On this 25th remembrance of 9/11, I remember what would have been my first active day of classes as a Physical Education teacher in Syracuse. However, the strike of the second tower occurred right before my students arrived for class. Parents were coming to pick up their kids as I had them sitting in the bleachers, dealing with the unknown. One of my students lost her uncle, who was a New York City firefighter at Engine 5. It’s a day I will not forget, and one that should honor all who were lost or still feeling the after effects of this tragic event.
As for baseball, Thursday’s 5-game slate resulted in three wins, four saves, four losses, and zero blown saves by relievers. Here are the saves in condensed form:
There have been 1,142 saves this season by 245 different pitchers. For perspective, this season has already set an MLB record for the number of pitchers with at least one save. Is 250 within reach?
Here are the upcoming vulture save options:
Vulture Save Options for 9.11.2026
- Gregory Soto (PIT): Montgomery and Weaver have appeared in consecutive contests.
- Seranthony Domínguez (SEA): Muñoz and Speier have pitched in back-to-back games.
- Jonathan Bowlan (PHI): Duran has worked in two straight games.
Vulture Save Stashes for 9.12.2026
- Dylan Lee (ATL): If Iglesias and Fuentes are deployed tonight, it’s back-to-back games for both.
- A.J. Blubaugh (HOU): If Hader and Abreu pitch tonight, it would be consecutive appearances and three of the previous four.
In case you missed them, sneak previews of potential closer options for both leagues have been posted:
2027 Potential Closers | American League
2027 Potential Closers | National League
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Today’s Takeaways
Junis has a meltdown in Seattle: Not only did Jakob Junis spoil a terrific start by Jacob deGrom, but he allowed three hits and hit a batter with a pitch, resulting in three earned runs without recording an out. He was tagged with his third loss and a second blown save. Robert Garcia took over and retired all three batters, two via strikeout, but the damage had been done.
As for the blown save, it was a historical one:
This outing moved his ERA from 2.74 to 3.47 after 47 appearances this season, and he has allowed at least a run in two of his last three.
Hierarchy Remains: Jacob Latz | Jakob Junis | Robert Garcia
Should we be concerned about Duran? With the score tied at the top of the ninth, Jhoan Duran allowed Cam Smith’s one-out solo home run and recorded a strikeout, resulting in his sixth loss. He has given up a run in two of his last three appearances
When viewing his splits by month and half-season, his contact rates and WHIP have risen slightly since the All-Star break:
He’s also tweaked his pitch usage patterns:
After viewing his underlying data and noting his 1.89 xERA in the second half, this represents a blip, not a trend for the closer. It’s a reminder of how long the season is, but better results should fuel a strong finish by him.
Hierarchy Remains: Jhoan Duran | Jonathan Bowlan | Alex McFarlane
Here are the remaining leverage events of interest from Thursday.
American League
Houston Astros – Shutting the door on his 25th save, Josh Hader preserved a one-run lead and recorded a strikeout at the bottom of the ninth in Philadelphia. He threw eight pitches (75% strike rate) and produced one whiff (12.5 SwStr%). Through 25 appearances in the second half, he has a win and 15 saves while posting a 0.50 WHIP with 29 strikeouts and three walks (28.6 K-BB%) over 26 innings.
- Bryan Abreu collected his sixth win, striking out the side at the bottom of the eighth, followed by the go-ahead home run at the top of the ninth. He has been scoreless in his last eight games, recording a win, a save, and four holds.
Hierarchy Remains: Josh Hader | Bryan Abreu | A.J. Blubaugh
Seattle Mariners – After retiring the first two batters at the top of the ninth, Andrés Muñoz issued consecutive walks to Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter, then induced a game-ending fielder’s choice grounder against Jake Burger, closing out a one-run lead for his 27th save. He threw 25 pitches (44% strike rate) and induced three whiffs (12 SwStr%). He has been scoreless through five outings in September and secured a save in his last three.
