Baltimore Orioles Fantasy Baseball Daily Bullpen Updates and Closer Depth Chart
| Closer | 1st in line | 2nd in line | 2025 Closer | Updated | |
| BAL | Félix Bautista | Yennier Cano | Seranthony Domínguez | Félix Bautista | 11/7/24 |
| (IL) | |||||
Previous updates:
Baltimore Orioles – “The Mountain” will return as the closer next year. Félix Bautista recorded 33 saves with 110 strikeouts against 26 walks (35.4 K-BB%) in 2023 before undergoing Tommy John surgery. He’s been throwing live bullpen sessions and will anchor this bullpen in 2025. His stock will rise appreciably with a strong spring, but fantasy managers will focus on his command.
September 25, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – In ascending order of appearances, Jacob Webb stranded two runners in the fifth and logged 1.1 scoreless, giving up two hits and striking out one while collecting his second win.
- Danny Coulombe retired the side in the seventh.
- Gregory Soto worked a clean eighth, striking out two.
- Matt Bowman allowed four hits, including Aaron Judge’s grand slam in one-third of the ninth.
- Keegan Akin took over and retired his only two batters for his first save, preserving a two-run win over the Yankees.
Hierarchy remains: *Seranthony Domínguez | *Yennier Cano| *Gregory Soto
*= closer-by-committee
September 24, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Summoned with a runner on and one out at the bottom of the ninth, Seranthony Domínguez retired both batters, recording his 11th save. He threw seven pitches (57.1 Strike%) without a whiff.
- Gregory Soto tossed a scoreless combined inning, walking and striking out one for his tenth hold.
- Yennier Cano let both inherited runners score, yielding two hits and recording two outs, getting credit for his 34th hold.
- Cionel Pérez gave up two hits and two earned runs in two-thirds of the seventh.
- Jacob Webb notched his 13th hold, retiring his only batter via strikeout.
- Keegan Akin issued a walk and recorded two outs in the sixth, securing his sixth hold.
Updated Hierarchy: *Seranthony Domínguez | *Yennier Cano| *Gregory Soto
*= closer-by-committee
September 21, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Taking over at the top of the tenth, Yennier Cano suffered his third loss. He allowed Riley Greene’s RBI single, scoring the “place” runner leading off the inning, and a Jace Jung double before recording an out on a sacrifice fly. Cano finished with two hits, two runs (one earned), and two strikeouts on 17 pitches (13 strikes – 76.5 Strike%) with two whiffs.
- Bryan Baker worked a scoreless ninth and recorded a strikeout, keeping the game tied.
- Seranthony Domínguez let one of two inherited runners score on a sacrifice fly and walked one during two-thirds of the eighth.
- Gregory Soto recorded the last out of the inning.
- Cionel Pérez gave up three hits and two earned runs without retiring a batter at the top of the eighth.
Updated Hierarchy: *Yennier Cano | *Seranthony Domínguez | Gregory Soto
*= closer-by-committee
September 19, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Summoned with two runners on and one out, Gregory Soto induced an inning-ending double play groundout by pinch hitter Mark Canha on one pitch. Soto collected his third win courtesy of Anthony Santander’s walk-off home run at the bottom of the ninth.
- Seranthony Domínguez suffered his second blown save and first with the Orioles. He issued consecutive walks at the top of the ninth and an RBI single before recording an out on a pop-out during a bunt attempt. He threw 17 pitches (7 strikes – 41.2 Strike%) without a whiff.
- Yennier Cano retired the side and recorded two strikeouts for his 33rd hold in the eighth.
- Cionel Pérez notched his 21st hold, giving up a hit and a walk while striking out two.
Hierarchy remains: Seranthony Domínguez | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
September 14, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – An uneven non-save appearance for Seranthony Domínguez in Detroit. He allowed Parker Meadows’ lead-off home run, Colt Keith’s single, and induced two long flyouts. With two outs, Wenceel Pérez reached despite striking out on a wild pitch resulting from a cross-up on location, followed by Spencer Torkelson’s RBI single, before a game-ending groundout. Domínguez finished with three hits and two earned runs while striking out one. He’s converted all nine save chances since his acquisition but has given up six home runs across his 19.1 innings.
- Cionel Pérez navigated around two hits during a scoreless bottom of the eighth.
Hierarchy remains: Seranthony Domínguez | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
September 11, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – With a one-run lead at the bottom of the tenth, Keegan Akin had a batter reach on a fielding error and allowed Tyler O’Neill’s walk-off three-run home run, resulting in his first loss and a third blown save.
- Seranthony Domínguez tossed a scoreless ninth, giving up a hit and striking out two. He owns a modest three-game scoreless streak in September.
- Yennier Cano stranded two runners while retiring his only batter in the eighth.
- Cionel Pérez gave up a hit and a walk during two-thirds scoreless in the eighth.
Hierarchy remains: Seranthony Domínguez | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
September 10, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Securing his tenth save, Seranthony Domínguez worked around Cedanne Rafaela’s two-out single with a game-ending flyout by Jarren Duran, closing a two-run win in Boston. Domínguez threw 14 pitches (11 strikes – 78.6 Strike%) and generated five whiffs (35.7 SwStr%) while striking out two. He’s converted all nine save chances since August 10 and been scoreless in six of his last seven outings with eight strikeouts versus one walk.
- Yennier Cano gave up a hit, an earned run, and a walk with two strikeouts in two-thirds of the eighth. He let his only inherited runner score on Masataka Yoshida’s double and balked in a run.
- Cionel Pérez tossed 1.1 innings, giving up a hit and an earned run while striking out one.
Hierarchy remains: Seranthony Domínguez | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
September 6, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Summoned with two outs and a runner on in the top of the eighth, Seranthony Domínguez posted his ninth save, tossing 1.1 scoreless innings while preserving a combined shutout of the Rays. He allowed a hit and recorded two strikeouts on 28 pitches (17 strikes – 60.7 Strike%) with six whiffs (21.4 SwStr%). He’s converted all eight save chances since August 10 with 13 strikeouts against three walks in ten outings spanning 9.1 innings.
- Cionel Pérez notched his 20th hold, recording two outs and striking out one in the eighth.
- Yennier Cano stranded all three inherited runners in the seventh, retiring all three batters faced, two via strikeout, for his 32nd hold.
Hierarchy remains: Seranthony Domínguez | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
September 2, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Finishing off a lopsided win, Cole Irvin recorded his first save and first since 2019, logging three innings against the White Sox. He allowed two hits and an earned run while striking out two.
- Keegan Akin retired the side in the sixth, securing his fifth hold.
Hierarchy remains: Seranthony Domínguez | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
August 30, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Hanging for his eighth save, Seranthony Domínguez allowed Brendan Rodgers’ solo home run among his two hits while closing out a two-run win in Colorado. He threw 24 pitches (17 strikes – 70.8 Strike%) and only induced one whiff while recording two strikeouts. All five runs Domínguez has allowed as an Oriole have been on solo home runs, but he’s converted all six save chances since August 2 with 11 strikeouts against three walks over eight innings.
- Cionel Pérez fired a clean bottom of the eighth for his 19th hold.
Hierarchy remains: Seranthony Domínguez | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
August 27, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Hanging on for his seventh save, Seranthony Domínguez took over against the Dodgers’ 5-6-7 hitters, navigating around a one-out Miguel Rojas single and a two-out pinch-hit walk to Gavin Lux with a game-ending lineout, preserving the one-run win. He threw 32 pitches (20 strikes – 62.5 Strike%) and only induced one whiff. He’s converted his last six save opportunities since August 10, but his pitch count in last night’s save may make him unavailable on Wednesday.
- Yennier Cano recorded his 31st hold, allowing a hit and striking out two in the bottom of the eighth, facing the 2-3-4 lineup lane.
- Cionel Pérez retired all four batters, one via strikeout, for his 18th hold.
- Matt Bowman collected his first win. He stranded two runners runners in the fifth and logged 1.2 clean frames.
Hierarchy remains: Seranthony Domínguez | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
August 24, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Capping a comeback rally, Seranthony Domínguez shut the door on his sixth save with a clean ninth, preserving a one-run win over Houston. He threw eight pitches (75 Strike%) and produced two whiffs (25 SwStr%) while recording one strikeout. He’s posted consecutive clean appearances and converted all five save chances since August 10.
- Yennier Cano did the heavy lifting, recording his 30th hold. He retired four of five batters while facing the top of the Astros lineup in the eighth, recording three strikeouts.
- Keegan Akin collected his third win. He allowed a hit and struck out one in a scoreless combined inning, ahead of his team’s three-run rally in the bottom of the sixth.
Hierarchy remains: Seranthony Domínguez | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
August 23, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Capping his team’s comeback rally, Seranthony Domínguez notched his fifth save with a clean ninth against Houston’s 9-1-2 lineup pocket. He threw 19 pitches (13 strikes – 68.4 Strike%) and produced three whiffs (15.8 SwStr%). This snapped his three-game streak, allowing a solo home run, and represents his fourth save with the Orioles.
- Craig Kimbrel collected his seventh win. He navigated around two two-out hits and recorded two strikeouts in a scoreless eighth.
- Burch Smith logged two clean frames, keeping his team within striking distance.
Hierarchy remains: Seranthony Domínguez | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
August 20, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Representing a growing concern for fantasy managers and Brandon Hyde, Seranthony Domínguez allowed a home run for a third straight appearance. After stranding a runner in the eighth on an inning-ending strikeout, he returned for the ninth, giving up Jesse Winker’s walk-off homer. He’s been asked to strand runners and remain in the game for the next inning. He recorded one multiple-inning out for the Phillies this year and only two last year but has been in this situation in two of his last three games.
- Cionel Pérez gave up a hit and struck out one over two-thirds of the eighth.
- Craig Kimbrel yielded at least a run for the seventh time in his last 12 games, serving up Mark Vientos’ solo home run in the seventh.
Hierarchy remains: Seranthony Domínguez | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
August 19, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – With the score tied in the bottom of the ninth, Seranthony Domínguez recorded a strikeout, then allowed Francisco Alvarez’s walk-off solo home run, resulting in his third loss. He threw eight pitches (50 Strike%) and induced one whiff. He’s allowed a home run in his last two games, and all three earned runs with the Orioles have come via a solo home run. Through 11 games, he’s converted all three save chances with a 14:3 K:BB and a 0.84 WHIP across 10.2 innings.
- Keegan Akin fired two clean frames and recorded five strikeouts.
- Colin Selby stranded two runners in the fifth and retried all four batters faced, three on strikeouts.
Hierarchy remains: Seranthony Domínguez | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
August 18, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Pressed into action with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the eighth, Seranthony Domínguez ended the threat, inducing a pop-out by Romy Gonzalez. In the ninth, Domínguez allowed Rob Refsnyder’s solo home run and recorded all three outs via strikeout for his fourth save. He threw 17pitches (12 strikes – 70.6 Strike%) and produced three whiffs (17.6 SwStr%). He’s been scoreless in eight of ten outings with the Orioles with 13 strikeouts against three walks and a 0.80 WHIP.
- Yennier Cano let one of two inherited runners score on Cedanne Rafaela’s RBI single. Cano was awarded his 28th hold while giving up a hit and a walk with two strikeouts in two-thirds of the eighth.
- Cionel Pérez tossed a scoreless seventh but gave up a walk and a double in the eighth, prompting his removal. He finished with two hits, an earned run, and a walk during his combined inning.
Hierarchy remains: Seranthony Domínguez | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
August 14, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – After issuing a lead-off walk during a 10-pitch at-bat, Seranthony Domínguez bore down, recording a strikeout of Luis García Jr. and inducing a game-ending double play groundout for his third save, second with the Orioles. He threw 19 pitches (12 strikes – 63.2 Strike%) and produced three whiffs (15.8 SwStr%). He’s been scoreless in eight of his last nine appearances since July 26, with 10 strikeouts versus three walks.
- Cionel Pérez notched his 17th hold with a clean eighth and recorded a strikeout.
- Yennier Cano retired the side for his 27th hold on 10 pitches (70 Strike%).
Updated Hierarchy: Seranthony Domínguez | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
August 11, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Taking over a tied game in the bottom of the eighth, Craig Kimbrel suffered his fourth loss. His outing began with a lead-off walk, a leverage no-no, a strikeout, a stolen base, another walk, and a double steal, putting runners on second and third. Kimbrel gave up Curtis Mead’s sacrifice fly and another stolen base (four in his outing), then induced an inning-ending strikeout of José Siri. Kimbrel threw 23 pitches (10 strikes – 43.5 Strike%) and recorded three whiffs. This snapped his three-game scoreless streak, and he’s allowed 10 runs (eight earned) over his last nine outings with 11 strikeouts and walks across 8.2 innings since July 14.
- Cionel Pérez was tagged with his first blown save. He gave up a double and Dylan Carlson’s game-tying RBI single during his one-third of the seventh.
Hierarchy remains: *Seranthony Domínguez | *Yennier Cano (HLR) | Craig Kimbrel
*= closer-by-committee
August 10, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Preserving a two-run win in Tampa Bay, Seranthony Domínguez recorded his first save with the Orioles and his second of the season with a scoreless ninth. He allowed a walk and recorded a strikeout on 18 pitches (55.6 Strike%) with four whiffs (22.2 SwStr%). He’s been scoreless in seven of eight games since the trade deadline, with nine strikeouts against two walks and a 0.75 WHIP.
- Cionel Pérez let one of two inherited runners score, issuing two walks, including one with the bases loaded and recorded an out for his 16th hold.
- Yennier Cano gave up two hits and an earned run while striking out two in two-thirds of the eighth, getting credit for his 26th hold.
- Burch Smith allowed a game-tying José Caballero home run, resulting in his first blown save, but collected his fourth win courtesy of his team’s three-run rally in the top of the eighth.
Updated Hierarchy: *Seranthony Domínguez | *Yennier Cano (HLR) | Craig Kimbrel
*= closer-by-committee
Augusut 7, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Taking over in the sixth, Burch Smith retired the side and recorded two strikeouts. He was awarded his third win courtesy of his team’s rally in the top of the seventh inning.
- Yennier Cano entered with a one-run lead against the 9-1-2 lineup pocket, operating as the HLR. He gave up two hits but no runs, including a long flyout by Vlad Guerrero Jr. for his 25th hold.
- Cionel Pérez fired a clean eighth and struck out one.
- Seranthony Domínguez worked around a lead-off double with three consecutive outs, including one strikeout, finishing a four-run win in Toronto.
Hierarchy remains: *Yennier Cano | *Craig Kimbrel | Seranthony Domínguez
*= closer-by-committee
August 4, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Wrapping up a four-run win in Cleveland, Seranthony Domínguez tossed a scoreless bottom of the ninth. He allowed a walk and recorded a strikeout.
- Yennier Cano tossed a scoreless eighth against the 5-6-7-8 hitters. He gave up a hit and struck out one. Cano’s been scoreless in 10 of his last 11 appearances with 10 strikeouts against two walks.
- Cionel Pérez stranded a runner and retired both batters in the seventh.
- Burch Smith issued a walk during two-thirds combined innings for his second hold.
- Gregory Soto gave up two hits during two-thirds scoreless in the sixth, getting credit for his eighth hold.
Adjusted Hierarchy: *Yennier Cano | *Craig Kimbrel | Seranthony Domínguez
*= closer-by-committee
August 3, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Taking over with a three-run lead, Yennier Cano locked down his fifth save with a clean ninth and one strikeout. He made an athletic play on Andrés Giménez’s groundout leading off the inning and threw eight pitches (62.5 Strike%) with one whiff. He’s recorded a save in two of his last three outings and been scoreless in eight of his previous nine.
- Seranthony Domínguez let an inherited runner score on a José Ramírez home run in the eighth. Domínguez finished with a hit and an earned run while striking out one during his combined inning of relief.
- Cionel Pérez was credited his 14th hold, allowing an earned run on a walk and striking out two over two-thirds innings.
Adjusted Hierarchy: Yennier Cano | Seranthony Domínguez | Craig Kimbrel
July 28, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Hanging on for his fourth save, Yennier Cano dealt with traffic while finishing a two-run win over the Padres. He gave up consecutive singles leading off the ninth, induced a soft lineout, then another single by Luis Arraez, loading the bases. On a grounder, the runner was forced out at second, but no double play was turned, scoring an earned run, and Cano bore down, getting a game-ending groundout by Jake Cronenworth. He threw 30 pitches (22 strikes – 73.3 Strike%) and did not induce a whiff.
- Seranthony Domínguez retired the side and recorded a strikeout against the Padres’ 4-5-6 lineup pocket for his fifth hold.
- Cionel Pérez collected his second win, tossing a clean seventh.
Hierarchy remains (for now): Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
July 26, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – After throwing 28 pitches yesterday in Miami, Craig Kimbrel was summoned in the top of the ninth during a tied game. He struck out Ha-Seong Kim, allowed a Luis Campusano single, induced a groundout, and then served up a go-ahead two-run home run by Jurickson Profar. Kimbrel suffered his third loss. He’s allowed a home run in two of his last four outings and multiple runs in three of four.
- Seranthony Domínguez navigated around two hits and recorded a strikeout in a scoreless eighth, making his team debut.
- Keegan Akin retired the side and struck out one in the seventh.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
July 25, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Securing his second save, Cionel Pérez retired the side and recorded two strikeouts in the bottom of the tenth in Miami. He threw 12 pitches (66.7 Strike%) and generated four whiffs (33.3 SwStr%) while facing the 5-6-7 lineup pocket.
- Yennier Cano collected his fourth win. He took over with two runners on and two outs in the bottom of the ninth. He stranded both courtesy of an inning-ending strikeout of Bryan De La Cruz.
- Craig Kimbrel suffered his sixth blown save. He allowed a one-out single and issued consecutive walks, loading the bases before a fielding error by Gunnar Henderson scored a run. Kimbrel also gave up a sacrifice fly and an RBI single by Josh Bell before his removal. He threw 28 pitches (16 strikes – 57.1 Strike%) and induced three whiffs. He’s given up multiple runs in two of his last three appearances.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
July 24, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – During a tied game in the sixth, Jacob Webb tossed a scoreless inning, allowing a walk. He returned for the seventh and gave up a lead-off single, prompting his removal.
- Cionel Pérez took over, issued a walk, and recorded an out on a sacrifice bunt, followed by Jazz Chisolm’s two RBI double and a Bryan De La Cruz RBI single, putting two earned on his ledger. Webb suffered his fifth loss and an earned run on his one batter faced in the seventh.
- Keegan Akin worked a scoreless bottom of the eighth, yielding a hit and striking out one.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
July 14, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Despite allowing a go-ahead three-run home run, resulting in his fifth blown save, Craig Kimbrel benefited from his team’s walk-off rally and collected his sixth win. After not appearing since July 7, the closer displayed signs of rust, issuing consecutive walks at the onset of the ninth with a one-run lead before serving up Ben Rice’s three-run shot. Kimbrel induced a Juan Soto groundout, struck out Aaron Judge, and retired Alex Verdugo on a flyout. He finished with a hit, three earned runs, and a walk while striking out one, throwing 28 pitches (13 strikes – 46.4 Strike%) with three whiffs.
- Yennier Cano secured his 24th hold, tossing 1.1 scoreless frames, giving up a hit and a walk.
- Cionel Pérez worked a scoreless combined inning, yielding a hit and striking out two for his 13th hold.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
July 7, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Shutting the door on his 23rd save, Craig Kimbrel tossed a scoreless ninth, preserving a three-run win in Oakland. He allowed a two-out single and recorded two strikeouts in his outing, throwing 12 pitches (75 Strike%) with three whiffs (25 SwStr%). He’s converted seven straight saves over seven scoreless appearances with 13 strikeouts against three walks since June 26.
- Yennier Cano secured his 23rd hold, working a scoreless eighth. He issued a walk and recorded two strikeouts.
- Jacob Webb notched his 12th hold, firing a clean seventh and striking out one.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
July 5, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Locking down his 22nd save, Craig Kimbrel preserved the one-run margin with a clean bottom of the ninth and recorded two strikeouts in Oakland. He threw 10 pitches (70 Strike%) and generated four whiffs against the 4-5-6 lineup pocket. He’s converted six straight saves, all hitless and scoreless, with 11 strikeouts versus three walks.
