Thursday’s 10-game slate was a quiet one for high-leverage events. Only two relievers recorded a win, with one being a bulk appearance by Ryan Yarbrough (TOR). Three relievers recorded a save, including an MLB-leading 39th by Ryan Helsley. Our condensed game recaps cover the limited leverage outcomes from yesterday.
Closer CliffsNotes
- Raisel Iglesias (ATL) locked down his 28th save while striking out the side against Philadelphia’s 3-4-5 hitters, preserving a one-run win. He’s been scoreless in the second half, allowing two hits and a walk while recording 18 strikeouts and converting all six save chances.
- Nick Mears (MIL) suffered his fifth loss. He allowed three hits, three earned runs, and a walk during two-thirds of the seventh in St. Louis.
- Mason Miller (OAK) recorded his 20th save with a scoreless ninth. He allowed a hit and recorded two strikeouts. He’s the third rookie pitcher in team history with at least 20 saves, joining Andrew Bailey (2009) and Huston Street (2005).
- Ryan Helsley (STL) secured his MLB-leading 39th save with a scoreless ninth while finishing a combined shutout. His next save will mark the ninth time a reliever has recorded 40 saves in team history and the first since Trevor Rosenthal (48 in 2015).
- Ryan Yarbrough (TOR) collected his fifth win as the “bulk follower.” He worked five scoreless frames, scattering three hits and striking out four against the Angels.
Vulture Save Options for Friday, August 23
- Ryan Fernandez (STL): Helsley, Kittredge, and Romero have worked in consecutive games.
- A.J. Puk (ARI): Teams have been matching up their left-handed relievers against Boston, and Martinez has thrown 38 pitches in his last two outings; he may require rest until Saturday.
Vulture Save Stashes for Saturday. August 24
- Joe Jiménez (ATL): If Iglesias pitches again tonight, it will be back-to-back appearances and three in the previous four.
What to Watch For (Weekend Edition)
Baltimore Orioles – How will Brandon Hyde handle save situations? Seranthony Dominguez has converted three saves since with 15 strikeouts against three walks (28.6 K-BB%). However, he’s allowed a home run in his last three appearances, resulting in two losses. He’s given up seven hits in his 12 games with the Orioles, but four have been solo home runs. He needs a strong weekend to remain the team’s preferred option for the ninth inning.
Chicago Cubs – After Jorge López recorded a save last Saturday with Porter Hodge working ahead of him, he seemed like the logical pivot for the closer role after the team placed Héctor Neris on waivers. But Porter Hodge, who pitched very well in leverage this season, received this bullpen’s first save in the post-Neris era. Hopefully, their respective roles will be clarified this weekend for the remainder of the season.
Colorado Rockies – Tyler Kinley has been scoreless in 11 outings since July 28 over his 12 appearances, with 14 strikeouts against three walks and a 0.54 WHIP over 13 innings. He’s operated as the team’s closer before and has acknowledged he feels healthy compared to earlier this season when he struggled during ninth-inning outings. Angel Chivilli secured his first major league save earlier this week and remains on the periphery of leverage opportunities, while Victor Vodnik is on the injured list.
Kansas City Royals—Will Lucas Erceg be used as a more traditional closer moving forward? He’s been scoreless through his first nine outings with the Royals, producing 14 strikeouts against zero walks (40 K-BB%) and a minuscule 0.39 WHIP across 10.1 innings. Here are his splits-by-pitch since his acquisition:
Link: https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/OYcfJ/2/
Milwaukee Brewers—When the team activated Devin Williams, it maintained that his workload would be managed closely, especially regarding consecutive appearances. However, he’s pitched on back-to-back days twice in the last nine days:
His first time was a dominating outing against the Dodgers. His second resulted in a blown save, during which he only threw 12 of his 31 pitches for strikes. Back injuries can be tricky, as can pursuing a bye in the playoffs while keeping its leverage ladder on optimal rest. This will be an intriguing needle for the team to thread, and fantasy managers will be tracking his performance down the stretch with eyes on his potential impact next year as a pending free agent.
Pittsburgh Pirates—After a six-game stretch of allowing at least a run, David Bednar recorded consecutive clean appearances, providing a glimmer of hope for fantasy players. However, it was short-lived. He suffered a walk-off loss in Texas and has given up at least a run in seven of his last nine games. Using his pre-and-post oblique injury as the focal point of his splits-by-pitch, here are his results from his first 34 games against his last 13 since returning in July:
Link: https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/CR69S/3/
San Francisco Giants – Reports indicate the team will activate Camilo Doval before its series in Seattle begins this evening. After a rough first outing, he recorded three clean appearances at Triple-A. His role remains to be determined, but the team will likely ease him into leverage situations. Before his demotion, manager Bob Melvin said the bullpen works best with Doval closing so Ryan Walker can be deployed in the highest-leveraged moments. Time will tell if this was true or if Walker remains the closer with the team pursuing a playoff berth, though it’s a long shot (the playoffs, not Walker closing).
Seattle Mariners – Andrés Muñoz recorded a 14-game scoreless streak between June 28 through August 14 but has allowed at least a run in his last two appearances. Under Scott Servais, he would be used in the highest-leverage moments in big games. With a new manager, fantasy managers should monitor his usage patterns over the last five-plus weeks.
Tampa Bay Rays – Although fantasy players prefer not hearing about a potential committee for save share, at least Kevin Cash remained true to his word when asked about replacing Pete Fairbanks. He suggested higher leverage roles for Edwin Uceta and Manuel Rodríguez. Each secured their first save for the Rays during this week’s games in Oakland. As the season progresses, we will track who gets the majority share and how they are used in the same contest.
Thanks for being a part of the Closer Monkey community. Stay safe and be well.
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