Closer Monkey

Category: Pittsburgh Pirates

  • Tyler Clippard lands on the COVID-19 list

    September 8, 2021 Arizona Diamondbacks — The Diamondbacks have placed Tyler Clippard on the COVID-19 list and sent Taylor Clarke down to Triple-A. We expect Noe Ramirez, who pitched the ninth in a losing effort yesterday, to take over as closer while Clippard is out. Updated hierarchy: Ramirez | Wendelken | Mantiply. Pittsburgh Pirates –…

  • Matt Barnes booed off the mound and potentially out of the closer’s role

    August 25, 2021 Boston Red Sox — Matt Barnes was called upon to protect a three-run lead against the Twins in the ninth inning and proceeded to allow a leadoff homer followed by two walks before being mercifully pulled by Alex Cora. Hansel Robles was the next man up and, facing the team that traded…

  • Tyler Wells is a reliever to watch in Baltimore

    July 20, 2021 Baltimore Orioles – The Orioles took a 5-run lead into the 7th inning and went to Cole Sulser, then Paul Fry, and then sent out 6’8″, 255-pound Tyler Wells for the 9th; Wells proceeded to strike out two hitters in a perfect inning. Obviously this wasn’t a save situation, but Wells also…

  • Chad Green continues his strong work for the Yankees

    July 8, 2021 New York Yankees — For years, a one-run lead in the ninth inning has produced a Pavlovian response in Yankees fans: Aroldis Chapman. But a month of increasingly harsh negative reinforcement has flipped the script, leaving them newly desperate to not see their $17.2 million closer in a tight spot (examples one, two,…

  • Yankees to “talk through” late game approach after Chapman struggles again

    July 5, 2021 New York Yankees – Aroldis Chapman had another ugly outing, consisting of a leadoff homer to tie the game, followed by a walk and a hit batsman, both of whom eventually scored. But it wasn’t just that he was bad again. It was that the two relievers who are ostensibly competing with…