- Yennier Cano secured his American League-leading 22nd hold, allowing a hit and striking out one in a scoreless eighth.
- Jacob Webb notched his 11th hold with a clean seventh, striking out two.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
July 4, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Taking over a tied game in the bottom of the seventh, Bryan Baker suffered his first loss. He allowed a lead-off double by Julio Rodríguez, issued a walk, recorded a strikeout, loaded the bases with another walk, and departed after a second strikeout.
- Keegan Akin inherited a bases-loaded situation with two outs and allowed a bases-emptying J.P. Crawford double, breaking the game open. He also served up a solo home run by Mitch Garver in the seventh, resulting in two earned runs on his ledger during his 1.1 innings.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
July 3, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Baltimore: Not only did Craig Kimbrel fire a clean ninth for his 21st save of the season, he moved into fourth all-time, securing his 438th, surpassing Francisco Rodríguez. Only Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman, and Lee Smith have more saves in MLB history than Kimbrel. In this outing, he threw 18 pitches (11 strikes – 61.1 Strike%) and produced three whiffs (16.7 SwStr%) while striking out two in Seattle. He owns a modest five-game scoreless streak with a save in each appearance.
- Cionel Pérez notched his 12th hold, giving up a hit and striking out one in a scoreless eighth.
- Jacob Webb logged 1.1 scoreless frames, yielding a hit and striking out one for his tenth hold.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
July 2, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Completing the combined shutout and recording his 20th save, Craig Kimbrel worked around a lead-off hit-by-pitch (Luke Raley), a one-out hit batter (Jorge Polanco), with a groundout, followed by a game-ending strikeout of Julio Rodríguez. He threw 17 pitches (10 strikes – 58.8 Strike%) without a whiff while striking out two in his outing. The good news is that he’s riding a four-game scoreless streak with a save in each outing, and the two-hit batters do not affect his WHIP.
- Cionel Pérez retired the side in the eighth for his 11th hold.
- Yennier Cano stranded a runner and retired both batters, one via strikeout, while securing his 21st hold in the seventh.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
June 29, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Hanging on for his 19th save and second while preserving a one-run lead, Craig Kimbrel navigated around two walks for a scoreless ninth with a game-ending pop-out by Adolis García. Kimbrel threw 22 pitches (50 Strike%) and induced three whiffs (13.6 SwStr%). He’s been scoreless in eight of his last nine appearances, converting six of seven save opportunities while striking out 13 against five walks across nine innings.
- Cionel Pérez stranded a runner and gave up a hit in one-third of the eighth for his tenth hold.
- Jacob Webb allowed a solo home run (García) and walked one over two-thirds of the eighth, getting credit for his ninth hold.
- Yennier Cano fired a clean seventh and struck out one for his 20th hold.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
June 28, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Locking down his 18th save, Craig Kimbrel retired the side while striking out two against Texas. He threw 18 pitches (13 strikes – 72.2 Strike%) and induced one whiff. This marked his first save with a one-run margin of the season and moved him back into a tie for fifth all-time in saves (435).
- Cionel Peréz secured his ninth hold, navigating around two walks and striking out one in a scoreless eighth.
- Jacob Webb was awarded his eighth save despite letting one of three inherited runners score on an RBI walk. He recorded two outs and struck out one.
- Yennier Cano gets credit for his 19th hold. He issued three walks, resulting in an earned run, and recorded a strikeout in one-third of the eighth.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
June 26, 2024
(RP | BAL): Displaying no signs of rust, Craig Kimbrel recorded his 17th save, appearing for the first time in six days. He tossed a scoreless ninth, issuing a walk and striking out three while preserving a two-run win over Cleveland.
Analysis
Baltimore Orioles – Making his first appearance in six days, Craig Kimbrel shut the door on his 17th save. He issued a two-out walk (Josh Naylor) before inducing a game-ending strikeout, his third of the inning, while preserving a two-run win over the Guardians. He threw 18 pitches (11 strikes – 61.1 Strike%) and induced two whiffs. He’s converted four of five save chances in June while posting 11 strikeouts against three walks across eight games spanning 7.1 innings. Cionel Pérez retired the side in the eighth, recording his eighth hold.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
June 20, 2024
(RP | BAL): Taking over with a runner on and two outs in the fifth, Bryan Baker allowed a single before getting an inning-ending ground out. He collected his first win while tossing 1.1 scoreless innings, giving up a hit and a walk while striking out one in a lopsided contest.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
June 19, 2024
(RP | BAL): Taking over in the bottom of the tenth, Dillon Tate held on for his first save. He allowed a hit, an unearned run, and a walk while striking out one, closing out a one-run win over the Yankees.
Analysis
Baltimore Orioles – Surviving traffic in the bottom of the tenth, Dillon Tate recorded his first save despite giving up a hit, an unearned run, and a walk while striking out one. He was aided by a caught stealing of pinch-runner Oswaldo Cabrera for the second out of the inning. Craig Kimbrel collected his fifth win and his fourth blown save. With a one-run lead in the ninth, he allowed a lead-off double by Anthony Volpe, a flyout, and an RBi single by Giancarlo Stanton, tying the game. His final line was two hits against, and one earned run with one strikeout on 19 pitches (15 strikes – 78.9 Strike%) with three whiffs (15.8 SwStr%). Bryan Baker notched his second hold, yielding a hit in a scoreless eighth. Yennier Cano let both inherited runners score while serving up a home run by Stanton. Cano received credit for his 18th hold with a hit, an earned run, and a walk on his ledger over an inning pitched. Cionel Pérez gave up two hits, two earned runs, and two walks over one-third combined innings for his seventh hold.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
June 16, 2024
(RP | BAL): Forced into duty with the bases loaded and two outs, Yennier Cano induced a game-ending strikeout for his third save.
Analysis
Baltimore Orioles – In a game that took an unexpected turn, Yennier Cano secured his third save during a five-run win over the Phillies. He inherited a bases-loaded situation with two outs and struck out Edmundo Sosa, securing the win for his team. He’s allowed one unearned run over his last 11 appearances. Jacob Webb recorded two outs, but two players reached via error, and he was removed from his outing with the game hanging in the balance. Nick Vespi allowed a hit and a walk with two strikeouts during his combined inning; he faced one batter in the ninth. Cionel Pérez gave up two hits and an earned run while striking out one in the seventh.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
June 15, 2024
(RP | BAL): After warming up for the save, Craig Kimbrel pitched the ninth despite his team opening a four-run lead. He worked a scoreless appearance, issuing a lead-off walk and then striking out the next three batters against the Phillies’ 6-7-8 lineup pocket. He threw 16 pitches (11 strikes – 68.8 Strike%) and produced three whiffs (18.8 SwStr%). He owns a five-game scoreless streak and has been scoreless in 13 of his last 14.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
June 14, 2024
(RP | BAL): Following a rain delay, Jacob Webb took over in the top of the 11th. He issued an intentional walk to Bryce Harper and gave up a two-RBI double by Alec Bohm, resulting in his fourth loss.
Analysis
Baltimore Orioles – Tasked with the top of the 11th, Jacob Webb suffered his fourth loss, allowing two runs (one earned) on a two-RBI double by Alec Bohm following an intentional walk to Bryce Harper, and struck out one. Cionel Pérez let one of three inherited runners score, giving up a hit during his one-third of the tenth. Yennier Cano gave up a hit, an unearned run, and a walk while striking out one on two-thirds of the tenth. Craig Kimbrel kept the game tied with a scoreless ninth, yielding a hit (Bohm) and striking out one. Keegan Akin fired three clean frames and recorded four strikeouts.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
June 12, 2024
(RP | BAL): Nailing down his 16th save, Craig Kimbrel fired a clean top of the ninth, recording one strikeout while preserving a two-run win over Atlanta.
Analysis
Baltimore Orioles – Capping a two-run rally in the bottom of the eighth, Craig Kimbrel shut the door on his 16th save, retiring the side and striking out one against Atlanta. He threw 12 pitches (83.3 Strike%) and induced two whiffs (16.7 SwStr%) versus the 7-8-9 lineup pocket. He’s allowed one unearned run over his last 12 appearances with 13 strikeouts against one walk while converting all eight save chances. Keegan Akin suffered his second blown save, allowing Matt Olson a game-tying two-run home run. He also collected his second win courtesy of his team’s two-run rally at the frame’s bottom. Dillon Tate tossed two-thirds scoreless in the seventh, securing his second hold.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
June 11, 2024
(RP | BAL): Taking over with two runners on and two outs, Yennier Cano stranded both and struck out Austin Riley for his 17th hold.
Analysis
Baltimore Orioles – Completing a combined shutout, Dillon Tate worked around a one-out walk and recorded two strikeouts in the top of the ninth. Cionel Pérez navigated around a hit for a scoreless eighth. Yennier Cano notched his 17th hold, stranding two runners while striking out his only batter, Austin Riley, on six pitches (66.7 Strike%) with two whiffs (33.3 SwStr%). He’s recorded six holds during his eight-game scoreless streak with nine strikeouts versus four walks over 7.2 innings. Jacob Webb logged 1.1 scoreless frames, issuing a walk and striking out two for his seventh hold.
Updated Hierarchy: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Cionel Pérez
June 10, 2024
(RP | BAL): Shutting the door on his 15th save, Craig Kimbrel navigated around a lead-off walk with two strikeouts and a game-ending pop-out preserving a four-game sweep in Tampa Bay.
Analysis
Baltimore Orioles – With a three-run lead in the ninth, Craig Kimbrel recorded his 15th save. He worked around a lead-off walk with two strikeouts and a game-ending pop-out. He threw 20 pitches (45 Strike%) and induced one whiff. He’s allowed one unearned run over his last 11 appearances, spanning 10 innings, with 12 strikeouts against one walk and a 0.30 WHIP. Yennier Cano nailed down his 16th hold with a scoreless eighth, issuing a walk and striking out two. He owns an eight-game scoreless streak with five holds and eight strikeouts versus four walks over 7.1 innings.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
June 7, 2024
(RP | BAL): Finishing a three-run win over the Rays, Craig Kimbrel locked down his 14th save with a clean ninth.
Analysis
Baltimore Orioles – Save number 14 for Craig Kimbrel. He retired the side against the Rays’ 8-9-1 hitters on 14 pitches (8 strikes – 57.1 Strike%) with two whiffs (14.3 SwStr%). He’s allowed one unearned run over his last 10 outings while converting six saves with 10 strikeouts against zero walks. Yennier Cano tossed a scoreless eighth, allowing a walk and striking out two during his 15th hold. Jacob Webb stranded two runners in the sixth and logged 1.1 scoreless frames, yielding a hit for his sixth hold.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
June 5, 2024
(RP | BAL): Tasked with a tied game in the bottom of the ninth, Craig Kimbrel allowed a lead-off single, committed a throwing error on a pick-off attempt, and allowed a walk-off RBI single resulting in his second loss.
Analysis
Baltimore Orioles – Taking over a tied contest in the bottom of the ninth, Craig Kimbrel allowed Justin Turner’s lead-off single, who was replaced by a pinch-runner. An errant pick-off throw moved Cavan Biggio to second, and he advanced to third on a flyout before a walk-off RBI single by Isiah Kiner-Falefa, handing Kimbrel his second loss. He threw 10 pitches (90 Strike%) and produced one whiff. This snapped an impressive eight-game scoreless streak during which he did not allow a hit. Yennier Cano fired a clean eighth, striking out two. Danny Coulombe retired the side and struck out one in the seventh. Jacob Webb navigated around two hits and recorded a strikeout in a scoreless sixth.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
June 3, 2024
(RP | BAL): Taking over in the bottom of the seventh with two runners on and two outs, Yennier Cano induced an inning-ending flyout. He returned for the eighth and retired the side, earning his 14th hold. He threw 13 pitches (8 strikes – 61.5 Strike%) and produced a whiff.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
June 2, 2024
(RP | BAL): Entering in the seventh, Dillon Tate suffered his first loss and first blown save, allowing four hits and two earned runs during his 1.1 innings against the Rays.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
June 1, 2024
(RP | BAL): Entering in the top of the third, Jacob Webb stranded all three inherited runners and tossed 2.1 scoreless innings, giving up a walk and striking out one. He collected his first win, pitching ahead of his team’s rally in the bottom of the inning.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
May 31, 2024
(RP | BAL): Turning in a clean top of the ninth and striking out two, Craig Kimbrel recorded his 13th save, closing out a two-run win over Tampa Bay.
Analysis
Baltimore Orioles – Shutting the door on his 13th save, Craig Kimbrel fired a clean top of the ninth and recorded two strikeouts. He threw 15 pitches (60 Strike%) and induced two whiffs (13.3 SwStr%). He owns an eight-game scoreless streak with 10 strikeouts against zero walks. Through his 11 appearances in May, he posted a 14:3 K:BB while collecting a win, six saves, and four holds. Jacob Webb stranded a runner while retiring his only batter, notching his fifth hold. Danny Coulombe stranded two runners, issuing a walk and striking out two over a combined scoreless inning, securing his 12th hold. Yennier Cano allowed a hit and two walks over two-thirds scoreless in the seventh, getting credit for his 13th hold. Cionel Pérez earned his first win, retiring the side in the sixth and striking out one.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
May 26, 2024
(RP | BAL): Locking down his 12th save, Craig Kimbrel fired a clean bottom of the ninth, striking out one while closing out a win over the White Sox.
Analysis
Baltimore Orioles – Preserving a three-run win over the White Sox, Craig Kimbrel fired a clean bottom of the ninth, recording one strikeout for his 12th save. He threw 13 pitches (8 strikes – 61.5 Strike%) and induced one whiff. He’s riding a seven-game scoreless streak with a win, four saves, and two holds while posting eight strikeouts against zero walks. Yennier Cano retired his only batter faced for his 12th hold. Danny Coulombe lost the no-hit bid, giving up a solo home run (Danny Mendick), and struck out one over two-thirds of the eighth, getting credit for his 11th hold.
Hierarchy remains (mostly linear): Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
May 25, 2024
(RP | BAL): Filling in affably by firing a clean bottom of the ninth, Cionel Pérez recorded his first save this year, preserving a comeback win over the White Sox.
Analysis
Baltimore Orioles – Making the most of his ancillary save chance, Cionel Pérez closed out a four-run rally in the eighth by retiring the side in the ninth, striking out one. He threw 10 pitches (60 Strike%) and induced one whiff against the White Sox 7-8-9 batters. Dillon Tate earned his second win, firing 2.1 clean frames and striking out four on 22 pitches (81.8 Strike%) with seven whiffs (31.8 SwStr%). Keegan Akin allowed three hits, three earned runs, and three walks while striking out two over 1.2 innings.
Hierarchy remains (mostly linear): Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
May 24, 2024
(RP | BAL): Preserving a two-run win over the White Sox, Craig Kimbrel retired the side in the bottom of the ninth while securing his 11th save.
Analysis
Baltimore Orioles – Save number 11 for Craig Kimbrel, preserving a two-run win against the White Sox. He retired the 8-9-1 lineup pocket in order on six pitches (83.3 Strike%) and induced one whiff (16.7 SwStr%). He owns a modest six-game scoreless streak with six strikeouts against zero walks and 5.2 clean innings. Danny Coulombe notched his tenth hold, giving up a hit during a scoreless eighth. Yennier Cano gave up a game-tying solo home run by Andrew Vaughn and recorded two strikeouts. He was tagged with his third blown save and collected his third win courtesy of a two-run rally in the top of the eighth.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
May 23, 2024
(RP | BAL): With two runners on and one out in the ninth, Craig Kimbrel took over. He converted his 10th save, inducing an infield flyball and a rare instance of interference on the catch, ending the contest. He technically received credit for a two-out save on two pitches.
Analysis
Baltimore Orioles – A rare, two-pitch, two-out save was recorded by Craig Kimbrel. He entered with two runners on and induced an infield flyout, and the umpire ruled there was interference by the runner on the catch, ending the game. As a result, Kimbrel picked up his tenth save, retiring one batter for a two-thirds of an inning outing. Yennier Cano was called upon with the bases loaded and no outs but let all three inherited runners score on a hit-by-pitch and two-RBI single by Gavin Sheets. After he struck out Zach DeLoach, he was removed from the contest. Jonathan Heasley worked a combined inning, giving up two hits, four earned runs, and two walks. Jacob Webb turned in a scoreless seventh, yielding a hit. Danny Coulombe fired a clean sixth, striking out the side.
Updated Hierarchy: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
May 19, 2024
(RP | BAL): Back into the ninth inning, Craig Kimbrel notched his ninth save, retiring the side and striking out two against Seattle.
Analysis
Baltimore Orioles – Following an 11-day hiatus since his last save chance, Craig Kimbrel recorded his ninth save, and first since May 3, retiring the side while striking out two. He faced the Mariners’ 7-8-9 lineup pocket and threw 14 pitches (57.1 Strike%), inducing one whiff. This marked his fourth straight scoreless appearance. Cole Irvin logged two scoreless frames, yielding a hit for his first hold. Jacob Webb gave up a hit, two earned runs, and two walks without recording an out in the top of the seventh.
A second save chance in a row will remove the shared label, but this outing was encouraging.
Hierarchy remains: *Craig Kimbrel | *Yennier Cano | *Danny Coulombe
*= closer-by-committee
May 18, 2024
(RP | BAL): Taking over a tied game in the top of the eighth, Yennier Cano gave up a lead-off single followed by an RBI double to Julio Rodríguez, ceding the lead. He suffered his second loss, allowing two earned runs during his one-third of the eighth.
Hierarchy remains: *Craig Kimbrel | *Yennier Cano | *Danny Coulombe
*= closer-by-committee
May 17, 2024
(RP | BAL): Leading by three with two runners on and one out in the top of the seventh, Brandon Hyde called upon Yennier Cano as his “fireman”. He responded with a noteworthy HLR performance, inducing an inning-ending double play groundout by Dylan Moore. Cano recorded his 10th hold and threw three pitches, all strikeouts.
Hierarchy remains: *Craig Kimbrel | *Yennier Cano | *Danny Coulombe
*= closer-by-committee
May 15, 2024
(RP | BAL): Benefiting from a walk-off rally, Danny Coulombe collected his first win after tossing a scoreless top of the ninth while giving up a hit.
Analysis
Baltimore Orioles – After tossing a scoreless top of the ninth, working around a one-out double by Kevin Kiermaier, Danny Coulombe collected his first win courtesy of a walk-off rally in the bottom of the ninth. He threw 15 pitches (8 strikes – 53.3 Strike%) and induced one whiff. This outing extended his scoreless streak to seven games, spanning 6.1 innings with a save and two holds. Mike Baumann logged 1.2 scoreless frames, striking out one. Cionel Pérez turned in 1.1 scoreless innings, issuing a walk and striking out one. Jacob Webb issued three walks and recorded one strikeout during a scoreless fifth.
Hierarchy remains: *Craig Kimbrel | *Yennier Cano | *Danny Coulombe
*= closer-by-committee
May, 13, 2024
(RP | BAL): A tough luck loss for Jacob Webb, his second of the year, allowing a hit and an unearned run over 1.1 innings versus the Blue Jays.
Analysis
Baltimore Orioles – Entering the top of the tenth with two runners on, Keegan Akin allowed an RBI fielder’s choice ground out, intentionally walked Vlad Guerrero Jr., and induced an inning-ending fly out, but this handed Jacob Webb his second loss with an unearned run and a hit on his ledger over a 1.1 inning outing. Danny Coulombe stranded two runners in the eighth courtesy of an inning-ending double play ground out. Yennier Cano suffered his second blown save, allowing a game-tying solo home run (Daulton Varsho) and issued two walks while recording one out in the eighth. Craig Kimbrel notched his fourth hold, retiring the side in the seventh and striking out two. He threw 16 pitches (62.5 Stirke%) and produced one whiff. He owns a modest three-game scoreless streak.