- Gabe Speier notched his 20th hold, giving up a hit and striking out two at the top of the eighth.
Hierarchy Remains: Andrés Muñoz | Gabe Speier | Seranthony Domínguez
Quick Hits
- New York Yankees: Entering at the top of the fifth, John Schreiber gave up a hit and recorded a strikeout across 1.1 scoreless innings, collecting his second win. Ryan Yarbrough allowed a hit, an earned run, and a walk with one strikeout over 1.1 innings, securing his second hold. Brent Headrick let his only inherited runner score, yielding a hit and walking one during one-third of the seventh inning.
- Tampa Bay Rays: Taking over a scoreless game at the bottom of the eighth, Kevin Kelly allowed four hits and three earned runs during one-third of an inning, resulting in his fourth loss.
National League
Atlanta Braves – Although he did not complete the combined shutout, Raisel Iglesias notched his 32nd save, allowing Victor Mesa Jr.’s solo home run and a walk while striking out one at the top of the ninth. He threw 23 pitches (14 strikes; 60.9% strike rate) and induced three whiffs (13 SwStr%). This ended his seven-game scoreless streak and is his first home run allowed since August 12, but he has converted his last eight save chances.
- Didier Fuentes earned his sixth win, retiring the side and striking out one at the top of the eighth, followed by his team’s three-run rally at the bottom of the frame. He has been scoreless in seven of his last eight appearances, recording a 0.833 WHIP with 15 strikeouts against four walks (25 K-BB%) across 12 innings.
Hierarchy Remains: Raisel Iglesias | Didier Fuentes | Dylan Lee
Pittsburgh Pirates – Navigating around Randal Grichuk’s pinch-hit leadoff single, Mason Montgomery benefited from two nice plays by Brandon Lowe on groundouts, then recorded a game-ending strikeout of Edgar Quero, sealing the combined shutout and locking down his 12th save. This marked his 10th appearance in his team’s last 15 games. He threw 14 pitches (71.4% strike rate) and produced one whiff. In his current 20-game scoreless streak, he has three wins and ten saves while posting a 0.569 WHIP with 30 strikeouts and four walks (36.1 K-BB%) over 19.1 innings.
- Luke Weaver fired a clean bottom of the eighth, striking out two for his 20th hold.
Hierarchy Remains: Mason Montgomery | Luke Weaver | Gregory Soto
Quick Hits
- Colorado Rockies: Rough outings in the Bronx for this bullpen. Zach Agnos gave up four hits, four earned runs, and three walks while striking out one during 1.2 innings. Jimmy Herget let both inherited runners score, allowing a grand slam, placing two earned runs on his ledger, and issuing a walk with two strikeouts over his 1.1 innings.
Rehab Recon
Félix Bautista (BAL): Worked a scoreless inning, allowing a hit and striking out two on 18 pitches (11 strikes; 61.1% strike rate):
And his illustrator:
He has been scoreless in five of his appearances at Triple-A, posting a 1.058 WHIP with seven strikeouts and three walks over 5.2 innings. The question remains: will he pitch in a major league game this season?
Edwin Díaz (LAD): Clearing a hurdle for a potential return on Sunday, he worked around a hit and a walk while striking out one in a scoreless outing, pitching in back-to-back games at Triple-A. He threw 18 pitches (62.5% strike rate):
His average velocity dropped slightly compared to Tuesday’s appearance. In these two contests, he has only thrown half of his 40 pitches for strikes. Here is yesterday’s pitch illustration:
It’s been speculated that he could be activated on Sunday while the team’s in Miami. However, his four-seam command may need a bit more seasoning before facing major league hitters while preparing for the playoffs. Stay tuned, and another pitcher turned in a scoreless outing in this same game:
The leverage ladder for the Dodgers may receive another strong left-handed option soon.
Holds Tally
Here are the holds from Thursday’s slate:
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Statistical Credits: