Monday’s slate featured 11 games, with relievers securing seven saves and recording four wins. The save came in various ways, including a one-out save by the Reds (Justin Wilson) and a three-inning save by Cole Irvin of the Orioles. This will be a unique week for usage patterns, with teams receiving different off days, including yesterday, today, and Thursday. Our condensed game recaps highlight yesterday’s high-leverage events of interest.
Closer CliffsNotes
Cole Irvin (BAL) logged a three-inning save, closing out a 10-run win over the White Sox. It’s his first of the season and the second of his major league career. He allowed two hits and an earned run while striking out two.
- Hierarchy remains: Seranthony Domínguez | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
Jorge López (CHC) was summoned at the top of the eighth to protect a 3-0 lead. However, he allowed four hits, including two home runs and four earned runs, while recording one out, resulting in his third loss and a first blown save.
- Updated Hierarchy: Porter Hodge | Jorge López | Drew Smyly
Justin Wilson (CIN) induced a game-ending lineout by Yordan Alvarez for his second save, retiring his only batter faced; Emilio Pagán did the heavy lifting, allowing a hit and striking out three over 2.1 scoreless frames.
- Hierarchy remains: Alexis Díaz | Emilio Pagán | Tony Santillan
Emmanuel Clase (CLE) recorded his 41st save with a clean bottom of the ninth, preserving a two-run win in Kansas City. He’s converted 28 consecutive save chances since May 20 with 31 strikeouts against six walks and has been scoreless in ten of his last 11 appearances.
- Hierarchy remains: Emmanuel Clase | Hunter Gaddis | Cade Smith
Jhoan Durán (MIN) nailed down his 21st save with a clean bottom of the ninth and recorded one strikeout. He’s been scoreless over his last three appearances, securing a save in each. Jorge Alcala collected his fourth win, logging 1.1 scoreless innings, scattering two hits and striking out three.
- Hierarchy remains: Jhoan Durán | Griffin Jax | Cole Sands
Phil Maton (NYM) notched his third save and first as a Met, firing a clean top of the ninth while striking out two. He’s been scoreless in 10 of his last 11.
- Hierarchy remains: Edwin Díaz | Phil Maton | Reed Garrett
Tyler Ferguson (OAK) took over a tied game at the top of the ninth and retired Seattle’s 9-1-2 hitters by striking out the side on 12 pitches. He collected his third win courtesy of a walk-off home run in the bottom of the inning.
- Hierarchy remains: Mason Miller | Tyler Ferguson | Michel Otañez
Dennis Santana (PIT) preserved a comeback win against the Cubs by retiring the side and striking out one for his third save, his first as a Pirate. He’s been scoreless over his last 11 appearances, spanning 14 innings, with 15 strikeouts against one walk. Aroldis Chapman matched up against the top of the lineup and tossed a scoreless eighth, allowing a walk on 15 pitches (60 Strike%) without a whiff for his 22nd hold.
- Hierarchy remains: *Aroldis Chapman | *Dennis Santana | Kyle Nicolas
- *= closer-by-committee
Robert Suarez (SDP) shut the door on his 31st save, tossing a scoreless top of the ninth and completing a combined shutout of the Tigers. He’s converted both saves with scoreless outings in September, and the Padres are now 52-3 in the 55 games he’s pitched in.
- Hierarchy remains: Robert Suarez | Tanner Scott | Jason Adam
Austin Voth (SEA) entered a tied game at the bottom of the ninth in Oakland and suffered his fifth loss. He gave up Shea Langeliers’ walk-off home run leading off the inning.
- Hierarchy remains: Andrés Muñoz | Collin Snider | Austin Voth
Vulture Save Options for Tuesday, September 3
- Edwin Uceta (TB): Rodrìguez has pitched in back-to-back games.
- Caleb Thielbar (MIN): Durán, Jax, and Sands appeared in the previous two games.
Vulture Save Stash for Wednesday, September 4
- Hunter Gaddis (CLE): If Clase pitches today, it will be consecutive outings, though with Thursday as an off day, he may work three in a row.
Three Takeaways
- Porter on tap: Although he did not receive the save opportunity, Porter Hodge was in line for the ninth inning when Jorge López took over the top of the eighth against Pittsburgh with a three-run lead. Although Craig Counsell did not name a replacement for Héctor Neris in save situations, Hodge has recorded two since he was released. He’s been scoreless over 11 outings since August 4 with 19 strikeouts versus five walks (32.6 K-BB%) and a 0.83 WHIP across 12 innings. One would prefer his walk rate (11.6 percent), so fantasy managers should monitor his strike percentage through the end of the season, but he’s emerging as the preferred save option.
- Santana records his first save for Pittsburgh: On the other side of this contest, manager Derek Shelton maintained it would be a closer-by-committee after the team removed David Bednar from the closer role, and he used Aroldis Chapman in the bottom of the eighth after rallying for a one-run lead. Chapman worked around a walk and retired Cody Bellinger on an inning-ending flyout. Reding the tea leaves, it appears that the southpaw reliever will go against Bellinger’s lineup pocket in this series, which resulted in Dennis Santana securing his first save as a Pirate. However, he’s been very good in recent outings and extended his scoreless streak to 11 games with a clean bottom of the ninth. Since August 8, he’s allowed three bases runners (two hits and one walk) of 43 batters faced while racking up 15 strikeouts (32.6 K-BB%), resulting in a minuscule 0.21 WHIP and a 1.99 SIERA. It’s tough believing in short samples, but he’s on a heater, as his rolling game chart illustrates:
- Adam-to-Scott-to-Suarez: While watching the Dodgers game earlier in the day, Orel Hershisher spoke about the regular season being measured by series, but the playoffs get broken down into at-bats. During the Padres’ combined shutout of Detroit, it deployed its high-leverage triumvirate: Jason Adam in the seventh, Tanner Scott in the eighth, and Robert Suarez in the ninth. This can fluctuate based on hitter-handedness in the seventh and eighth innings. Still, a clear pattern has emerged since the trade deadline, and it appears A.J. Preller’s plan on reducing games to six innings may translate into postseason success, especially when viewing the Win Probability Added results over the last 30 days:
Those seeking full game recaps should surf the team pages; they’ve all been updated with Monday’s results.
Thanks for being a part of the Closer Monkey community. Stay safe and be well.
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