Updated Hierarchy: *Craig Kimbrel | *Yennier Cano | *Danny Coulombe
*= closer-by-committee
May 11, 2024
(RP | BAL): Thrust into a high-leverage event, Craig Kimbrel took over in the top of the 11th, against the heart of the Diamondbacks’ lineup, and Corbin Carroll as the “place” runner. He turned in a scoreless outing, hitting a batter and striking out one, then collected his fourth win via a walk-off in the bottom of the frame.
Analysis
Baltimore Orioles – Entering in the top of the 11th, Craig Kimbrel navigated around the 3-4-5 Arizona lineup pocket, and Corbin Carroll represented as the “place” runner, hitting a batter (Christian Walker) but recording a scoreless outing, resulting in his fourth win courtesy of a walk-off. He threw 11 pitches (63.6 Strike%) and induced one whiff with one strikeout. Danny Coulombe worked a scoreless tenth, striking out one. Yennier Cano turned in a scoreless ninth, walking one. He’s been scoreless over his last eight appearances. Keegan Akin fired a clean eighth, striking out one. Mike Baumann stranded two runners and logged 2.1 scoreless frames, yielding a hit.
Updated Hierarchy: *Craig Kimbrel | *Yennier Cano | *Danny Coulombe
*= closer-by-committee
May 10, 2024
(RP | BAL): Benefiting from a different bullpen structure, Yennier Cano recorded his second save tossing a scoreless top of the ninth, navigating around a hit and striking out one while preserving a two-run win.
Analysis
Baltimore Orioles – In an intriguing usage pattern, Yennier Cano notched his second save, working around a lead-off double by Gabriel Moreno by retiring the next three batters, including one strikeout, closing out a two-run win over Arizona. He threw 16 pitches (62.5 Strike%) and produced two whiffs (12.5 SwStr%). He’s recorded a save in two of three outings and owns a seven-game scoreless streak with five strikeouts versus two walks over 6.2 innings. Cionel Pérez stranded a runner while hitting a batter and retiring one in the eighth for his fourth hold. Jacob Webb walked one during two-thirds scoreless in the eighth, securing his third hold. Craig Kimbrel fired a clean seventh, striking out one on 12 pitches (66.7 Strike%) with one whiff, and some loud contact. Albert Suárez let one of two inherited runners score on a hit and recorded an out in the sixth during his first hold.
Updated Hierarchy: *Craig Kimbrel | *Yennier Cano | *Danny Coulombe
*= closer-by-committee
May 8, 2024
(RP | BAL): Craig Kimbrel has only recorded one save, and one game-finished, over his last five appearances. He received credit for his second hold against Washington, but allowed a solo home run and two walks before being removed, resulting in two earned runs on his ledger over two-thirds of an inning.
Analysis
Baltimore Orioles – Outlasting the Nationals during a 12-inning contest, Jacob Webb earned his second save despite letting the “place” runner score on an RBI double by Luis García Jr., retiring the next three batters. He threw 10 pitches (70 Strike%) with one whiff. Albert Suárez collected his second win, giving up a hit, two runs (one earned), and a walk while striking out one over two innings. Keegan Akin suffered his first blown save, allowing one of two inherited runners to score on a game-tying RBI single by CJ Abrams during one-third of the ninth. Craig Kimbrel recorded two quick outs, then allowed a solo home run (Eddie Rosario), and issued two walks, resulting in his removal. He received credit for his second hold, allowing a hit, two earned runs, and two walks over two-thirds of the ninth, throwing 19 pitches (10 strikes – 52.6 Strike%) without a whiff. He’s given up a run in five of his last six outings. Cionel Pérez notched his third hold, logging 1.1 scoreless frames while walking one. Yennier Cano was credited with his ninth hold, giving up a hit and a walk over two-thirds scoreless in the seventh. Danny Coulombe retired the side in the sixth for his eighth hold.
Hierarchy remains (for now): Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
May 4, 2024
(RP | BAL): Taking over with runners on the corners and a one-run lead, Yennier Cano walked his first batter faced, loading the bases, but settled in recording a strikeout and a game-ending pop-out to shallow left-field.
Analysis
Baltimore Orioles – Forced into action with runners on the corners and one out, Yennier Cano took over in the bottom of the ninth with a one-run lead. He recorded his first save this season, working around a walk with a strikeout and a game-ending pop-out. He threw 14 pitches (9 strikes – 64.3 Strike%) and generated one whiff. He’s been scoreless over his last five appearances. Craig Kimbrel struggled working on consecutive days, allowing two hits, an earned run, and a walk during one-third of the ninth, getting credit for his first hold while throwing 18 pitches (50 Strike%). One wonders if his workload management will increase moving forward. Cionel Pérez turned in a scoreless eighth, yielding a hit.
Hierarchy remains (for now): Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
May 3, 2024
(RP | BAL): Not only did Craig Kimbrel display no signs of rust from his time off with an upper back issue, but he moved into a tie for fifth all-time on the career saves list firing a clean ninth and striking out the side versus the Reds for his eighth save this season (425th career save).
Analysis
Baltimore Orioles – Bouncing back from consecutive blown saves, Craig Kimbrel moved into a tie for fifth on the all-time list (425 saves with Kenley Jansen) by firing a clean ninth, striking out the side while closing out a 3-0 win over the Reds. He threw 16 pitches (75 Strike%) and generated four whiffs (25 SwStr%) during his eighth save. Danny Coulombe tossed a clean bottom of the eighth, securing his seventh hold. Yennier Cano stranded a runner and retired both batters faced in the seventh, notching his eighth hold.
Hierarchy remains (for now): Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
May 2, 2024
(RP | BAL): Entering in the top of the fifth, Keegan Akin stranded two runners, and collected his first win while tossing 1.1 innings, giving up a solo home run (Gleyber Torres) and a walk in his outing.
Analysis
Baltimore Orioles – During an eventual 7-2 victory over the Yankees, Keegan Akin stranded two runners, and collected his first win while tossing 1.1 innings, giving up a solo home run (Gleyber Torres) and a walk in his outing. Danny Coulombe recorded two outs, yielding a hit and striking out one over two-thirds scoreless. Jacob Webb fired 1.1 clean frames, striking out three on 13 pitches (84.6 Strike%) and producing four whiffs (30.8 SwStr%). Cionel Pérez tossed a clean ninth, closing a five-run win, and recorded two strikeouts.
Hierarchy remains (for now): Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
April 30, 2024
(RP | BAL): Locking down his first save, Jacob Webb retired all four batters, including three via strikeout, closing out a two-run win over the Yankees.
Analysis
Baltimore Orioles – Despite receiving treatment, closer Craig Kimbrel was not available in this contest, but Jacob Webb filled in affably, retiring all four batters faced, three via strikeout, for his first save of the season. He threw 15 pitches (11 strikes – 73.3 Strike%) and generated seven whiffs (46.7 SwStr%). He owns a 0.90 WHIP with 12 strikeouts versus three walks over his first 12 innings. Keegan Akin recorded two outs, and allowed a hit during two-thirds scoreless in the eighth.
Hierarchy remains (for now): Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
April 29, 2024
(RP | BAL): Preserving a combined shutout, Danny Coulombe recorded his first save, retiring all three batters faced, and stranding an inherited runner against the Yankees.
Analysis
Baltimore Orioles – Securing his first save of the season, and third of his career, Danny Coulombe stranded a runner while retiring the Yankees’ 8-9-1 batters in the bottom of the ninth, preserving a combined shutout. He threw 12 pitches (75 Strike%) and induced two whiffs (16.7 SwStr%). Yennier Cano did the heavy lifting, taking over against Aaron Judge in the seventh with a runner on, and retired four straight. He did give up a lead-off single in the ninth against Gleyber Torres before being lifted but notched his seventh save in the process. Cionel Pérez returned from the injured list and stranded two runners in the sixth while tossing a scoreless combined inning, yielding a hit for his first hold.
Hierarchy remains (for now): Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
April 28, 2024
(RP | BAL): Suffering his third blown save, and first loss, Craig Kimbrel issued a lead-off walk and gave up a go-ahead two-run home run (Kyle McCann) before being removed with a reported back issue.
Analysis
Baltimore Orioles – Forced into action, Dillon Tate retired all three batters faced in the top of the ninth, including one via strikeout, but the damage had been done. Craig Kimbrel suffered his first loss, and third blown save, issuing a lead-off walk and allowing a go-ahead, two-run home run (Kyle McCann), then left with the trainer (upper back injury per Brandon Hyde). He’s allowed at least a run in three straight and incurred a blown save over his last two outings. Yennier Cano notched his sixth hold, yielding a hit and striking out one during a scoreless eighth. Jacob Webb retired his only batter in the seventh for his second hold. Danny Coulombe was credited with his sixth hold, giving up a solo home run over two-thirds of the seventh.
Hierarchy remains (for now): Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
April 26, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Suffering his first loss, Jacob Webb let the “place” runner score on an RBI double by Brent Rooker and recorded a strikeout in the top of the tenth. Keegan Akin prevented further damage in the ninth, retiring both batters faced, one via strikeout, stranding the bases-loaded. Craig Kimbrel was tagged with his second blown save, giving up two hits, an earned run, and three walks over one-third of the ninth. He threw 24 pitches (33.3 Strike%) and induced three whiffs (12.5 SwStr%). Yennier Cano secured his fifth hold, firing 1.1 clean frames and striking out two, he also stranded a runner in the seventh. Danny Coulombe held on for his fifth hold, allowing a two-out double, and striking out one before being lifted.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
April 24, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Hanging on for his seventh save, Craig Kimbrel benefited from a game-ending ruling on a caught stealing. He gave up a lead-off infield single, and an unearned run when the runner reached third on a throwing error, then scored on a fielder’s choice groundout. Jo Adell drew a two-out walk and was thrown out at second, ending the game. Kimbrel threw 19 pitches (11 strikes – 57.9 Strike%), generating four whiffs (21.1 SwStr%) while allowing a hit, a walk, and striking out one. Danny Coulombe recorded his fourth hold, retiring both batters faced, striking out one. Yennier Cano notched his fourth hold, giving up a solo home run (Zach Neto), and striking out two over a combined inning. Jacob Webb let his only inherited runner score on a home run, putting an earned run on his ledger while striking out two during a combined inning.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
April 22, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Although he dealt with traffic on the bases, Craig Kimbrel secured his sixth save, capping a 4-2 win over the Angels. His outing began with a hit batter (Jo Adell) and a single by Logan O’Hoppe, with runners on the corners following a stolen base, Kimbrel recorded a strikeout, issued a walk loading the bases, induced a pop-out, and ended the game on a Mike Trout strikeout. He threw 23 pitches (14 strikes – 60.9 Strike%) while inducing two whiffs. He owns a 0.50 WHIP with 16 strikeouts against one walk over 10 innings. Jacob Webb retired his only batter faced for his first hold in the eighth. Yennier Cano let one of two inherited runners score in the seventh while logging 1.2 scoreless frames, giving up a hit. Mike Baumann allowed two hits, two earned runs, and a walk with a strikeout in one-third of the seventh, receiving credit for his second hold.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
April 20, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Benefiting from two strong plays by his defense, Craig Kimbrel retired the side for his fifth save, and moved into a tie for seventh all-time, with Billy Wagner at 422 each. He threw nine pitches (66.7 Strike%) and induced one whiff. He owns a 0.33 WHIP with 14 strikeouts versus zero walks over nine innings. Mike Baumann notched his first hold, retiring one batter and stranding a runner in the eighth. Keegan Akin gave up a hit and struck out one over two-thirds of the eighth for his third hold. Yennier Cano was credited with his second hold, allowing two hits, an earned run, and a walk while striking out one during one-third of the seventh. He also let an inherited runner score.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
April 17, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Taking over a tied game in the top of the ninth, Craig Kimbrel retired the side and recorded one strikeout. He collected his third win following a walk-off rally in the bottom of the inning. He threw 12 pitches (66.7 Strike%) and produced one whiff. He owns a 0.38 WHIP with 14 strikeouts versus zero walks through his first eight innings. Yennier Cano worked a scoreless eighth, walking one and striking out two. Keegan Akin stranded a runner while retiring his only batter faced via strikeout in the seventh. Jacob Webb suffered his first blown save, allowing two hits and an earned run while striking out one over one-third of the seventh. Danny Coulombe was credited with his third hold despite giving up an earned run and a walk over two-thirds combined innings.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
April 15, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Nailing down his fourth save, Craig Kimbrel fired a clean ninth, striking out two, closing out a 7-4 win over the Twins. He threw 13 pitches (10 strikes – 76.9 Strike%) and produced two whiffs (15.4 SwStr%). He owns a 0.45 WHIP with 11 strikeouts versus zero walks over his first six innings. Yennier Cano held on for his second hold, but let both inherited runners score while allowing two hits and recording two strikeouts during his 1.2-inning outing. Keegan Akin gave up two hits and two earned runs while striking out one in one-third of the seventh. Dillon Tate collected his first win, working 1.1 scoreless innings, and yielding a hit.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
April 14, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Hanging on for his third save, Craig Kimbrel navigated around two hits courtesy of three strikeouts in the top of the ninth, preserving a two-run win over Milwaukee. He threw 21 pitches (71.4 Strike%) and induced three whiffs (14.3 SwStr%). He’s posted a 0.50 WHIP with 11 strikeouts versus zero walks through his first six innings. Danny Coulombe recorded his second hold, striking out over two-thirds scoreless in the eighth, stranding a runner. Yennier Cano collected his second win, allowing two hits, an earned run on a solo home run, and striking out one during his 1.1 innings. Jacob Webb worked a scoreless sixth, yielding two hits.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
April 11, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Pitching on consecutive days, Craig Kimbrel collected his second win, retiring the side in order and striking out one in the bottom of the ninth. He threw 15 pitches (46.7 Strike%) without recording a whiff. He’s posted a 0.20 WHIP with eight strikeouts versus zero walks over five innings. Mike Baumann finished the contest, giving up an RBI double, and scoring the “place” runner during the tenth. Yennier Cano only faced one batter in the eighth but did not return for the ninth, perhaps with an eye on a save chance tomorrow. Danny Coloumbe suffered his first blown save, serving up a game-tying, pinch-hit home run over two-thirds of the eighth. Jacob Webb fired 1.1 clean frames, striking out one.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
April 10, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Locking down his second save, Craig Kimbrel fired a clean bottom of the ninth, recording two strikeouts. He threw 13 pitches (9 strikes – 69.2 Strike%) and produced three whiffs (23.1 SwStr%). He owns a 0.25 WHIP with seven strikeouts versus zero walks through his first four innings. Keegan Akin notched his second hold, tossing two scoreless frames, walking one, and striking out four. Mike Baumann collected his first win, turning in a scoreless sixth, yielding a hit and striking out three.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
April 7, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Traffic in high-leverage events creates havoc. Yennier Cano suffered his first loss and first blown save, allowing consecutive hits leading off the ninth while protecting a one-run lead. He issued Connor Joe a walk, loading the bases before inducing a fielder’s choice ground-out. With one out, another ground ball fielded by Gunnar Henderson, who forced out the runner at second, then threw wide of first, scoring two runs, resulting in a walk-off. Cano gave up two hits, two runs (one earned), and a walk over two-thirds of the ninth, throwing 20 pitches (50 Strike%). Keegan Akin secured his first hold, retiring the side in order in the eighth.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
April 6, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Suffering his first loss, Jonathan Heasley allowed a walk-off RBI single by Oneil Cruz, scoring the “place” runner in the bottom of the 11th. Danny Coulombe stranded the bases loaded in the 10th, retiring all three batters faced and recording one strikeout. Mike Baumann got tagged with his first blown save, giving up a hit, an unearned run, and two walks without recording an out in the 10th. Craig Kimbrel fired a clean ninth, striking out one keeping the game tied. He threw 15 pitches (60 Strike%) while getting one whiff. Jacob Webb tossed a scoreless eighth, yielding a hit and striking out two. Keegan Akin turned in a scoreless seventh, allowing a hit and striking out two. Dillon Tate stranded two runners while retiring both batters in the sixth.
Hierarchy remains: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
April 5, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Nailing down his first save, Craig Kimbrel fired a clean ninth, striking out two while preserving a three-run win in Pittsburgh. He threw 13 pitches (9 strikes – 69.2 Strike%) and induced two whiffs (15.4 SwStr%). Yennier Cano retired the side in order in the eighth, recording two strikeouts for his first hold on 11 pitches (63.6 Strike%) with two whiffs (18.2 SwStr%). Danny Coulombe notched his first hold, tossing two-thirds scoreless and striking out one in the seventh.
Updated Hierarchy: Craig Kimbrel | Yennier Cano | Danny Coulombe
April 3, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Benefiting from a walk-off rally, Yennier Cano collected his first win after firing a clean top of the ninth and striking out one. He threw 10 pitches (80 Strike%) and generated three whiffs (30 SwStr%). He’s turned in 3.1 scoreless frames early on with three strikeouts against one walk.
April 1, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – As far as blown saves come, this was a tough one for Craig Kimbrel during his team debut. With one out, he allowed an opposite-field bloop single, then pinch-runner Dairon Blanco stole second and third, then scored on a sacrifice fly, tying the game, before an inning-ending strikeout of Bobby Witt Jr. However, Kimbrel collected his first win courtesy of a walk-off home run in the bottom of the frame. He threw 23 pitches (15 strikes – 65.2 Strike%) with one whiff. Yennier Cano navigated around two hits and a walk while striking out one over 1.1 scoreless innings. Keegan Akin tossed 1.1 scoreless frames, yielding a hit and striking out one.
March 20, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Facing his former team, Craig Kimbrel fired a clean fifth, striking out the side against the 1-2-3 lineup pocket, including using a change-up for the first time since 2018, though it’s not confirmed by Statcast data. He’s been scoreless over his last four outings with a 6:2 K:BB over four innings. Yennier Cano struggled in the sixth, giving up two hits, two earned runs, and three walks in two-thirds of an inning.
March 16, 2024
Baltimore Orioles – Appearing in the sixth inning, Craig Kimbrel issued a walk and recorded two strikeouts during a scoreless outing. Following his rough start this spring, he’s scoreless in his last three contests with three strikeouts. He’s on schedule for Opening Day, and his manager agrees in this column by Jake Rill for MLB.com. As for his last hurdle, working on consecutive days will be the last test for the veteran reliever. He enters this season eighth in MLB history with 417 saves.
October 1, 2023
Baltimore Orioles – Felix Bautista was trying to see if he could pitch with a torn UCL to help his team in the playoffs but they finally decided it wasn’t going to work. Bautista will have Tommy John surgery and likely miss all of 2024.
Hierarchy remains: Cano | Perez | Coulombe.
September 29, 2023
Baltimore Orioles – Baltimore won its 100th game Thursday and clinched the AL East title for the first time in nine years. Their strong bullpen carried them to the end in a tight game. After Yennier Cano and Cionel Perez finished things off in the eighth, former starter Tyler Wells shut the Red Sox down in the ninth for his first save. Perez has pitched in a lot of late-and-close situations lately and deserves recognition in this hierarchy. Shintaro Fujinami, meanwhile, will get the boot now that his ERA is near 5.00 in his time with Baltimore.
Updated hierarchy: Cano | Perez | Coulombe.
September 24, 2023
Baltimore Orioles – Yennier Cano was called in to put a fire out in the 8th inning, and with the rest of the Baltimore hierarchy resting the save chance fell to Cionel Perez. Perez converted for his 3rd save on the year. With the Orioles having locked up a playoff spot, don’t expect them to stretch their top arms too far heading into the postseason.
Hierarchy remains: Cano | Fujinami | Coulombe.
September 20, 2023
Baltimore Orioles – With the Orioles leading by four, Jack Flaherty was in line for a three-inning vulture save. However, he allowed a leadoff single in the bottom of the ninth. Yennier Cano, who had pitched the previous two days, entered and gave up a single before inducing a double play. After a walk, which included a wild pitch, Brandon Hyde lifted Cano for Cionel Perez, who struck out Jordan Alvarez to collect the save.
Hierarchy remains: Cano | Fujinami | Coulombe.
September 6, 2023
Baltimore Orioles – With Yennier Cano getting the night off, DL Hall got the ball with a one-run lead in the ninth after the Orioles rallied to take the lead in the top half of the frame. That advantage was short lived, however, as Hall promptly blew the save. In the 10th inning, the Orioles retook the lead and Shintaro Fujinami picked up his second save of the season.
