Closer Monkey

Category: Philadelphia Phillies

  • Joaquin Benoit blows a save; Rangers bullpen still a mess

    April 17, 2017 Philadelphia Phillies – Joaquin Benoit allowed his first runs of the season on Sunday, blowing the save when Bryce Harper hit a 3-run walkoff against him in Washington. Benoit had been great to this point, allowing only one hit in five innings previously, but given that the wasn’t the person that most…

  • Joaquin Benoit will close in Philly

    April 10, 2017 Philadelphia Phillies —  After Pete Mackanin was able to talk to Jeanmar Gomez, he announced a change in the Phillies’ closer role. As some writers predicted, Mackanin has settled on the more experienced Joaquin Benoit, electing to leave Hector Neris in his current eighth-inning role. Updated hierarchy: Benoit | Neris | Ramos.

  • Jeanmar Gomez could lose his job by the time you finish reading this

    April 10, 2017 Philadelphia Phillies – After four Phillies pitchers combined to shut out the Nationals for eight innings, Jeanmar Gomez came in and surrendered a three-run, game-tying homer. He earned the win when the Phillies walked off, but after the game, Pete Mackanin told reporters he was going to have a talk with Gomez,…

  • Cam Bedrosian might have to share save chances

    April 4, 2017 Los Angeles Angels – Despite his excellent spring training, Cam Bedrosian will share closing duties while Huston Street is out. Mike Scioscia shied away from calling the arrangement a “committee,” saying instead that he wants to retain the flexibility to use his ‘closer’ earlier in the game if matchups require. Wise though this might be,…

  • 2017 NL East Preview

    March 1, 2017 Atlanta Braves — After a comically horrific start to the 2015 season, Jim Johnson returned to the Braves, where he’s quietly spent the past season and a half regaining his form. His strikeout rate climbed back over the magical one-per-inning mark in 2016, and he ended the year with 20 saves after Arodys…