April 9, 2016
Oakland A’s — A few days ago, Bob Melvin explained that though Sean Doolittle was the team’s closer, he could be used in the eighth if matchups required a strong lefthander. And in a tie game Friday night, Doolittle came on in the eighth to face the middle of the Seattle order, including two lefties and a switch-hitter. Ryan Madson earned his second save of the year and told reporters afterward that there were “no egos” in the Oakland bullpen. This approach is great for A’s fans and bullpen postmodernists, but Doolittle owners might prefer a more traditional role for the bearded one, as he fights to return to his 2014 dominance.
Hierarchy remains: Doolittle | Madson | Axford.
Pittsburgh Pirates — In a one-run game in the eighth, Clint Hurdle used Neftali Feliz yet again. Both Hurdle and GM Neal Huntington have called Tony Watson the team’s second-best reliever, but say he won’t be limited to the eighth inning alone. That doesn’t explain why he sat and watched Feliz pick up this high-leverage hold, but for now, we’ll keep the status quo. (P.S. — Only two days left to secure your own piece of Neftali Feliz memorabilia! Prove you bought this and we’ll give you free Closer Monkey Premium for a year!)
Hierarchy remains: Melancon | Watson | Feliz.
Cincinnati Reds — Few pitchers have good numbers with the bases loaded, but J.J. Hoover’s struggles are titanic. Last night he was summoned with three on with a chance for a four-out save, but instead surrendered a Papa Slam grand slam to earn the loss. Hoover will likely be featured in our first Hot Seat column next week.
Hierarchy remains: Hoover | Diaz | Cingrani.
VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Michael Blazek, Milwaukee Brewers — Jeremy Jeffress has pitched on three of the last four days.