Hierarchy remains: Cano | Fujinami | Coulombe.
August 27, 2023
Baltimore Orioles – As we alerted yesterday, Felix Bautista has been placed on the IL with “some degree of injury” to his UCL. The severity of the injury isn’t yet known, but any UCL injury is likely to keep Bautista out for the rest of the regular season. Yennier Cano, already one of the best relievers in the game, got the save chance in Bautista’s spot last night, and is an immediate must add in any league where he is available. Meanwhile, the Orioles called up DL Hall to take the roster spot, and he immediately got an 8th inning save. The Orioles are fortunate to have a few good options going forward, but Cano is clearly at the top of this hierarchy.
Updated hierarchy: Cano | Fujinami | Coulombe.
August 26, 2023
Baltimore Orioles – Felix Bautista will head to the IL with “some degree of injury” to his UCL. Yennier Cano will likely see the bulk of the save chances while Bautista is out, with Shintaro Fujinami and Danny Coulombe setting up Cano.
Updated hierarchy: Cano | Fujinami | Coulombe.
August 26, 2023
Baltimore Orioles – Felix Bautista got the first two outs of the 9th inning but then left the game with arm discomfort. Manager Brandon Hyde hopes he will be ok today but we will keep an eye on this and alert you if Bautista will miss an extended period of time. Danny Coulombe recorded the one out save yesterday, but Yennier Cano would likely see the bulk of the save chances if Bautista is forced to go on the IL.
Hierarchy remains: Bautista | Cano | Fujinami.
August 14, 2023
Baltimore Orioles – With Felix Bautista getting the day off, the Orioles still used setup man Yennier Cano in the 8th inning, leaving the 9th to Mike Baumann, who promptly blew the save. Shintaro Fujinami ended up shutting the door in extra innings for his first career save. (By the way, Cedric Mullins was the real story of this game, as he robbed a homer then hit a go-ahead homer minutes later, but we don’t really care about hitters that much.)
Hierarchy remains: Bautista | Cano | Fujinami.
August 11, 2023
Baltimore Orioles – With Danny Coulombe on the IL, we welcome Shintaro Fujinami to the hierarchy.
Updated hierarchy: Bautista | Cano | Fujinami.
August 5, 2023
Baltimore Orioles – Bryan Baker was the odd man out when the Orioles acquired Jack Flaherty, and was optioned to AAA. He is likely to be back up in the majors when rosters expand, but look for Danny Coulombe to get more high leverage looks in the meantime.
Updated hierarchy: Bautista | Cano | Coulombe.
July 25, 2023
Baltimore Orioles – With most of the Orioles hierarchy on the shelf due to heavy usage, Cionel Perez was the man summoned for the 9th inning. He converted for his first save of the season.
Hierarchy remains: Bautista | Cano | Baker.
July 20, 2023
Baltimore Orioles — Baltimore’s acquisition of Shintaro Fujinami from Oakland could have some late-inning implications. His surface stats don’t look great, but he’s striking out lots of batters and pushing 100 mph with his fastball in shorter appearances.
Hierarchy remains: Bautista | Cano | Baker.
July 17, 2023
Baltimore Orioles — The Orioles turned to Eduard Bazardo to protect a five-run lead on Sunday, but he gave up three quick hits against only one out. Felix Bautista and Yennier Cano had each pitched in two straight, and Bryan Baker finished the eighth with a man on, so Danny Coulombe entered to finish things off. Coulombe let two more runs in, but ultimately retired Luis Arraez on a sharp line drive to earn his first save of the season.
Hierarchy remains: Bautista | Cano | Baker.
May 26, 2023
Baltimore Orioles — Score one for the Vulture Save Watch, as Felix Bautista got the night off Thursday after going in the previous two, leaving the ninth inning for Yennier Cano, who allowed his first walk of the season and just his second run but closed things out for his fourth save.
Hierarchy remains: Bautista | Cano | Baker.
May 11, 2023
Baltimore Orioles — The Vulture Save Watch correctly projected Yennier Cano’s third save of the season on Wednesday. The word “hero” is thrown around a lot these days, but I think we can all agree: this is where it fits.
Hierarchy remains: Bautista | Cano | Baker.
May 1, 2023
Baltimore Orioles – As forecast in the Vulture Save Watch, Yennier Cano got his 2nd save of the year. For those keeping track, he also extended his 0.00 WHIP streak past the “perfect game” mark, as he’s now gone 9.2 innings this season without allowing a baserunner.
Hierarchy remains: Bautista | Cano | Baker.
April 25, 2023
Baltimore Orioles – Cuban-born Yennier Cano made his MLB debut last season, and his cup of coffee in the bigs yielded an 11.50 ERA across 18 innings, so you’d be forgiven if he wasn’t on your radar coming into the season. But the 29-year-old righty made some mechanical tweaks in the offseason, and the results have been nothing short of spectacular. Cano has now faced 21 hitters in 2023 and retired every single one. That’s right, a 0.00 WHIP across 7 innings, including 9 strikeouts and his first save of the season last night, as he spelled a resting Felix Bautista. Cano’s 95-mph sinker, which sports some absurd late movement, along with his change-up that seems to defy physics, have been his most notable weapons so far. We’ll see how long he can maintain this form.
Updated hierarchy: Bautista | Cano | Baker.
March 30, 2023
Baltimore Orioles — Mychal Givens left a simulated game on Sunday with pain in his left knee and is expected to start the season on the injured list. Bryan Baker haunted the hierarchy last year in his rookie season and should slide right in again.
Updated hierarchy: Bautista | Perez | Baker.
March 13, 2023
Baltimore Orioles — There’s a lot of optimism in Baltimore after a surprising 83-win season in 2022 – an astonishing 31-win improvement from 2021. Part of the resurgence can be attributed to a strong back half of the bullpen, led by 6-foot-8 Felix Bautista, who had 15 saves, a 2.19 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, and 12.1 K/9 last season. Bautista is a little slow to start things this spring but should be ready for Opening Day. Dillon Tate, meanwhile, will start the season on the IL as he works his way back from a flexor/forearm strain. Look for Cionel Perez and a returning Mychal Givens to fill out the back end of a strong unit.
Starting 2023 hierarchy: Bautista | Perez | Givens.
Holds candidates: Perez, Givens, Bryan Baker, DL Hall, Keegan Akin, and (eventually) Tate.
October 3, 2022
Baltimore Orioles – Felix Bautista is being shut down for the season with knee discomfort. It’s not serious and won’t affect his offseason, but the Orioles, who had a spirited season but ultimately fell short of the playoffs, are being cautious. Look for Dillon Tate to grab any remaining saves.
Updated hierarchy: Tate | Perez | Baker.
October 3, 2022
Baltimore Orioles – Felix Bautista is still day to day with some knee soreness, so the Orioles gave Sunday’s save chance to Dillon Tate, who converted for his 5th save of the season.
Hierarchy remains: *Bautista | Tate | Perez.
* = closer-by-committee
October 1, 2022
Baltimore Orioles – Felix Bautista was brought in with a man on 1st and no outs in the 8th inning to face the 9-1-2 hitters of a tie game. He pitched well (including an intentional pass to Aaron Judge) which left the save chance to rookie DL Hall. Hall struck out 2 on the way to his first career save. Both Dillon Tate and Cionel Perez threw 20+ pitches yesterday so it wasn’t too surprising to see them get a rest, but the bigger news is that Bautista appeared to injure his leg after throwing a pitch, but stayed in the game to finish the inning. After the game the Orioles announced that Bautista had a sore knee, and he is being listed as day to day. With only 5 games left in the season, a day to day designation may well be the end of the season for Bautista, so we will slap a committee tag on this bullpen, and Dillon Tate may be worth a speculative add if you are chasing those last few saves.
Hierarchy remains: *Bautista | Tate | Perez.
* = closer-by-committee
September 10, 2022
Baltimore Orioles – Although Felix Bautista was rested yesterday it was Dillon Tate who got the last out of the 8th inning and stuck around for the 9th in a 1 run game. Tate secured his 4th save of the year. After the game it came out that Bautista was dealing with some arm fatigue after a long outing on Tuesday, and that he should be back before long. While the hope is he’s ready for tonight, we may see Tate again as he only threw 15 pitches last night.
Hierarchy remains: Bautista | Tate | Perez.
August 27, 2022
Baltimore Orioles – As the vulture save watch predicted, it was Dillon Tate getting the save as Felix Bautista got the night off. Cionel Perez actually was brought out for the 9th inning first, but after putting the tying run on base, Dillon Tate came in for the last out and his 3rd save of the season. Bautista should resume as the primary closer today.
Updated hierarchy: Bautista | Tate | Perez.
August 9, 2022
Baltimore Orioles – Felix Bautista looked like the clear choice after Jorge Lopez was traded, and now, he’s received and converted both save chances for the Orioles since the deal. We’re removing this very short-lived asterisk.
Updated hierarchy: Bautista | Tate | Perez.
August 6, 2022
Baltimore Orioles – The first post-Jorge Lopez save chance went to Felix Bautista, as we anticipated following the trade. Bautista converted, and could kick this asterisk quickly if he gets the next chance or two.
Hierarchy remains: *Bautista | Tate | Perez.
* = closer-by-committee
August 3, 2022
Baltimore Orioles – The Orioles traded closer Jorge Lopez to the Twins on Tuesday. Brandon Hyde said that Felix Bautista, Dillon Tate and Cionel Perez are candidates to close depending on matchups. We’ll put an asterisk here for now based on Hyde’s comments, but Bautista should be the clear favorite for save chances most nights.
Updated hierarchy: *Bautista | Tate | Perez.
August 2, 2022
Baltimore Orioles – The Orioles traded Jorge Lopez to the Twins, which means Felix Bautista will take over the ninth inning in Baltimore.
Updated hierarchy: Bautista | Tate | Perez.
July 29, 2022
Baltimore Orioles – Jorge Lopez got the day off after pitching in two straight, leaving Felix Bautista to record four outs (three by strikeout) for his third save.
Hierarchy remains: Lopez | Bautista | Tate.
July 17, 2022
Baltimore Orioles – Joey Krehbiel came on for the last out in the bottom of the 11th inning and recorded his first career save. Jorge Lopez got the win after pitching a scoreless bottom of the 9th and allowing just the ghost runner to score in the bottom of the 10th. Dillon Tate pitched earlier in the game but Felix Bautista was not available due to upper body soreness. We will monitor to see how serious Bautista’s injury is.
Hierarchy remains: Lopez | Bautista | Tate.
July 4, 2022
Baltimore Orioles – Jorge Lopez and Felix Bautista both got Sunday off, allowing Dillon Tate to pick up his second save of the year. If only there was a bullpen-centric website that had some kind of WATCH that could predict when players like Tate could potentially VULTURE a SAVE like this. Ah, well. It’s a good idea, anyway.
Hierarchy remains: Lopez | Bautista | Tate.
June 28, 2022
Baltimore Orioles – Keegan Akin got a 3.1 inning save on Monday night, finishing a game the Orioles won 9-2 for his first save of the season. Akin now has 19 appearances on the season, all of which have gone two innings or longer, a role that seems to suit him, as he’s sitting on a 2.35 ERA and 0.86 WHIP. In very deep or AL-only leagues, he’s a potential percentages contributor, though he’s likely to garner many holds.
Hierarchy remains: Lopez | Bautista | Tate.
June 23, 2022
Baltimore Orioles — Rookie Nick Vespi — just one of several relievers quietly having an excellent season for Baltimore this year — pitched a clean sixth inning with a three-run lead and wound up with an unexpected save when the game was rained out.
Hierarchy remains: Lopez | Bautista | Tate.
June 13, 2022
Baltimore Orioles – Jorge Lopez had gone in two straight, so he got Sunday off, allowing Cionel Perez to pick up his first save of the season. Perez, a 26-year-old lefthander, doesn’t have the best control (19 IP, 19 Ks, 11 BBs), but he’s managed a 0.95 ERA despite his 1.42 WHIP thus far.
Hierarchy remains: Lopez | Bautista | Tate.
June 12, 2022
Baltimore Orioles – Dillon Tate picked up his 8th hold of the season setting up a Jorge Lopez save yesterday. Tate gave up a run, but it was the first run he allowed in over 3 weeks. That’s enough to get Tate back on the hierarchy where his 1.84 ERA on the season fits in nicely with Felix Bautista’s 1.82 and Lopez’s 0.93.
Updated hierarchy: Lopez | Bautista | Tate.
May 29, 2022
Baltimore Orioles – Jorge Lopez got the last four outs of a 4-2 Orioles victory yesterday to pick up his 6th save of the season. Lopez has recorded both Orioles’ saves since returning from the IL and that’s enough to kick the asterisk. Lefty Cionel Perez got the hold ahead of Lopez and lowered his ERA to 0.60 (although his 1.40 WHIP suggests that might not be sustainable).
Updated hierarchy: Lopez | Bautista | Perez.
May 14, 2022
Baltimore Orioles – Jorge Lopez was activated from the bereavement list on Friday, but with the Orioles losing there was no reason to call on him. Lopez was running away with the job before missing time, but Felix Bautista emerged as a contender for the closers spot with a pair of saves. Lopez has pitched well enough that he comes back to the top of the hierarchy, but Bautista has pitched well enough that he puts the asterisk back in Baltimore.
Updated hierarchy: *Lopez | Bautista | Tate.
* = closer-by-committee
May 13, 2022
Baltimore Orioles – Felix Bautista is on fire. He has two saves in two tries with Jorge Lopez on the bereavement list, including a four-out one on Thursday, and his stuff (he had nine 100+ mph pitches on Thursday alone) is off the charts. He’s ahead of Dillon Tate now. Lopez has been impressive this year, so we think he gets the job back once he’s activated, which could happen as soon as Friday, but he might not hold it all season.
Updated hierarchy: *Bautista | Tate | Krehbiel.
* = closer-by-committee
May 11, 2022
Baltimore Orioles – Jorge Lopez was placed on the bereavement list on Tuesday and will miss the next 3-7 days. As we suspected, Dillon Tate got the first save chance, but he was unable to complete the job, which allowed for Felix Bautista to get the final out for his first career save. Brandon Hyde said after the game he liked that matchup for Bautista, but it’s also easy to like a guy that can throw 102 on back-to-back nights. We’ll welcome Bautista into the hierarchy and see if he continues to garner high-leverage looks.
Updated hierarchy: *Tate | Bautista | Krehbiel.
* = closer-by-committee
May 10, 2022
Baltimore Orioles – Jorge Lopez was placed on the bereavement list and will miss the next 3-7 days. Look for Dillon Tate to lead a closer by committee until his return.
Updated hierarchy: *Tate | Baker | Fry.
* = closer-by-committee
April 24, 2022
Baltimore Orioles – Jorge Lopez struck out a pair in a scoreless 9th inning to record his 4th save of the season. Lopez has solidified himself as the closer for the Orioles and that means one less committee for fantasy owners to worry about.
Hierarchy Remains: Lopez | Tate | Baker
April 23, 2022
Baltimore Orioles – The Orioles once again turned to Jorge Lopez to protect a 9th inning lead, and he converted for his 3rd save of the year. After the Sulser trade, the Orioles did not seem to have much direction in their bullpen, but Lopez has taken his chances and run with them. No other Orioles reliever has a save on the season. Lopez looks like the guy to own in Baltimore, you know, provided there actually is a “guy to own” in Baltimore. One more clear save and he’ll kick the asterisk.
Hierarchy Remains: *Lopez | Tate | Baker
* = closer-by-committee
April 16, 2022
Baltimore Orioles – The beneficiaries of the walk off walk, the Orioles rolled through a lot of their bullpen in their 11 inning win over the Yankees. One player who didn’t pitch was Paul Fry, who had a rough 2 inning outing on April 10, and has only pitched once since then. In a tie game every inning is high leverage and Bryan Baker got the 9th and 2 outs of the 10th, which is enough for him to slide into the (still pretty bad) Baltimore hierarchy.
Updated hierarchy: *Lopez | Tate | Baker.
* = closer-by-committee
April 12, 2022
Baltimore Orioles – Jorge Lopez picked up the save on Monday, pitching a scoreless 9th inning. Dillon Tate pitched the 7th inning, while Paul Fry didn’t appear, having thrown 42 pitches on Sunday. Lopez doesn’t exactly profile as a closer — he’s a 29-year-old with career a 7.6 K/9 rate who walks almost half as many guys as he strikes out — but one thing he has going for him is that he’s a converted starter, meaning that he might be able to throw a touch harder in his current relief role. At any rate, he’s the only Oriole with a save so far this year, which is enough to move him to the top of this dreadful committee for the time being.
Updated hierarchy: *Lopez | Tate | Fry.
* = closer-by-committee
April 9, 2022
Baltimore Orioles — If you’re reading the tea leaves of the Baltimore bullpen, yesterday left things as cloudy as ever. Dillon Tate pitched a clean 7th inning of a tie game. He stayed for 1 batter in the 8th, who singled and Tate was lifted for Jorge Lopez. Lopez didn’t get hit very hard, but a sacrifice fly put Tate on the hook for the loss. Paul Fry retired the only batter he faced. One name that didn’t make it into yesterdays game, but is worth keeping an eye on is Felix Bautista, who has an overpowering fastball and may demand high leverage spots sooner rather than later. It’s safe to say that this is a going to be a committee approach, and its probably best to stay away until the dust clears a bit.
Updated hierarchy: Tate* | Fry | Lopez.
April 3, 2022
Baltimore Orioles — Baltimore traded away Cole Sulser and Tanner Scott on Sunday, leading to wholesale changes in their late-innings hierarchy. It looks like Dillon Tate is most like to close, with Paul Fry and Jorge Lopez also in the mix.
Updated hierarchy: Tate | Fry | Lopez.
March 23, 2022
Baltimore Orioles — The Orioles probably aren’t going to be a surefire source of saves again this season, but if you are looking to Baltimore, Cole Sulser is probably the best bet to start the year. That’s because Brandon Hyde plans to stretch out Tyler Wells. If Wells ends up in the bullpen, he’ll likely be at the top of the Orioles’ committee that includes Sulser, Paul Fry, Tanner Scott and maybe even Jorge Lopez.
Starting 2022 hierarchy: Sulser | Fry | Scott.
Holds candidates: Fry, Scott, Lopez.
September 26, 2021
Baltimore Orioles – Cole Sulser rewarded us for putting him at the top of the Baltimore committee with a save on Tuesday night. The Orioles play the Red Sox two more times, so Sulser should see at least one more save chance this week.
Hierarchy remains: *Sulser | Tate | Abad
* = closer-by-committee
September 26, 2021
Baltimore Orioles – Readers of the Vulture Save Watch knew that Tyler Wells wouldn’t get a save chance yesterday, but it turns out Wells will be out for the rest of the season, as the Orioles placed him on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation. Cole Sulser was unavailable after pitching back to back days, which left the save chance to Dillon Tate. Tate converted for his 3rd save on the year. We think Sulser will be the main source of Orioles saves down the stretch, but if Baltimore has multiple save chances this week, Tate or Fernando Abad could snag another.
Updated hierarchy: *Sulser | Tate | Abad
* = closer-by-committee
September 25, 2021
Baltimore Orioles – The Orioles placed Tyler Wells on the injured list Saturday with right shoulder inflammation. He will miss the rest of the rest of the season. Cole Sulser will be the main source of Orioles saves down the stretch, with Dillon Tate and Fernando Abad also in the mix.
Updated Hierarchy: Sulser* | Tate | Abad
* = closer-by-committee
September 11, 2021
Baltimore Orioles — When manager Brandon Hyde wasn’t picking fights with Robbie Ray, he was cycling his bullpen, giving the ball to Cole Sulser with a 3 run lead in the 8th inning and letting him stay for the 9th. Sulser converted for his seventh save of the year. After the game Hyde said that Tyler Wells was not available last night, but he would be available today for a double header, and if you have to own a Baltimore reliever, Wells is still your best bet.
Hierarchy remains: *Wells | Sulser | Tate.
