while striking out one.
He finished June with two wins and six saves in seven chances, posting a 0.90 WHIP while recording 13 strikeouts against three walks (25 K-BB%) through ten innings.
- Chad Green stranded a runner, issued a walk, and retired two batters at the top of the eighth for his fifth hold.
- Mason Fluharty was credited with his fifth hold despite giving up Bellinger’s solo home run and an intentional walk, recording one out in the eighth.
- Braydon Fisher tossed a scoreless seventh, issuing a walk and striking out three for his third hold.
- Brendon Little collected his fourth win, giving up two hits, an earned run, and a walk while striking out one in the sixth.
Hierarchy Remains: Jeff Hoffman | Yariel Rodríguez | Chad Green
The Athletics – Preserving his team’s two-run rally at the top of the ninth, Mason Miller recorded a strikeout, allowed Jonathan Aranda’s single, and induced a game-ending double play groundout for his 16th save. He threw eight pitches (75 Strike%) and induced two whiffs (25 SwStr%).
He finished June on a modest three-game scoreless streak and converted four of five save opportunities while posting a 0.818 WHIP with 13 strikeouts against five walks (19.5 K-BB%) across 11 innings.
- Sean Newcomb stranded an inherited runner despite giving up a hit during one-third of the eighth. He was awarded his second courtesy of his teammates’ plating two runs at the top of the ninth.
- Michael Kelly allowed a hit and a walk during two-thirds of the eighth.
- J.T. Ginn logged 3.2 clean frames and recorded five strikeouts.
Updated Hierarchy: Mason Miller | Michael Kelly | Sean Newcomb
Quick Hits
- Kansas City Royals: Appearing during an eventual loss, Lucas Erceg allowed a hit and recorded a strikeout during a scoreless bottom of the eighth. He’s been scoreless in his last three.
- New York Yankees: At the bottom of the sixth, Mark Leiter Jr. could not hold a two-run lead, letting his only inherited runner score after allowing consecutive singles, recording a strikeout, followed by Ernie Clement’s RBI single, tying the game, prompting his removal. He finished with three hits and three runs (two earned), resulting in his fifth loss and a fourth blown save. Jonathan Loáisiga could not quell the rally, letting both inherited runners score on Vlad Guerrero’s two-RBI single while logging 1.2 scoreless frames. Before this game, the team placed Fernando Cruz (oblique) on the 15-day injured list.
- Philadelphia Phillies: Capping a combined shutout, Tanner Banks worked around Xander Bogaerts’ two-out single with a game-ending flyout in a non-save appearance.
- San Francisco Giants: With two runners on and one out, Randy Rodríguez retired both batters, one via strikeout, at the bottom of the seventh. Tyler Rogers allowed Eugenio Suárez’s solo home run at the bottom of the eighth during an eventual loss.
- Seattle Mariners: Extending his scoreless streak to 19 games, Matt Brash fired a clean top of the ninth and recorded a strikeout, preserving a four-run win over the Royals. He threw 11 pitches (63.6 Strike%) and induced one whiff.
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