September 8, 2015
Detroit Tigers – Even when he converts a save, Bruce Rondon does little to assure the Tigers that they’re making the right move in handing him the closer role. Yesterday, he was asked to get the final two outs of a 1-run game, and responded by walking the first hitter, allowing a flyout and single, walking another hitter, and then finally inducing a game-ending force play that was so tight that the Rays challenged the call at 2nd base, which would have meant a tie game if overturned. Still, Rondon did get the job done, and no one else has gotten a save chance in a while. We’ll remove his asterisk under the pretense that he’s still maybe the shakiest “full-time” closer in baseball right now.
Updated hierarchy: Rondon | Wilson | Hardy.
Colorado Rockies – The only bright spot in the Rockies’ car wreck of a bullpen lately has been Jairo Diaz, a 24-year-old righty who has allowed only 1 run in 8 innings of work this season. His peripherals aren’t great, but any form of production means that Walt Weiss gives you a shot, and yesterday, Weiss combined Diaz with lefty specialist Boone Logan to get through the 8th inning. Good enough for us.
Updated hierarchy: Axford | Diaz | Oberg.
Oakland A’s – We speculated yesterday morning that Sean Doolittle would get the first save chance the next time the A’s were in a tight game, and sure enough, that opportunity came that very afternoon. Doolittle needed only five pitches — two pop outs and a three-pitch strikeout — to convert, and with his velocity continuing to climb, he looks to be in the driver’s seat for saves in Oakland the rest of the season.
Hierarchy remains: *Doolittle | Pomeranz | Venditte.
* = closer-by-committee
VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. J.J. Hoover, Cincinnati Reds – Aroldis Chapman has pitched in back to back games; he hasn’t yet gone three in a row since shoulder fatigue sidelined him last month.
2. Drew Pomeranz, Oakland A’s – Sean Doolittle has pitched in back to back games and three of four, and is only a few weeks removed from the DL.