* = closer-by-committee
September 1, 2021
Baltimore Orioles — For the first time in exactly a month, we can write about a Baltimore reliever earning a save. Cole Sulser, who had his team’s last save on July 31, tossed a 1-2-3 ninth inning to close out a 4-2 win. While committee leader Tyler Wells entered the game in the seventh inning, it was a pivotal spot; with the Orioles clinging to a 4-2 lead, Wells faced Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with two on and two out. Wells retired Guerrero Jr. to end the frame and then pitched a scoreless eighth to save the Orioles the embarrassment of going one whole month without a save.
Hierarchy remains: *Wells | Sulser | Tate.
* = closer-by-committee
August 13, 2021
Baltimore Orioles — Tyler Wells returned from the injured list on Thursday and pitched a clean ninth inning in a two-run loss. Brandon Hyde says that he still intends to use Wells primarily in a closer role, so we’ll reinstate him to the head of the Baltimore committee.
Updated hierarchy: *Wells | Sulser | Tate.
* = closer-by-committee
August 1, 2021
Baltimore Orioles — With the Orioles protecting a three-run lead yesterday, Dillon Tate pitched a scoreless 8th inning and Tanner Scott got the call to start the 9th inning in a save situation. Unfortunately for anybody who might own Scott in fantasy, he was not able to secure the save (he couldn’t even secure one out) as he loaded the bases for the second straight outing. Cole Sulser came on to bail Scott out and pick up his second straight save. We mentioned yesterday that Sulser could see more saves and after this impressive appearance, we will move him up to the head of this committee.
Updated hierarchy: *Sulser | Tate | Fry.
* = closer-by-committee
July 31, 2021
Baltimore Orioles — In non-trade related bullpen news, after Tanner Scott and Dillon Tate struggled through the 8th inning, the Orioles used Cole Sulser to close out a 1 run game. A perfect 9th earned him his 4th save on the year. Since blowing a save on July 11, Sulser has yet to give up a run over 7 appearances, which is good enough to get him back onto the hierarchy. It could also lead to more saves in a wide-open bullpen so keep an eye on this if you are desperate for saves and interested in tracking a bullpen for one of the worst teams in baseball.
Updated hierarchy: *Tate | Scott | Sulser.
* = closer-by-committee
July 25, 2021
Baltimore Orioles — Dillon Tate struck out a pair in a scoreless ninth inning to preserve an Orioles’ win and earn his second save of the season. Tanner Scott pitched the eighth inning ahead of Tate. This was the second day in a row that the Orioles used Scott and Tate in that order so that’s enough for us to move Tate to the head of this committee.
Updated hierarchy: *Tate | Scott | Fry.
* = closer-by-committee
July 24, 2021
Baltimore Orioles — Baltimore had an intriguing late-innings option emerging in Tyler Wells, so naturally, he was placed on the injured list, retroactive to Tuesday, with tendinitis in his wrist. Brandon Hyde expects Wells to return after the minimum 10-day stay, but for now, the Orioles are back to a bullpen gallimaufry of Tanner Scott, Paul Fry, Dillon Tate, and Cole Sulser.
Hierarchy remains: *Scott | Fry | Tate.
* = closer-by-committee
July 22, 2021
Baltimore Orioles — If you’re the type of masochist who enjoys owning Baltimore relievers, you’re probably really relishing the three singles and a walk Tanner Scott dished out to blow the save in a one-run ninth on Wednesday. Pick up Tyler Wells, whose slow-motion takeover of the ninth certainly wasn’t hurt by Scott’s performance, and see what fresh pain he can deliver!
Hierarchy remains: *Wells | Scott | Fry.
* = closer-by-committee
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 got the 9th when the Orioles were up four on Friday, and he’s got great strikeout numbers: 55 of them in 43.2 innings. Look for Wells, who was shaky to start the year but has posted a 0.63 WHIP across June and July, to continue contending for 9th inning chances here going forward.
Updated hierarchy: *Wells | Scott | Fry.
* = closer-by-committee
July 18, 2021
Baltimore Orioles — Paul Fry picked up the win yesterday, but it was because he came on in the fifth inning. Fry hasn’t gotten a save since June 4th and his ERA has jumped two runs in that time. Cole Sulser recorded the Orioles’ most recent save but has struggled since, giving up at least one run in his last three appearances. Tanner Scott struck out a pair in a scoreless inning yesterday and has the lowest ERA in the Orioles’ bullpen so we will move him to the top of the committee, but we wouldn’t recommend to rush out and pick up any Orioles’ reliever.
Updated hierarchy: *Scott | Sulser | Fry.
* = closer-by-committee
July 3, 2021
Baltimore Orioles — The Orioles placed Hunter Harvey on the IL yesterday with a lat strain. Harvey, Baltimore’s presumptive closer coming into the season, has struggled through various injuries, and this most recent hit will keep him out another month. Meanwhile, Paul Fry took the loss last night and has seen his ERA balloon from 1.78 to 3.77 in the past few weeks. Cole Sulser has picked up a couple saves over a five-game scoreless streak, but even if he takes Fry’s job, he faces the ultimate fate of every Baltimore reliever: a trade to a contender that will use him in the sixth inning.
Hierarchy remains: *Fry | Sulser | Scott.
* = closer-by-committee
July 1, 2021
Baltimore Orioles — After Tanner Scott was lights-out in the fifth and sixth, the Orioles called on Paul Fry for four outs and Cole Sulser for the last five, flipping the usual recent script for a successful save in Houston. We’ll keep Fry at the top of the committee for now, but Sulser (2.12 ERA, 13 K/9) could be making his move — or, more likely, his audition to get moved.
Updated hierarchy: *Fry | Sulser | Scott.
* = closer-by-committee
June 30, 2021
Baltimore Orioles — Dillon Tate retired both batters he faced in the seventh inning to protect a one-run lead. The Orioles then scored five runs in their half of the eighth before tacking on four more in the ninth. Unlike last night, Brandon Hyde stayed away from his usual high-leverage options with a big lead and allowed Tate to finish the game and earn his first career save. If you had Adam Plutko in your lineup on Monday and then picked up Tate for Tuesday, send us a screenshot so we can see how good you are at Photoshop.
Hierarchy remains: *Fry | Sulser | Harvey.
* = closer-by-committee
June 29, 2021
Baltimore Orioles — Paul Fry pitched the eighth in a tie game and was sent back out for the ninth even after the team took a five-run lead. This was colossally dumb, and three singles and a hit batsman later, the O’s needed Adam Plutko to intervene for a save. In fairness, manager Brandon Hyde may have been playing first base for the Winston-Salem Warthogs the last time Baltimore scored five in the ninth.
Hierarchy remains: *Fry | Sulser | Harvey.
* = closer-by-committee
June 26, 2021
Baltimore Orioles — Cole Sulser earned an extra-inning save as the Orioles ended their 20-game road losing streak in Toronto. Paul Fry had already pitched in the ninth.
Hierarchy remains: *Fry | Sulser | Harvey.
* = closer-by-committee
June 5, 2021
Baltimore Orioles – Hunter Harvey was activated from the IL and will not have any restrictions. He was immediately tossed into the 6th inning of a tie game, and although he gave up a run on a pair of hits, he didn’t factor into the decision as the Orioles came back to win the game. Harvey was the presumptive closer entering the year, but Paul Fry and Cole Sulser have pitched very well in his absence. We will put Harvey second in line and see how Baltimore deploys him coming off his injury.
Updated hierarchy: *Fry | Sulser | Harvey.
* = closer-by-committee
June 2, 2021
Baltimore Orioles – The Orioles snapped their 14-game losing streak on Tuesday, but with Paul Fry unavailable, Cole Sulser pitched the ninth to earn his first save of the season. Sulser has strung together eight straight scoreless appearances to lower his ERA to 1.74 and has pitched a lot better lately than Cesar Valdez. In other news, Hunter Harvey looked sharp in a rehab appearance last night and could be activated as soon as today.
Updated hierarchy: *Fry | Sulser | Valdez.
* = closer-by-committee
May 26, 2021
Baltimore Orioles – Cesar Valdez got roughed up on Monday, giving up three runs to blow the save. Valdez’s ERA has grown from 1.23 to 3.93 over his last five outings. Brandon Hyde said on Tuesday that his closer choice will be a “mixed bag,” but it sounds like Paul Fry will get some more opportunities to close games. We’ll move Fry to the top of what is now a committee based on Hyde’s comments and Valdez’s struggles.
Updated hierarchy: *Fry | Valdez | Scott.
* = closer-by-committee
May 11, 2021
Baltimore Orioles – Paul Fry pitched a perfect 8th inning with 2 Ks on Monday, earning his fifth hold of the season. The outing lowered his ERA to 1.26 for the year, and he’s likely surpassed Tanner Scott — who has been mostly effective but has struggled with control issues — as the handcuff in Baltimore.
Updated hierarchy: Valdez | Fry | Scott.
April 21, 2021
Baltimore Orioles — Cesar Valdez fittingly recorded the final four outs of Tuesday’s win for his fourth save of the year, which means we say goodbye to the asterisk. It’s also time to say goodbye to Shawn Armstrong and his 18.00 ERA. Paul Fry recorded the first two outs of the eighth on Tuesday and sports a 1.23 ERA, having not allowed a run since his first appearance of the season on April 5.
Updated hierarchy: Valdez | Scott | Fry.
April 17, 2021
Baltimore Orioles — With a 3 run lead in the 9th the Orioles went with Cesar Valdez to close out the game. He pitched a clean inning for his third save of the year. The only other reliever to record a save for Baltimore was Paul Fry in extra innings. While the Orioles announced that their closer’s role would be a committee with Hunter Harvey out, Valdez seems ready to kick the asterisk, and one more clean save will be enough to do it.
Hierarchy remains: *Valdez | Scott | Armstrong.
* = closer-by-committee
April 8, 2021
Baltimore Orioles — Extra-inning saves tend to go to whatever reliever is still around when the visitors take the lead, and for Baltimore on Wednesday night, that was Paul Fry.
Hierarchy remains: *Valdez | Scott | Armstrong.
* = closer-by-committee
April 4, 2021
Baltimore Orioles — Cesar Valdez picked up his second save in two days for the Orioles and that moves him to the top of the committee. Manager Brandon Hyde said that he didn’t want to use Valdez or Tanner Scott in back-to-back games early in the season, but admitted after the game that he “lied a little bit” about that. And you wonder why the Monkey has trust issues…
Updated hierarchy: *Valdez | Scott | Armstrong.
* = closer-by-committee
April 3, 2021
Baltimore Orioles — John Means turned in a gem to open the season for the Orioles, and turned the ball over to Tanner Scott for a scoreless eighth, leaving the first save chance of the Baltimore committee to Cesar Valdez. Valdez was warming up in the seventh in case Means ran into trouble, but Brandon Hyde ultimately opted to save him for the ninth. Valdez was one of Baltimore’s best relievers in 2020, but the Orioles say they want to stretch him out as a starter. As long as he’s in the bullpen, he has a chance at saves, so we’ll add him to the committee.
Hierarchy remains: *Scott | Valdez | Armstrong.
* = closer-by-committee
April 2, 2021
Baltimore Orioles — Opening Day was rained out for the Orioles. When the season starts Friday, they’ll be without committeeman Shawn Armstrong, who is on paternity leave.
Hierarchy remains: *Scott | Armstrong | Fry.
* = closer-by-committee
March 26, 2021
Baltimore Orioles — Brandon Hyde confirmed that it’ll be a committee handling Baltimore’s closing duties in Hunter Harvey’s absence, but with Cesar Valdez getting stretched out to possibly start, we think Tanner Scott, Shawn Armstrong, and Paul Fry have the best shots. The sheer number of options (including Cole Sulser, Dillon Tate, and Travis Lakins) — and, just as importantly, their mediocrity — continues to counsel against trusting this ‘pen at all.
Updated hierarchy: *Scott | Armstrong | Fry.
* = closer-by-committee
March 13, 2021
Baltimore Orioles — Hunter Harvey is expected to miss several weeks with a left oblique injury. With Harvey sidelined, this opens the door for guys like Cesar Valdez and Tanner Scott to take over the ninth inning.
Updated hierarchy: *Valdez | Scott | Armstrong.
* = closer-by-committee
March 3, 2021
Baltimore Orioles — It appears former first-round pick Hunter Harvey will get his chance to close, assuming he can stay healthy. He worked on building arm strength and durability during the offseason, and the O’s will be mindful of keeping him fresh, too. It’s not a very deep bullpen for the rebuilding Orioles, but Cesar Valdez and Tanner Scott will likely compete for some late-inning looks. Holdovers Shawn Armstrong and Paul Fry might also factor into the holds conversation.
Updated hierarchy: Harvey | Valdez | Scott.
Holds candidates: Valdez, Scott, Armstrong, Fry.
September 21, 2020
Baltimore Orioles – Cesar Valdez picked up his second save of the season on Sunday, pitching after Hunter Harvey threw a scoreless 1.1 innings. With only six Orioles games remaining, they could spread whatever remaining opportunities they have around, or they could run with Valdez, who has tallied the team’s only two saves since Aug. 24.
Updated hierarchy: *Valdez | Harvey | Scott.
* = closer-by-committee
September 12, 2020
Baltimore Orioles — Okay, yes, we failed to notice that Evan Phillips got sent down last week, but be honest; you did too. We have Paul Fry at second in line now, but it could also be Dillon Tate, Travis Lakins, Cole Sulser, Brett Richards, or Cesar Valdez. The most amazing thing is that we made only one of those names up.
Updated hierarchy: *Harvey | Scott | Fry.
* = closer-by-committee
September 5, 2020
Baltimore Orioles — Long reliever Cesar Valdez helped the Orioles break their 19-game losing streak to the Yankees with two scoreless innings that earned him his first career save.
Hierarchy remains: *Harvey | Scott | Phillips.
* = closer-by-committee
August 31, 2020
Baltimore Orioles – Brandon Hyde indicated Monday that he wants to give Cole Sulser some lower-leverage outings after his recent struggles; Hyde said he plans to mix and match in the ninth inning. With Miguel Castro on his way to New York, we’ll look to Hunter Harvey and Tanner Scott to contend for saves.
Updated hierarchy: *Harvey | Scott | Phillips.
* = closer-by-committee
August 31, 2020
Baltimore Orioles – Cole Sulser blew the save and took the loss on Sunday, marking his third loss in his last four outings. With Mychal Givens having been dealt to the Rockies, there aren’t many standout arms you’d want to own here, but if you’re desperate for saves, this might want to watch this bullpen.
Updated hierarchy: Sulser | Castro | Harvey.
August 30, 2020
Baltimore Orioles – Hunter Harvey is close to returning from the IL, but the Orioles don’t plan to immediately throw him into the closer’s role. Once he does return, this will turn into a committee, as even when Harvey does get the ninth inning, he won’t be pitching on consecutive days.
Hierarchy remains: Sulser | Givens | Castro.
August 24, 2020
Baltimore Orioles – Lefty Tanner Scott came into the game after Mychal Givens’ pitch count started to elevate and proceeded to give up a 2-run home run and a single. A quick mound visit later and Scott settled(?) down to induce a game-ending groundout for his first career save. Cole Sulser had gotten the day off after a long outing Saturday.
Updated hierarchy: Sulser | Givens | Castro.
August 12, 2020
Baltimore Orioles – In a wild game on Tuesday in Philadelphia, Travis Lakins bailed out Paul Fry by recording the final out of the 10th inning to collect his first career save. Lakins can thank Miguel Castro and Cole Sulser for the opportunity, as they combined to allow five earned runs in the final two innings.
Hierarchy remains: Sulser | Castro | Givens.
August 9, 2020
Baltimore Orioles – Miguel Castro picked up his first save of the season yesterday. Cole Sulser picked up the 8th inning hold. Don’t read too much into that usage. Sulser pitched the 8th because he needed to get some work in and was warming up when the Orioles were losing. Sulser should still be the guy but Casto has passed Givens as first in line behind him.
Updated hierarchy: Sulser | Castro | Givens.
August 3, 2020
Baltimore Orioles – Cole Sulser picked up his third save of the season on Sunday with a clean 2-inning effort against the Rays. All indications are that he’s the full time stopper at this point, so we’re removing his asterisk.
Updated hierarchy: Sulser | Givens | Castro.
August 1, 2020
Baltimore Orioles — It was curious, in a tight game against the Rays, to see Richard Bleier held out of action. After Baltimore picked up the win, news broke that Bleier had been traded to the Marlins, as bullpen support in the event that they play another game this year. Meanwhile, Cole Sulser picked up his second save; although his split-finger fastball makes him a valuable weapon against lefties, leaving Brandon Hyde unlikely to limit him to the ninth inning, Sulser clearly leads this committee.
Updated hierarchy: *Sulser | Givens | Castro.
* = closer-by-committee
July 30, 2020
Baltimore Orioles – Cole Sulser, who picked up the team’s first save, was tried again in the closer’s role Thursday as the Orioles were trying to stop a 17-game losing streak against the Yankees. That streak continued when Sulser coughed up a go-ahead, three-run homer to Aaron Judge and took the loss. Had Sulser converted, it would have been hard to argue he wasn’t the O’s closer, but even so, he looks to be trending in the right direction for more save chances and we’ll move him to the top of the committee.
Updated hierarchy: *Sulser | Givens | Bleier.
* = closer-by-committee
July 27, 2020
Baltimore Orioles – Cole Sulser, who we had totally heard of before yesterday, pitched the final two innings of Sunday’s game for the Orioles, picking up his first career save. The 30-year-old righty had logged 7 big league appearances to that point — all with Tampa Bay last year — and is still sporting a 0.00 career ERA. Watch out, Ed Walsh. Seriously though, this was a strong outing, and while we’re leaving Mychal Givens and Richard Bleier at the top of the committee (they worked the last two innings in the Orioles’ victory on Saturday), we’ll slot Sulser in right behind them.
Updated hierarchy: *Givens | Bleier | Sulser.
* = closer-by-committee
July 24, 2020
Baltimore Orioles — Presumed Baltimore saves leader Hunter Harvey was placed on the injured list with elbow soreness. He’ll be out at least one week. Old friend Mychal Givens likely gets the crack at the gig out of the gate.
Updated hierarchy: *Givens | Bleier | Armstrong.
* = closer-by-committee
July 20, 2020
Baltimore Orioles — The shorter season makes it more likely that closer-in-waiting Hunter Harvey will start out with a chance to claim the job. We’ll hedge with the committee asterisk, but Harvey is absolutely the class of this bullpen.
Updated hierarchy: *Harvey | Givens | Bleier.
* = closer-by-committee
February 24, 2020
Baltimore Orioles — We start with what should be one of the worst bullpens in baseball again in 2020. Baltimore’s relief arms had an AL-worst 5.63 ERA last season (amazingly, only the eventual champion Nationals were worse at 5.66). The Orioles did nothing to improve their relief corps, so we believe Mychal Givens opens the year as the default closer. Givens had 11 saves with a 4.57 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 12.3 K/9 mark last year, and could become a valuable trade chip if he starts hot, especially given the strikeout rate. A group that includes Richard Bleier, Miguel Castro and former first round pick Hunter Harvey could compete for saves and holds and what should be a muddy situation all season.
Starting 2020 hierarchy: Givens | Bleier | Harvey.
Holds candidates: Bleier, Harvey, Castro, Paul Fry.
September 23, 2019
Baltimore Orioles — Richard Bleier grabbed a two-inning save on Sunday.
Hierarchy remains: *Givens | Armstrong | Fry.
* = closer-by-committee
September 19, 2019
Baltimore Orioles — Hunter Harvey was supposedly recovered from last week’s biceps soreness, but Brandon Hyde let Miguel Castro blow a four-run lead in the ninth without so much as getting Harvey up. After the game, Hyde confirmed that Harvey would be shut down for the rest of the season. This is a big deal: it’s no exaggeration to say that a healthy Harvey down the stretch could have been the difference between a 51-111 Orioles team no one wants to watch and a 53-109 Orioles team no one wants to watch.
Updated hierarchy: *Givens | Armstrong | Fry.
* = closer-by-committee
September 4, 2019
Baltimore Orioles – Brandon Hyde chose to play the matchups in the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader with the Rays, going to Mychal Givens in the eighth inning and leaving southpaw Richard Bleier to face two lefties due up in the ninth. Bleier recorded a 1-2-3 inning for his third, and most likely final, save of the season.
Hierarchy remains: *Givens | Armstrong | Harvey.
* = closer-by-committee
September 2, 2019
Baltimore Orioles – Shawn Armstrong returned from the IL on Sunday; consider him one of a handful of Orioles who could get a save chance down the stretch.
Updated hierarchy: *Givens | Armstrong | Harvey.
* = closer-by-committee
August 28, 2019
Baltimore Orioles — Hunter Harvey maintained his 0.00 ERA on Tuesday, but his fourth big-league appearance was a little less smooth than the 1-2-3 eighth we wrote about a week ago. Facing the top of the Nationals’ order, Harvey induced a ground out, allowed a triple, recorded a strike out and then walked the next two batters to load the bases. He maintained his composure, however, and fanned Asdrubal Cabrera to end the threat and protect a 2-0 lead. Harvey has great stuff and should continue to see more high-leverage work whenever the Orioles can provide it for him.
Updated hierarchy: *Givens | Harvey | Fry.
* = closer-by-committee
August 24, 2019
Baltimore Orioles — Shawn Armstrong has landed on the IL with a forearm strain, but he’s expected to return in early September. This could be a chance to see how rookie Hunter Harvey handles high-leverage work, assuming the Orioles get any.
Updated hierarchy: *Givens | Fry | Harvey.
* = closer-by-committee
August 21, 2019
Baltimore Orioles – Mychal Givens recorded his 10th save of the season Tuesday night, which means the Orioles now have the same amount of saves as the Red Sox (24). More exciting than that though was the 1-2-3 eighth-inning performance by rookie Hunter Harvey, who breezed through the frame thanks to plenty of 99-100 mph stuff. Harvey has been beleaguered by injuries but has now thrown two straight scoreless innings to open his big-league career. We won’t be surprised if Harvey gets a few more high-leverage innings down the stretch.
Hierarchy remains: *Givens | Armstrong | Fry.
* = closer-by-committee
August 5, 2019
Baltimore Orioles – The Orioles hadn’t recorded two saves in two days since April 1-2, but they managed the feat Saturday and Sunday, with the latter save going to Shawn Armstrong. Armstrong, Mychal Givens, and Paul Fry will likely continue to share save chances here on the occasional nights when the Orioles have one. None of them are worth owning in shallow leagues; even in standard-sized leagues they’re probably only for those who are truly desperate.
Hierarchy remains: *Givens | Armstrong | Fry.
* = closer-by-committee
August 4, 2019
Baltimore Orioles — Mychal Givens was needed for a key out in the 7th inning of a tie game. After the Orioles took the lead, Givens came back out for a scoreless 8th but that left Paul Fry for the 9th. Fry responded with a scoreless inning for his third save of the year. The Orioles continue to use Givens for the highest leverge situations, even if they come before the 9th, and that should allow Fry and Shawn Armstrong to continue to pick up the occasional save.
Hierarchy remains: *Givens | Armstrong | Fry.
July 31, 2019
Baltimore Orioles — Shawn Armstrong pitched the final two innings of the Orioles’ 8-5 victory to earn his third save of the season. It is notable that potential trade target Mychal Givens did not pitch, though Brandon Hyde could have just wanted to ensure Givens got three straight days off (the Orioles don’t play today) after throwing 60 pitches over four days. If Givens is traded, Armstrong should take over the ninth inning while Givens will see his fantasy value plummet even lower than it already is for a 36-win team.
Hierarchy remains: *Givens | Armstrong | Fry.
July 26, 2019
Baltimore Orioles — For the first time since the invention of the save, a position player has earned one, making a mockery of highly-paid closers and, frankly, rendering this entire website obsolete. Center fielder Stevie Wilkerson and his 55 MPH cheese retired Albert Pujols in the sixteenth inning to do the honors. With an ERA (2.25) more impressive than his batting average (.227), Wilkerson might have an outside chance at cracking this hierarchy.
Hierarchy remains: *Givens | Armstrong | Fry.
* = closer-by-committee
July 6, 2019
Baltimore Orioles — Mychal Givens was unavailable last night with soreness from a diving tag on Wednesday, so the Orioles turned to Paul Fry to close out a three-run game. Givens should be back this weekend, but Baltimore continues to be in all-out committee mode. If you’re desperate enough to roster an Oriole reliever, Fry is an option, although Givens remains the best bet for saves when healthy.
Updated hierarchy: *Givens | Armstrong | Fry.
* = closer-by-committee
July 4, 2019
Baltimore Orioles — Mychal Givens pitched in a tied eighth inning, and the Orioles exploded off Jose Alvarado to take a six-run lead. Richard Bleier created a save situation with three runs allowed, and Shawn Armstrong converted it with a strikeout.
Hierarchy remains: *Givens | Armstrong | Castro.
* = closer-by-committee
June 17, 2019
Baltimore Orioles – After converting a save earlier in the week, Mychal Givens had another dreadful outing on Sunday, blowing the save in the 9th and then giving up three additional runs in the 10th. The Orioles don’t have much else, so there isn’t a clear candidate for the next save chance here, but it’s certainly safe to say that it might not be Givens.
Hierarchy remains: *Givens | Armstrong | Castro.
* = closer-by-committee
June 9, 2019
Baltimore Orioles — With Mychal Givens unavailable and Shawn Armstrong pitching in three of the previous four games, the Orioles went with Miguel Castro to close out a 4-1 victory. He retired all four batters that he faced for his second save of the season. Castro has not allowed a run in his last 9.1 innings and could see more time in the later innings if he keeps that up.
Updated hierarchy: *Givens | Armstrong | Castro.
* = closer-by-committee
June 6, 2019
Baltimore Orioles — Shawn Armstrong was the first reliever out of the bullpen to protect a one-run lead in the seventh. Our guess is that Mychal Givens’s break from the ninth inning is over and he’ll get the next shot, but nothing is clear yet.
Updated hierarchy: *Givens | Armstrong | Fry.
* = closer-by-committee
June 5, 2019
Baltimore Orioles – What’s the best way for a former closer to try and get their job back? For Mychal Givens, it’s to watch your teammates Josh Lucas (2 BB, 3 ER) and Richard Bleier (4 H, 3 ER) combine to allow six runs in the bottom of the ninth. With a 12-5 lead now at 12-11 and the tying run on first, Brandon Hyde finally called on Givens to salvage a victory. Givens struck out Delino DeShields on three pitches before a failed pickoff attempt moved that tying run to second base. Givens then needed his catcher to make a perfect throw to first on a third strike that went all the way to the backstop to end the game. Shawn Armstrong, Paul Fry and Branden Kline had all pitched already, so Hyde didn’t have too many other options when the game got close again. It’s worth noting that Givens has put together two straight scoreless outings in high-leverage spots, so perhaps he is beginning to regain Hyde’s trust.
Hierarchy remains: *Armstrong | Fry | Kline.
* = closer-by-committee
June 1, 2019
Baltimore Orioles – With Baltimore holding a three-run lead, it turned to Richard Bleier to get the last two outs of the eighth inning. Shawn Armstrong was warming up in case Bleier got in trouble, but with a three-run lead to play with, Bleier stuck around for the ninth to record his second save of the year. Bleier’s numbers are pretty bad overall, but pretty average for the Orioles, who are still in search of a consistent closing option. Bleier will have to get his ERA under 7 before he can be trusted with the late innings, but his progress is worth monitoring if you’re desperate for potential holds.
Hierarchy remains: *Armstrong | Fry | Kline.
* = closer-by-committee
May 28, 2019
Baltimore Orioles – After demoting Mychal Givens earlier in the day, the Orioles turned to Shawn Armstrong to protect a 2-run lead in the 9th inning. Armstrong made it through just allowing a walk to earn his first save, and we’d guess he continues to get chances until he falters.
Updated hierarchy: *Armstrong | Fry | Kline.
* = closer-by-committee
May 27, 2019
Baltimore Orioles — After eight earned runs, three losses, and two blown saves in his last four appearances, Mychal Givens will get a break from the high-stress Oriole ninth. Manager Branden Hyde anointed the vaunted “whoever” to get the next shot, and our guess is that will mean Shawn Armstrong (2.70 ERA since joining the Orioles from Seattle), Paul Fry (fairly effective lefty), or Branden Kline (9.2 K/9). If you want to take a chance on someone who — best-case! — could pick up a save twice a week, those are your prospects.
Updated hierarchy: *Armstrong | Fry | Kline.
* = closer-by-committee
May 26, 2019
Baltimore Orioles — Josh Lucas (not this Josh Lucas) pitched the final three innings in an Orioles’ win to pick up his first career save. Although Lucas would have been credited with a save regardless of the score since he pitched the last three innings, it was a 3-run game and a regular save chance in the 9th. Lucas has mostly been used in long relief so he won’t crack the hierarchy yet but anybody who has success in the Orioles’ bullpen has a chance to move up quickly.
Hierarchy remains: Givens | Fry | Armstrong.
May 25, 2019
Baltimore Orioles — Mychal Givens entered a 6-6 game in the ninth inning and promptly gave up a two-run walk-off bomb. This is Givens’ third straight appearance where he took the loss, ballooning his ERA to 5.64. Givens still has some job security mostly due to how bad the rest of Baltimore’s bullpen is, but three losses in a row is cause for concern.
Hierarchy remains: Givens | Fry | Armstrong.
May 17, 2019
Baltimore Orioles — Richard Bleier was activated from the injured list and thrust into action Thursday, allowing two runs in 1.2 innings in another lopsided loss for the O’s. The performance actually improved his ERA to 13.50. He might be one of the team’s best relievers, but it’s hard to imagine him anywhere near a save situation right now.
Hierarchy remains: Givens | Fry | Armstrong.
May 5, 2019
Baltimore Orioles — After not recording any of the first four saves for the Orioles, Mychal Givens has now picked up the last three, including closing out yesterday’s 3-0 victory. Newly acquired Shawn Armstrong bridged the gap from the starter to Givens yesterday and given the lack of interesting arms at the back end of the Orioles’ bullpen, he could continue to see work in that role.
Updated hierarchy: Givens | Fry | Armstrong.
May 2, 2019
Baltimore Orioles — Mychal Givens pitched well in Wednesday’s opener and picked up his second save of the year. Unfortunately for the Orioles, the rest of the bullpen is a revolving door of Quad-A arms and Miguel Castro, who at least loves his mom. Givens got the nightcap off and Evan Phillips — who pitched a perfect eighth — put two runners on to start the ninth. After one out from Paul Fry, in came Castro, followed quickly by a loss. At second in line, we’ll slot Phillips (12.3 K/9) over Branden Kline, Castro, and Shawn Armstrong (recently claimed on waivers), but this is strictly bookkeeping. None of these guys are rosterable.
Updated hierarchy: Givens | Fry | Phillips.
April 19, 2019
Baltimore Orioles – Mychal Givens had a chance to finally pick up his first save on Thursday, but he blew it by allowing a game-tying homer. The Orioles still won the game, but Givens will have to give it a go another time. Chances will be few and far between for the O’s this season.
Hierarchy remains: *Givens | Fry | Yacabonis.
* = closer-by-committee
April 12, 2019
Baltimore Orioles – The Orioles placed Richard Bleier on the injured list with shoulder tendinitis, an injury the team believes is related to a torn left lat from last year. There’s no timetable for his return. In his place, let’s turn to the one remaining player with a hold or save AND an ERA under 10.00: Jimmy Yacabonis (1-0, 1 HLD, 2.25 ERA). Others like Mike Wright (12.79 ERA) and Miguel Castro (11.57 ERA) could ascend if they start pitching better.
Updated hierarchy: *Givens | Fry | Yacabonis.
* = closer-by-committee
April 10, 2019
Baltimore Orioles – The Orioles’ bullpen has been one with little clarity this year, and few pitchers are standing out in a positive way. Richard Bleier gave up four runs on four hits Tuesday to push his ERA to 14.54. Miguel Castro was no better, allowing four runs on five hits to send his ERA to 11.57. Paul Fry (1.57 ERA, 0.88 WHIP) is probably the most likely person to get a save chance other than Mychal Givens at this point. One name to also keep an eye on is recent call-up Evan Phillips. He went unscored upon in eight appearances this spring, and in his 2019 debut yesterday he threw three scoreless innings with four strikeouts.
Updated hierarchy: *Givens | Fry | Bleier.
* = closer-by-committee
April 6, 2019
Baltimore Orioles – Pitching for the first time since Sunday, Mychal Givens was sort of used like a relief ace in Thursday’s contest after he entered the 8th inning and helped get the O’s out of a jam to keep a one-run deficit intact. However, Givens put two men on in ninth and Miguel Castro allowed a home run to Yankees DH Luke Voit, forcing in both of Givens’ runners. The O’s bullpen remains very much in committee mode with how Givens has been used to start the year.
Hierarchy remains: *Givens | Bleier | Fry.
* = closer-by-committee
April 3, 2019
Baltimore Orioles – With Mychal Givens still recovering from a 49-pitch outing on Sunday, Paul Fry pitched two scoreless innings before handing the ball to Miguel Castro for the save chance. Castro allowed a solo homer but hung on to become the fourth different Oriole to record a save this season. Manager Brandon Hyde reiterated that he is day-to-day with this bullpen and that he liked the matchups for Castro in the ninth. We’ll see if Wednesday is when Givens becomes the fifth Baltimore pitcher to secure a save this season in what remains a full-fledged committee.
Hierarchy remains: *Givens | Bleier | Fry.
* = closer-by-committee
April 2, 2019
Baltimore Orioles – After Mike Wright Jr. gave up a leadoff single to start the 9th inning, Richard Bleier came on and converted a shaky save, allowing his inherited runner to score, plus one more. The Orioles will be mixing and matching in the late innings, but Mychal Givens remains the one to own here; he was unavailable after throwing 49 pitches on Sunday.
Hierarchy remains: *Givens | Bleier | Fry.
* = closer-by-committee
April 1, 2019
Baltimore Orioles – Mychal Givens worked in and out of trouble in the 8th, and seemed headed toward a two-inning save after retiring the first two hitters in the 9th. But after a walk and two singles, Paul Fry was summoned to get the game’s final out. Brandon Hyde said before the game that he wouldn’t be using a traditional closer, though it seems Givens will get the ball in big spots most of the time. We’ll leave him at the top of the hierarchy, but are going to take Hyde at his word for the time being — this one’s a committee now.
Updated hierarchy: *Givens | Bleier | Fry.
* = closer-by-committee
March 31, 2019
Baltimore Orioles — With the Orioles protecting a two-run lead and 4-5-6 of the Yankees order due up in the eighth inning, Mychal Givens was summoned from the bullpen. Givens gave up a hit but struck out the side in a perfect inning. Some people thought he might come back out for the ninth, but after the Orioles added two more runs, the Orioles went with Richard Bleier to start the ninth. Bleier struggled, and Mike Wright ended up coming on to record the save. Givens is clearly the best pitcher in the Orioles bullpen and still should see the bulk of the saves, but it looks like the Orioles could also use him before the ninth if the situation calls for it.
Updated hierarchy: Givens | Bleier | Wright.
February 18, 2019
Baltimore Orioles — The Orioles traded away most of their key bullpen arms last year and signed nobody during free agency. This means that Mychal Givens will be back as the presumptive closer, should he have a lead to protect. Richard Bleier is back after his lat surgery. Paul Fry and Mike Wright Jr. are also back. Get excited! Givens is the only sure thing in Baltimore’s bullpen entering the spring, but we’ll keep an eye out to see if anyone else stands out in camp.
Starting 2019 hierarchy: Givens | Bleier | Fry.
Holds candidates: Bleier, Fry, Wright.
September 27, 2018
Baltimore Orioles — The Orioles went into the ninth up three, but after they beat up on Craig Kimbrel for four runs, they sent Paul Fry back out for the bottom of the ninth where he earned an interesting three-inning save.
Hierarchy remains: Givens | Fry | Wright Jr.
September 17, 2018
Baltimore Orioles – Paul Fry got the final five outs of Sunday’s game — four by strikeout — to pick up his first save of the year. He entered with the Orioles up by 3 in the 8th, then stayed on after their extended their lead. Mychal Givens continues to be the first option for saves down the stretch in Baltimore.
Hierarchy remains: Givens | Fry | Wright Jr.
August 2, 2018
Baltimore Orioles — Mychal Givens has allowed runs in five of his last six appearances, including Tuesday afternoon, where he was summoned in the eighth with a six-run lead but left after giving up two hits and two walks. The Orioles are on pace to pick up nine more saves this year, but are they really worth what they’ll cost your fantasy team?
Hierarchy remains: Givens | Fry | Wright Jr.
July 29, 2018
Baltimore Orioles — The Orioles traded Brad Brach to the Braves on Sunday. Mychal Givens is the most likely choice to close for the Orioles, but we’ll monitor how Buck Showalter manages the late innings with Brach gone.
Updated hierarchy: Givens | Fry | Wright Jr.
July 25, 2018
Baltimore Orioles — On the same night that the Orioles shipped Zach Britton to the Bronx, Brad Brach closed out a win for Baltimore. That may be one of the last saves Brach gets this season, as teams like the Rockies are interested in his services. With Brach potentially the next guy out of town, owners may wish to speculate on Mychal Givens.
Updated hierarchy: Brach | Givens | Fry.
July 24, 2018
Baltimore Orioles — With the departure of Zach Britton to the Bronx, Brad Brach is likely to step into the closer’s role. Brach may be the next guy out of town, however, so owners may wish to speculate on Mychal Givens.
Updated hierarchy: Brach | Givens | Fry.
July 22, 2018
Baltimore Orioles – Zach Britton threw a scoreless inning for the Orioles yesterday, but he could be pitching for somebody else soon. The Orioles want to get a deal done this weekend or early next week. The Astros, Cubs, and Dodgers are among the teams interested in Britton. Brad Brach would likely take over as closer if Britton is dealt, but Brach is also a trade candidate and the Orioles could turn to Mychal Givens or Tanner Scott if both are traded.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | Brach | Givens.
July 16, 2018
Baltimore Orioles – Here’s a guy to watch as the Orioles continue to shop all of their veteran relievers: Paul Fry. Yesterday, Fry got his first big league hold, firing a perfect 1.2 innings ahead of Zach Britton. A 6-foot-tall lefty, Fry always had good strikeout numbers in the minors, but struggled with his control. He seems to have figured something out, though, having started his major league career with 10 strikeouts and 0 walks in his first 9 innings (1.00 ERA, 0.78 WHIP). Look for him to contribute in the second half, especially as other Baltimore relievers start getting dealt.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | Brach | Givens.
June 30, 2018
Baltimore Orioles -Darren O’Day has hit the 60-day DL, and may be out for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury. As we noted, this makes Brad Brach the clear frontrunner for saves when Zach Britton is inevitably traded.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | Brach | Givens.
June 27, 2018
Baltimore Orioles – Darren O’Day will return to the DL after hurting his hamstring last night. All this means is that Brad Brach likely won’t have any significant competition for the closer role once Zach Britton is traded.
Updated hierarchy: Britton | Brach | Givens.
June 24, 2018
Baltimore Orioles — After a rough outing on Friday night, the Orioles sent Zach Britton right back out there in a save situation, and he pitched a scoreless inning for his first save in 2018. Britton will continue to see save chances while the Orioles try to boost his trade value.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | Brach | O’Day.
June 23, 2018
Baltimore Orioles — Zach Britton got the call to protect a four-run lead in Friday’s 9th inning, but he had a miserable outing. Five hits and a hit batter brought in four runs, and Britton’s only recorded out was Freddie Freeman getting thrown out at the plate after a Nick Markakis double. Darren O’Day cleaned up the mess, and the Orioles went on to win in extra innings. This was a concerning outing for fantasy owners, but this was the first time Britton had given up any runs this year. Britton is still likely to get save chances while he is in a Baltimore uniform because the Orioles are basically out of the playoff race already, and with Britton in a contract year, they will want to showcase him as a trade piece.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | Brach | O’Day.
June 21, 2018
Baltimore Orioles — The Orioles used Zach Britton to get four outs in the eighth and ninth, then turned to Brad Brach with one out in the ninth. Brach gave up two quick hits, a walk, and a line drive out, but managed to escape. The Britton-pimping doesn’t appear to have begun in earnest.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | Brach | O’Day.
June 20, 2018
Baltimore Orioles – Darren O’Day was unavailable on Tuesday night due to hamstring tightness. Buck Showalter is hopeful that O’Day, who threw a bullpen session after the game, will not need a DL stint. He even went so far as to say O’Day is “close.” The Orioles sure could have used O’Day last night, as Tanner Scott failed to protect a one-run lead in the seventh, allowing three Nationals to cross the plate.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | Brach | O’Day.
June 18, 2018
Baltimore Orioles – The Orioles needed four pitchers to get through the seventh inning on Sunday, and while they tacked on runs to put the game out of reach in subsequent innings, they nonetheless called on their best relievers — and went with Brad Brach in the 8th followed by Zach Britton in the 9th. We’re going to use this as an excuse to push Britton to the top of the hierarchy, as he’s opened up his season with three scoreless innings, and will likely continue to get the 9th as the O’s showcase him as trade bait.
Updated hierarchy: Britton | Brach | O’Day.
June 14, 2018
Baltimore Orioles — Brad Brach appeared in the eighth on Wednesday night down five runs, but it was as an injury replacement for Richard Bleier, who hurt his shoulder. Don’t read too much into it, especially considering Zach Britton’s three-walk outing on Tuesday.
Hierarchy remains: Brach | Britton | O’Day.
June 13, 2018
Baltimore Orioles – Zach Britton made his first appearance of the season on Tuesday, getting the seventh inning with the Orioles trailing, 6-2. Britton showed some rust, walking three of the first four hitters he faced, but he battled back and got some good fortune along the way to finish the 26-pitch inning with no hits allowed and one strikeout. In other good news for the Orioles, Darren O’Day completed his second straight two-strikeout appearance on Tuesday.
Hierarchy remains: Brach | Britton | O’Day.
June 12, 2018
Baltimore Orioles – Zach Britton was activated from the disabled list yesterday. He will be eased back into the closer role — a decision punctuated by the fact that the Orioles failed to use him at all in a 12-inning loss to the Red Sox — but he should eventually get there, as Baltimore has openly declared that he’s going to be showcased as trade bait. We’ll start him off at the first in line spot, with the understanding that he’ll likely ascend relatively soon.
Updated hierarchy: Brach | Britton | O’Day.
June 10, 2018
Baltimore Orioles — Darren O’Day has been activated from the DL, and Zach Britton could be back as soon as tomorrow. Even though O’Day was closing before he went on the DL, he will likely work in a set-up role for Brad Brach at this point.
Updated hierarchy: Brach | O’Day | Bleier.
June 8, 2018
Baltimore Orioles — Pitching in a third straight game Thursday, Brad Brach appeared to run out of gas, coughing up three runs to push the game into extras. Don’t worry, though; reinforcements are (slowly) on the way! Darren O’Day struck out the side Thursday at Class A Frederick and will continue his rehab stint for a few more days. Trade chip Zach Britton should be back June 15, assuming back-to-back appearances on Sunday and Monday go well. There has been some talk about making Britton a starter, but he’ll likely return to the back of the bullpen right away, for as long as he stays in Baltimore.
Hierarchy remains: Brach | Bleier | Givens.
May 31, 2018
Baltimore Orioles — Zach Britton’s rehab assignment went very well. If he can show he’s made a full recovery, his may be the biggest move at the trade deadline.
Hierarchy remains: Brach | Bleier | Givens.
May 30, 2018
Baltimore Orioles — Zach Britton will begin his rehab assignment today, it’s just a matter of where. That will be his first game inning since offseason surgery on his Achilles tendon. Meanwhile, Darren O’Day was supposed to throw on Tuesday, but that did not happen.
Hierarchy remains: Brach | Bleier | Givens.
May 26, 2018
Baltimore Orioles — Richard Bleier has pitched the eighth inning in each of his last three appearances while Mychal Givens has seen the seventh inning in each of his last three outings. Bleier has the better numbers and is probably the guy to spell Brad Brach when he needs a night off. As for Darren O’Day, he was tentatively scheduled for a cortisone shot on Friday.
Updated hierarchy: Brach | Bleier | Givens.
May 23, 2018
Baltimore Orioles — Last time we checked in with the Orioles, Darren O’Day was moving closer to a return from the DL. Well, that’s taking longer than the Orioles thought. O’Day had a catch yesterday and will throw a bullpen today. Hopefully for Baltimore, O’Day’s bullpen goes well and he is back sometime this week.
Hierarchy remains: Brach | Givens | Bleier.
May 19, 2018
Baltimore Orioles — Brad Brach got the last out of the 8th inning in what was then a two-run contest, then stayed on for the 9th to close out a 7-4 victory. Brach has established himself as the top choice in Baltimore when he is available, enough that this really isn’t a committee anymore. However, it may be a good time to sell high on Brach, as Darren O’Day and Zach Britton both threw bullpen sessions last night. O’Day could be activated Sunday, but Britton will need a rehab assignment before returning. With both of them getting closer to a return, Baltimore’s bullpen will get much more crowded soon.
Hierarchy remains: Brach | Givens | Bleier.
May 13, 2018
Baltimore Orioles — The Orioles gave Brad Brach the day off yesterday after he recorded a multi-inning save the night before. Mychal Givens got the call instead and recorded the last five outs for his first career save. Brach will likely get the bulk of the save chances in this committee, but Givens has only allowed one run in his last nine appearances and proved he could also handle the job yesterday.
Hierarchy remains: *Brach | Givens | Bleier.
* = closer-by-committee
May 12, 2018
Baltimore Orioles — Brad Brach picked up the second straight save for this committee, pitching the last out of the eighth before returning for the ninth. Brach is definitely the leader of this committee and with a couple more strong showings he may win the job outright.
Hierarchy remains: *Brach | Givens | Bleier.
* = closer-by-committee
May 11, 2018
Baltimore Orioles — An MRI on Darren O’Day’s injured right elbow revealed no structural damage. He apparently hyperextended the elbow when someone ran into him while he was stretching in the bullpen.
Hierarchy remains: *Brach | Givens | Bleier.
* = closer-by-committee
May 10, 2018
Baltimore Orioles — With Darren O’Day on the DL with a hyperextended elbow, Brad Brach returned to the role of closer/trade bait. A desire to showcase the perennial trade chip to possible suitors is a major reason Brach might have the job to himself in O’Day’s absence.
Updated hierarchy: *Brach | Givens | Bleier.
* = closer-by-committee
May 9, 2018
Baltimore Orioles – The Orioles placed Darren O’Day on the disabled list. We will move Brad Brach to the top of the committee but keep an eye on Mychal Givens. He has struck out seven batters over his last three innings. Richard Bleier could see some saves as the lefty in the committee.
Updated hierarchy: *Brach | Givens | Bleier.
* = closer-by-committee
April 30, 2018
Baltimore Orioles – Darren O’Day has collected the last two saves in the Baltimore bullpen, with the rather looming caveat that they’ve come 9 days apart. O’Day has given up three HRs in 11.2 IP this year, which obviously isn’t ideal for a closer, but he’s also got 15 Ks (and only 2 BBs), and an ERA/WHIP of 3.86 and 1.03, and with Brad Brach’s uninspiring start (5.73 ERA, 1.64 WHIP) and Mychal Givens’s struggles with command (8 BBs in 12.1 IP), O’Day will probably continue on as the first choice for saves in Baltimore. Another save or two, and we’ll consider removing his asterisk.
Updated hierarchy: *O’Day | Brach | Bleier.
* = closer-by-committee
April 27, 2018
Baltimore Orioles — Injured closer Zach Britton threw on the side on Thursday, and reports say it went well. He appears on target for a June return, but a number of significant steps in the rehabilitation process need to happen first.
Hierarchy remains: *Brach | O’Day | Bleier.
* = closer-by-committee
April 21, 2018
Baltimore Orioles — With a two-run lead over the Indians, Darren O’Day converted the save opportunity. Brad Brach hadn’t pitched in three days, so this wasn’t a traditional vulture save. After the game, Buck Showalter said that he liked the matchups for O’Day, and wanted to give him a chance to bounce back after a rough outing on Wednesday. These comments, coming after Brach pitched the seventh on Tuesday, mean this should be considered a committee at least until Zach Britton returns in about a month. Meanwhile, Richard Bleier pitched two perfect innings ahead of O’Day for his third hold of the year (0.61 ERA). Bleier has earned a place in the hierarchy over Mychal Givens.
Updated hierarchy: *Brach | O’Day | Bleier.
* = closer-by-committee
April 20, 2018
Baltimore Orioles — Injured closer Zach Britton is scheduled to throw off a half-mound on Friday — a big step in the rehabilitation process. Britton still projects to be out until at least late May.
Hierarchy remains: Brach | O’Day | Givens.
February 26, 2018
Baltimore Orioles — This situation got a bit more interesting over the offseason when Zach Britton underwent surgery to repair his right Achilles tendon in December. Britton recently threw for the first time since the surgery, while wearing a boot, and will start the season on the 60-day disabled list, with a return slated for late May or early June. For now, Brad Brach (3.18 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 18 saves) will handle the closing duties, with Darren O’Day, Mychal Givens and Miguel Castro in the mix for holds.
Starting 2018 hierarchy: Brach | O’Day | Givens.
Holds candidates: O’Day, Givens, Castro.
September 21, 2017
Baltimore Orioles — If you missed our alert late last night, Zach Britton will have an injection in his knee and miss the rest of the season with an MCL strain. Brad Brach should get any Baltimore save chances over the final nine games, with Darren O’Day his primary backup.
Updated hierarchy: Brach | O’Day | Givens.
September 20, 2017
Baltimore Orioles — Zach Britton’s balky knee hasn’t gotten much better, so he’ll get an injection of platelet-rich plasma and reassess his condition (and the team’s) in three to five days. With the Orioles five games and six teams out of the wild card race, we’re going to go out on a limb and say they won’t bring him back to save the team’s 75th win next week. (UPDATE: Apparently he agrees, telling reporters he’s done and has an MCL strain.) Cut him loose if you’re in a playoff fight.
Updated hierarchy: Brach | O’Day | Givens.
August 28, 2017
Baltimore Orioles – Zach Britton’s knee felt OK on Sunday morning, but the Orioles are still being cautious with their closer, and gave him another day off to ensure he’s back to normal. Brad Brach closed out Sunday’s game in his absence.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | Brach | Givens.
August 25, 2017
Baltimore Orioles — An MRI on Orioles closer Zach Britton’s knee showed no structural damage. Even with the positive news, the Orioles may still place Britton on the disabled list. Stay tuned.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | Brach | Givens.
August 24, 2017
Baltimore Orioles — Zach Britton’s impressive streak of 60 consecutive save chances converted came to an end on Wednesday. His streak of playoff games that he should have pitched remains at one.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | Brach | Givens.
August 3, 2017
Baltimore Orioles — It’s been a month since Mychal Givens allowed a run: last night’s eighth-inning hold was his 12th straight scoreless appearance (12.1 IP, 18 K, 0.49 WHIP). Executive VP Dan Duquette recently called Givens “a closer on the horizon,” and we see him with the advantage over veteran Darren O’Day going forward.
Updated hierarchy: Britton | Brach | Givens.
July 20, 2017
Baltimore Orioles — As trade rumors continue to swirl around Zach Britton, Buck Showalter confirmed that Britton will get the next save opportunity. It will wait for another day, however, as the Orioles’ seven-run seventh put the game well out of reach.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | Brach | O’Day.
July 18, 2017
Baltimore Orioles – With Zach Britton still working his way back from injury, Brad Brach got another save last night. Our guess is this was Brach’s last opportunity for now, though he could quickly regain the job if Britton gets dealt.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | Brach | O’Day.
July 15, 2017
Baltimore Orioles — Zach Britton pitched the eighth ahead of Brad Brach on Friday. Speculators should target Brach and his owners should hold him; the floundering Orioles may move Britton either to the Nationals (as a closer) or the Dodgers (as a world-class setup guy, giving Kenley Jansen goose bumps).
Hierarchy remains: Britton | Brach | O’Day.
July 6, 2017
Baltimore Orioles — Zach Britton got a low-leverage seventh to help him shake off some rust.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | Brach | O’Day.
July 5, 2017
Baltimore Orioles — Zach Britton will come off the DL today and is expected to reclaim the closer’s role almost immediately. Ideally the Orioles will get to deploy him in a lower-leverage situation off the bat, but if they need him in a tight game right away Britton says he is ready.
Updated hierarchy: Britton | Brach | O’Day.
July 1, 2017
Baltimore Orioles — Zach Britton threw a scoreless inning in his second straight day of work on a rehab assignment. He’ll pitch at AAA on Monday and should return to the Orioles on Wednesday.
Hierarchy remains: Brach | O’Day | Givens.
June 24, 2017
Baltimore Orioles — Darren O’Day returned from the DL with a scoreless eighth inning in a blowout loss. The Orioles need bullpen reinforcements badly, and O’Day should immediately return to his setup role behind Brad Brach. Zach Britton pitched a scoreless inning in a rehab relief assignment and looks to be on track to return in early July.
Updated hierarchy: Brach | O’Day | Givens.
June 23, 2017
Baltimore Orioles – Injured closer Zach Britton struck out two hitters in an inning of work Thursday night as he works his way back to the team. This comes after another scoreless inning earlier this week to begin his rehab assignment. A scout called Britton’s outing on Thursday “easy and effortless,” and that his velocity was in the low to mid-90s. Reports say Britton is targeting a July 5 return.
Hierarchy remains: Brach | Givens | Castro.
June 21, 2017
Baltimore Orioles – With Mike Wright on the DL, it seems the Orioles have settled on Miguel Castro as their 7th inning man for the time being. Castro got the win yesterday after an impressive outing that saw him wriggle out of a bases loaded, 1-out jam.
Updated hierarchy: Brach | Givens | Castro.
June 10, 2017
Baltimore Orioles — Darren O’Day has been placed on the DL with a right shoulder strain, marking the second time in a month that he’s been shut down. In Zach Britton’s absence, Brad Brach has settled into the closer’s role, putting up seven straight scoreless appearances, and Mychal Givens has been excellent as well. Behind those two, however, lie several question marks. Lefty Donnie Hart was sent to the minors, leaving the seventh inning to the likes of Edwin Jackson, Mike Wright, and lefty Richard Bleier. Jackson may end up in long relief, and Bleier is the only lefty remaining in the pen, so we’ll tab Wright for now.
Updated hierarchy: Brach | Givens | Wright.
May 17, 2017
Baltimore Orioles — Brad Brach’s struggles continued on Tuesday as he gave up a grand slam in the 7th inning to blow a 7-4 lead. It was the biggest moment of the game at the time, so Brach’s usage there makes sense, but what does Buck Showalter do now with a closer that saw his ERA move to 4.05 after allowing an earned run in a third straight appearance? Showalter was mum on the situation after Tuesday’s 13-inning win, but don’t be shocked if Darren O’Day gets a turn as closer soon with Brach faltering.
Hierarchy remains: Brach | O’Day | Givens.
May 11, 2017
Baltimore Orioles — The Orioles are preparing to be without Zach Britton through the All-Star break, but Brad Brach’s hold on the interim job is getting ever more tenuous. Even before last night’s demoralizing blown save, Buck Showalter was talking about using a committee of Brach, Darren O’Day, Mychal Givens, and lefthander Donnie Hart. We’ll believe that when we see it, but Brach owners should be concerned.
Hierarchy remains: Brach | O’Day | Givens.
May 7, 2017
Baltimore Orioles — Brad Brach got the day off yesterday and Darren O’Day recorded his second save of the season. Hopefully you were paying attention to the Vulture Save Watch and stole a save in your fantasy leagues.
Hierarchy remains: Brach | O’Day | Givens.
May 6, 2017
Baltimore Orioles — A source tells Baltimore Baseball that Zach Britton is returning to the disabled list with his strained left forearm. Brad Brach will resume the closer role while Britton heals.
Updated hierarchy: Brach | O’Day | Givens.
May 3, 2017
Baltimore Orioles – Zach Britton was activated from the DL Tuesday and immediately got some work, albeit facing a 5-2 deficit. Despite a walk and a hit, Britton benefitted from a bizarre triple play to get out of the inning.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | Brach | O’Day.
May 2, 2017
Baltimore Orioles – Zach Britton will be activated from the disabled list today. Brad Brach, who picked up five saves in his absence, will slide back to his set-up role alongside Darren O’Day.
Updated hierarchy: Britton | Brach | O’Day.
May 1, 2017
Baltimore Orioles – The Orioles flipped the script last night, using Brad Brach in the 8th and Darren O’Day in the 9th, but the latter didn’t respond particularly well, loading the bases before being lifted for Donnie Hart, who promptly gave up the game-tying single. The team went on to win in extras, though, and Zach Britton could potentially return today, though Buck Showalter isn’t saying for sure yet.
Hierarchy remains: Brach | O’Day | Givens.
April 29, 2017
Baltimore Orioles — The clock finally struck midnight for Brad Brach, with his first three earned runs of the season coming as part of a massive 10-run Yankee comeback. Orioles fans can be comforted by the imminent return of Zach Britton (Sunday or Tuesday), and cautioned by the two walks and a home run he gave up in last night’s rehab outing against the legendary Akron Rubber Ducks. #AffordableFamilyFun!
Hierarchy remains: Brach | O’Day | Givens.
April 23, 2017
Baltimore Orioles – Brad Brach got the day off, so Darren O’Day nailed down his first save of the season. HOPE YOU’VE BEEN READING YOUR VULTURE SAVE WATCH.
Hierarchy remains: Brach | O’Day | Givens.
April 22, 2017
Baltimore Orioles — Brad Brach continued his impressive start to the season, picking up his third save with a perfect ninth inning. Zach Britton says he feels good and is ready to start throwing, but there’s no need to rush him back, thanks to Brach. Expect Darren O’Day to get any save opportunity today, though; Brach has pitched three in a row.
Hierarchy remains: Brach | O’Day | Givens.
April 20, 2017
Baltimore Orioles — It took only nine pitches for Brad Brach to lock down the first Orioles save chance since Zach Britton’s injury. Britton will have an MRI on Friday.
Hierarchy remains: Brach | O’Day | Givens.
April 16, 2017
Baltimore Orioles — Brad Brach should get the Baltimore save chances while Zach Britton spends time on the 10-day DL with soreness in his left forearm.
Updated hierarchy: Brach | O’Day | Givens.
April 9, 2017
Baltimore Orioles – Zach Britton’s ankle is fine, and he was able to record his 52nd straight save in an Orioles’ comeback win on Saturday. Britton will likely get the day off Sunday after appearing in the past two games, but Orioles’ fans and fantasy owners can stop worrying about his ankle for now.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | Brach | O’Day.
April 8, 2017
Baltimore Orioles – Zach Britton suffered an injury scare when he rolled his ankle fielding a comebacker, but stayed in the game and converted his second save of the year. Manager Buck Showalter said the injury didn’t look bad, but they will see how it feels “when the adrenaline wears off.” Britton is outstanding when healthy, having converted 51 straight saves, but if he needs some time off, Brad Brach has three clean 8th innings to his resume so far this season.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | Brach | O’Day.
April 4, 2017
Baltimore Orioles – Darren O’Day has been suffering from the flu and was unavailable on Monday. The Orioles have today off, but if O’Day isn’t healthy by Wednesday, Buck Showalter says he might go to the disabled list.
Updated hierarchy: Britton | Brach | O’Day.
February 27, 2017
Baltimore Orioles – The Orioles once again project to have one of the best bullpens in baseball thanks to dominant closer Zach Britton, who dealt with oblique soreness last week. You may see the O’s practice a little caution with Darren O’Day, who spent time on the DL last season, but he will once again be a top setup guy. Brad Brach, who is already 1-0 against AL East opponents this year, will handle the seventh. Plenty of reliability, at least on paper, for the Baltimore bullpen entering 2017.
Starting 2017 hierarchy: Britton | O’Day | Brach.
Holds candidates: O’Day, Brach.
September 19, 2016
Baltimore Orioles – Darren O’Day returned to the Orioles bullpen yesterday, surrendering a solo home run in an inning of work. He’ll need to get up to speed quickly if he’s going to be a source for holds in the season’s final two weeks, but he’s been such a reliable guy in recent years that we’re not discounting the possibility.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | Brach | Givens.
August 25, 2016
Baltimore Orioles — Freakin’ Zach Britton gave up an earned run on Wednesday night, just like he did on April 30. What a bum.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | Brach | Givens.
August 24, 2016
Baltimore Orioles – Vance Worley picked up his first career save after pitching the final three innings in an 8-1 Baltimore victory. Worley does not factor into the Orioles’ usual late-inning plans.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | Brach | Givens.
August 14, 2016
Baltimore Orioles – Darren O’Day has been placed on the disabled list with a strained right shoulder. Manager Buck Showalter is optimistic O’Day will return in two weeks, and mentioned Mychal Givens and Vance Worley as members of the bullpen who would see more prominent roles with O’Day out. We will slide Givens in behind Britton and Brach for now.
Updated hierarchy: Britton | Brach | Givens.
August 12, 2016
Baltimore Orioles – Zach Britton on Thursday picked up his 35th straight save this season, pitching a scoreless ninth. Scoreless has been a bit of a theme for Britton lately, as the closer hasn’t allowed an earned run in 39 straight appearances, the longest streak since earned runs started being kept as a stat, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | O’Day | Brach.
August 8, 2016
Baltimore Orioles – Ubaldo Jimenez picked up a three-inning save in a blowout yesterday. Did you have him in your lineup? Send us a screenshot as proof and we’ll give you Closer Monkey Premium for a year!
Hierarchy remains: Britton | O’Day | Brach.
August 3, 2016
Baltimore Orioles — Darren O’Day retired one man with the bases loaded to finish off the eighth with a three-run lead. After Baltimore scored, he stuck around to pick up the save Zach Britton wasn’t eligible to earn.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | O’Day | Brach.
July 25, 2016
Baltimore Orioles — Set-up man Darren O’Day returned from the disabled list yesterday and was immediately thrust into a high-leverage situation, as he was summoned in the 9th inning of a tie game. O’Day struck out all three hitters he faced and earned the win when the Orioles walked off. Initially, we thought he might be eased back into his role, but after a performance like that — and with Brad Brach allowing runs in back to back games this weekend — we’re going to slot O’Day right back into his old position behind Zach Britton.
Updated hierarchy: Britton | O’Day | Brach.
July 24, 2016
Baltimore Orioles — Darren O’Day could be activated from the disabled list today or tomorrow. The Orioles will be happy to have him back in their bullpen and O’Day will be happy to get away from Double-A Bowie and probably the worst jersey he has ever worn.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | Brach | Givens.
June 17, 2016
Baltimore Orioles — Darren O’Day’s recovery from a strained hamstring is going slower than expected. He can come off of the DL this weekend, but he still hasn’t thrown off a mound. There’s no timetable for his return.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | Brach | Givens.
June 9, 2016
Baltimore Orioles — Up four in the eighth, the Orioles called on Brad Brach with two on and one out. After Brach escaped, he went back out and finished the ninth to earn a unique save.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | Brach | Givens.
June 4, 2016
Baltimore Orioles — Zach Britton pitched a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his 16th save, but the Orioles will have to make do without setup man Darren O’Day, who was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained hamstring. The Orioles hope that he can return in the minimum 15 days. In the meantime, Mychal Givens, who picked up the win last night, should see more late-inning opportunities alongside Brad Brach.
Updated hierarchy: Britton | Brach | Givens.
May 15, 2016
Baltimore Orioles — Brad Brach recorded his first save of the season last night. Brach came on for the eighth inning with the Orioles up 2, and stayed on for the ninth after the Orioles added five more runs in the bottom of the eighth. Brach is still behind Britton and O’Day when it comes to saves for the Orioles.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | O’Day | Brach.
May 6, 2016
Baltimore Orioles — Zach Britton made his long-awaited return to the Orioles bullpen Thursday night, entering the game with two outs in the ninth inning of a scoreless game. He managed to end the inning on a pickoff, then retired three of the four hitters he faced in the tenth, earning the win. Darren O’Day did nice work in Britton’s absence, but all should be back to normal in Baltimore’s bullpen.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | O’Day | Brach.
May 4, 2016
Baltimore Orioles – Sure enough, Darren O’Day picked up the save on Tuesday while Zach Britton continues to nurse a sprained ankle. The good news for Britton owners is that the timeline for his return is sometime this week.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | O’Day | Brach.
May 2, 2016
Baltimore Orioles – We won’t be convinced of this until it actually happens, but a Baltimore Sun beat writer is speculating that Darren O’Day might not be the man who gets saves in Zach Britton’s absence. Though the article doesn’t quote Buck Showalter, it references 2014, when O’Day was bypassed in favor of Britton after Tommy Hunter was removed from the role — this year, Brad Brach, Mychal Givens, and Dylan Bundy are listed as potential alternatives. Britton is still hoping to avoid the DL, of course, so this may not influence more than a small handful of save opportunities, but if you’ve got roster space, you might consider a flyer on one of these guys.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | O’Day | Brach.
May 1, 2016
Baltimore Orioles — Zach Britton left yesterday’s game with an ankle injury, and is considered day to day. Darren O’Day should close if Britton misses any games.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | O’Day | Brach.
April 30, 2016
Baltimore Orioles — Brad Brach gave up the tying run in the seventh, then earned the win when the Orioles came back in the bottom of the inning. Both Brach and Mychal Givens have been pitching well, but Buck Showalter routinely goes to Givens first, and Brach has allowed half as many baserunners while pitching a few more innings.
Updated hierarchy: Britton | O’Day | Brach.
April 8, 2016
Baltimore Orioles — Zach Britton got a night off after throwing 26 pitches in Wednesday’s game, leaving the save opportunity for the excellent Darren O’Day, who struck out the side.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | O’Day | Givens.
February 29, 2016
Baltimore Orioles — Zach Britton and Darren O’Day will be back in the roles they’ve dominated since Tommy Hunter’s demotion last May. The seventh inning should be left in the capable hands of Mychal Givens and Brad Brach.
Starting 2016 hierarchy: Britton | O’Day | Givens.
Holds candidates: O’Day, Givens, Brach.
September 25, 2015
Baltimore Orioles — Somehow, the Orioles are still in wild card contention, just three games back in the loss column with 10 to go. They’ve played extremely well of late and could find themselves in a bunch of save situations down the stretch. Who would get those chances, however, is less clear. For the third straight day, Darren O’Day did the honors Thursday, converting his sixth save of the season. Regular closer Zach Britton had an MRI on his injured lat earlier this week that revealed no serious damage. He’s still day-to-day with the injury.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | O’Day | Brach.
September 24, 2015
Baltimore Orioles — Zach Britton may begin playing catch today, but will probably be out until at least the weekend. He has been told he cannot injure himself further by pitching through the injury, but he will be less effective. While healthy, Britton is one of the best closers in the game, but Darren O’Day is worth a pickup if you are scraping for fantasy playoff saves, as he may have the 9th inning for at least the weekend, maybe even the rest of the year.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | O’Day | Brach.
September 23, 2015
Baltimore Orioles — Darren O’Day collected his fourth save of the season on Tuesday, and after the game Zach Britton revealed that he is day-to-day with a sore left lat muscle. Britton said it’s not a longterm thing, but O’Day, who has been excellent all season, will get the 9th while Britton recovers.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | O’Day | Brach.
September 18, 2015
Baltimore Orioles — Manager Buck Showalter gave closer Zach Britton another day off after a recent heavy workload, so Darren O’Day was able to corral his third save of the season Thursday. O’Day, whom Showalter called the “leader of that bullpen” and “good people,” has been outstanding this year (1.54 ERA, 0.98 WHIP) and may get some serious looks in free agency in the offseason.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | O’Day | Brach.
August 12, 2015
Baltimore Orioles — Shoulder tendinitis is the apparent source of Chaz Roe’s recent struggles; he’ll head to the disabled list and be replaced in the Baltimore hierarchy by Brad Brach (63 K in 55.1 IP).
Updated hierarchy: Britton | O’Day | Brach.
June 18, 2015
Baltimore Orioles — Chaz Roe finished the 7th inning ahead of Zach Britton on Wednesday. Nobody is racking up the holds in Baltimore, but Roe has been very impressive since joining the club, sporting a tidy 1.13 ERA and 0.88 WHIP thanks to a great slider as well as a strong sinker. His 17 strikeouts and four walks have helped him edge out Tommy Hunter, who has had an up and down year.
Updated hierarchy: Britton | O’Day | Roe.
June 11, 2015
Baltimore Orioles — With Zach Britton having earned a five-out save the previous night, Darren O’Day pitched two strong innings to collect his second save of the season.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | O’Day | Hunter.
May 14, 2015
Baltimore Orioles — Darren O’Day picked up his first save of the season in a 6-1 Baltimore win.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | O’Day | Hunter.
May 10, 2015
Baltimore Orioles — Tommy Hunter pitched the 8th inning yesterday before O’Day and Britton combined to pitch the 9th. Hunter has not allowed an earned run in his last 8 appearances, and the former closer should continue to see time at the back-end of the Orioles’ bullpen.
Updated hierarchy: Britton | O’Day | Hunter.
May 3, 2015
Baltimore Orioles — Brad Brach came on with 2 men on base and 2 outs in the 8th inning to protect a four run lead. He got Steven Souza to foul out and then came back to pitch a perfect 9th for his first career save. Brach has gotten off to solid start to the season and it appears the Orioles are starting to trust him in higher leverage situations.
Updated hierarchy: Britton | O’Day | Brach.
March 6, 2015
Baltimore Orioles — It’s a bullpen bonanza in Baltimore, as the Orioles return seven pitchers from last year, a group that combined to throw 80% of the innings out of the ‘pen last year. Zach Britton saved 37 games last season after winning the job and will be back as the closer again in 2015. Darren O’Day should get the bulk of the eighth-inning chances with Andrew Miller in New York, with Tommy Hunter and lefty Brian Matusz competing for the seventh inning.
Starting 2015 hierarchy: Britton | O’Day | Hunter.
Holds candidates: O’Day, Matusz.
September 25, 2014
Baltimore Orioles — Darren O’Day entered the eighth inning with two outs and the tying run on deck. He got out of the jam without any further damage before completing a perfect ninth inning to earn his fourth save of the season.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | O’Day | Miller.
September 11, 2014
Baltimore Orioles — The Orioles led 10-1 entering the bottom of the ninth and somehow still managed to squeeze out a save for Darren O’Day. Joe Saunders gets credit for the assist; he gave up two more baserunners than starter Wei-Yin Chin, while recording only 20 fewer outs.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | O’Day | Miller.
September 8, 2014
Baltimore Orioles – Andrew Miller picked up his first save of the season in an 11-inning game. Zach Britton had blown the save in the 9th, but his job is not in jeopardy.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | O’Day | Miller.
August 18, 2014
Baltimore Orioles – The Orioles have an embarrassment of riches in their bullpen right now, as Andrew Miller has wonderfully complemented the dominant duo of Darren O’Day and Zach Britton. Miller got the 8th inning hold last night, and has been splitting those opportunities with O’Day over the past several weeks, depending on match ups. This does make it hard to guess who would be the beneficiary should Britton go down — but we’ll leave the hierarchy as is for the time being with the above qualifier in place.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | O’Day | Miller.
August 4, 2014
Baltimore Orioles – Andrew Miller got his third 8th inning hold in four appearances with Baltimore, and along with Darren O’Day has given the Orioles a dominant righty-lefty punch in the 8th inning.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | O’Day | Miller.
August 2, 2014
Baltimore Orioles — One day after trading for Andrew Miller, the Orioles threw their new big lefty reliever out there in the 8th inning to protect a one run lead. He was brought on after a walk to Austin Jackson put the tying run on base and two lefties were due up next. Miller has the ability to get out both righties and lefties but with right-handers O’Day and Hunter already in the back end of the O’s bullpen, Miller should get the call mostly against lefties in the later innings. That being said, if anything were to happen to closer Zach Britton, Miller would likely be in the mix for saves.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | O’Day | Hunter.
August 1, 2014
Baltimore Orioles — The Orioles acquired lefty Andrew Miller from the Red Sox on Thursday as GM Dan Duquette added depth to an already strong Baltimore bullpen. Miller, who is effective against batters on both sides of the plate, is expected to help Tommy Hunter and Darren O’Day set up closer Zach Britton. After Hunter threw 25 pitches in Thursday’s 13-inning loss, Miller may get called upon on Friday in a high-leverage spot.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | O’Day | Hunter.
July 23, 2014
Baltimore Orioles — Zach Britton looked dominant on Tuesday night, and he has earned his last three saves with a miserly 25 combined pitches.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | O’Day | Hunter.
July 15, 2014
Baltimore Orioles – The Orioles sit in first place at the All-Star break, but won’t likely be making a big splash at the deadline for a reliever like last year when they acquired K-Rod. Zach Britton has emerged quite nicely as the closer with Darren O’Day right behind him as a strong secondary option. At this point, Tommy Hunter doesn’t figure to be returning to the closer’s role unless a serious collapse occurs. TRADE DEADLINE BUY/SELL: None
June 13, 2014
Baltimore Orioles – Ryan Webb picked up his ninth hold of the season on Thursday and did so against the meat of Toronto’s lineup in the eighth inning, his one blemish a double by Jose Bautista. Darren O’Day got the night off after a 21-pitch outing on Wednesday and Tommy Hunter is still the next-likely arm to get a save opp if O’Day and Zach Britton struggle, but Webb is proving himself to be a fourth option for manager Buck Showalter.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | O’Day | Hunter.
June 9, 2014
Baltimore Orioles – Tommy Hunter returned from the DL on Sunday. He’s got a ways to go before he reclaims the closer role, as both Zach Britton and Darren O’Day are sporting sub-1.00 ERAs. But Hunter’s past experience does slot him in 3rd place behind his two otherworldly colleagues. If they both struggle, he could get the job back.
Updated hierarchy: Britton | O’Day | Hunter.
June 8, 2014
Baltimore Orioles — Tommy Hunter pitched on a rehab assignment yesterday, striking out two in a perfect inning. Hunter could be activated as soon as today, but with the way Britton and O’Day are pitching, we don’t expect Hunter to immediately reclaim his closer’s job.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | O’Day | Webb.
May 28, 2014
Baltimore Orioles — In a tight game with the Brewers on Tuesday, Baltimore used Ryan Webb in the seventh, Darren O’Day and Brian Matusz in the eighth (the latter as a LOOGY), and Zach Britton (working on his third straight day) in the ninth. A swinging bunt resulted in Britton’s first blown save, and he should expect some rest tomorrow.
Hierarchy remains: Britton | O’Day | Webb.
May 23, 2014
Baltimore Orioles – Tommy Hunter was placed on the disabled list on Thursday with a strained groin. There’s no indication of when he was injured, but this might be an indication of why the former closer had been so ineffective as of late.
Updated hierarchy: Britton | O’Day | Webb.
May 15, 2014
Baltimore Orioles – Two days after Tommy Hunter blew his second straight save chance, Buck Showalter summoned lefty Zach Britton to get the final three outs of a 2-1 game. Britton needed only 12 pitches to convert, registering his first career save. After the game, Showalter was noncommittal about the closer role going forward, complimenting Britton’s work but also offering high praise to Darren O’Day. It looks like this could develop into a committee, but for now, we’ll take the guy with the 95 mph sinker.
Updated hierarchy: Britton | O’Day | Hunter.
May 14, 2014
Baltimore Orioles — After an overturned call on a Rajai Davis steal, Tommy Hunter blew his second straight save and boasts a 21.60 ERA over his last four appearances. Hunter has allowed 29 baserunners in his 15 IP so far this year, and the cries to replace him are getting louder. Buck Showalter is speaking in generalities thus far: “You’re alert to it, you keep an eye on it. And if there’s some adjustments that need to be made, we’ll make them . . . we’ll constantly see what gives us the best option to pitch nine innings and be competitive and continue to be in first place. And that’s what we’ll do.” Here’s a link to his postgame news conference.
Tommy Hunter to Hot Seat. Hierarchy remains: Hunter | Britton | O’Day.
May 9, 2014
Baltimore Orioles – Tommy Hunter got the night off on Thursday after two rather challenging saves on each of the previous two days, and Zach Britton was also unavailable, having thrown 3.1 innings over the previous four games. That left Darren O’Day to pick up a vulture save; the submariner will continue sharing set-up duties with Britton going forward.
Hierarchy remains: Hunter | Britton | O’Day.
May 8, 2014
Baltimore Orioles — Converted starter Zach Britton continues to ascend in the Baltimore bullpen; he’s picked up two straight eighth-inning holds for the O’s.
Hierarchy change: Hunter | Britton | O’Day.
May 2, 2014
Baltimore Orioles – He started the season as a long reliever, but Zach Britton has been getting more high-leverage innings as of late. In the first game of the Orioles’ doubleheader on Thursday, he pitched the 7th inning and earned his 4th hold of the year. Hierarchy change: Zach Britton to 2nd in line, replacing Brian Matusz.
April 28, 2014
Baltimore Orioles – Just five days removed from giving up four earned runs to the Blue Jays, Evan Meek got knocked around again on Sunday, and has now given up 8 ERs in his last 1.1 innings pitched. It’s unlikely he’ll be trusted with any more important innings until he gets things turned around. Hierarchy change: Brian Matusz to 2nd in line, replacing Evan Meek.
April 19, 2014
Baltimore Orioles – Darren O’Day picked up the save last night. He got the last out of the 8th inning with the Orioles up 3 and then Orioles added another run in the top of the 9th. O’Day stayed on to finish the game and record his first save of the season. No hierarchy change.
April 1, 2014
Baltimore Orioles — Evan Meek entered the eighth inning of Monday’s opener and recorded the first two outs before giving way to Brian Matusz for a lefty-lefty matchup to close the inning. Meek was the last player to make the opening-day roster, but the 2010 All-Star was immediately thrown into a high-leverage situation and escaped without much trouble. Hierarchy change: Evan Meek to 2nd in line, replacing Ryan Webb.
March 13, 2014
Baltimore Orioles — Tommy Hunter had a very good WHIP last year, but he doesn’t miss enough bats and gives up too many home runs. Ranked #26 in our preseason closer rankings.
March 11, 2014
Baltimore Orioles – Tommy Hunter has the inside track to the closer role to begin the season after the Orioles traded away Jim Johnson during the offseason. Darren O’Day will be right on his heels however, as will former Marlin Ryan Webb. Webb didn’t wow anyone last year, but he does have a good sinker and can also baffle hitters with a slider and change-up. Starting 2014 hierarchy: Closer – Tommy Hunter, Set-up – Darren O’Day, 2nd in line – Ryan Webb.
August 30, 2013
Baltimore Orioles – As expected, it was Jim Johnson who got the call in the 9th for the Orioles last night, officially bringing to a close Tommy Hunter’s reign at closer. Johnson should see all of the save opps going forward, unless he falters again. No hierarchy change.
August 28, 2013
Baltimore Orioles – Though Jim Johnson made a strong case for reclaiming his closer job in his last outing, it took five days before either he or Tommy Hunter appeared in a game again. It finally happened tonight, with Hunter being summoned in the middle of the 8th inning, whereupon he promptly gave up the go-ahead run and took the loss. Though Buck Showalter was far from supportive of Johnson a week ago (on the night that he used Hunter to get the save), the Orioles former closer appears to have won his old job back. He does, however, immediately land on the Hot Seat, and will need a few saves in a row to get off of it. Hierarchy change: Jim Johnson to Closer, Tommy Hunter to Set-up.
August 24, 2013
Baltimore Orioles — Jim Johnson picked up the save on Friday night as he pitched a perfect inning with 1 strikeout. Right now it looks like both Tommy Hunter and Jim Johnson are worth owning. If Jim Johnson is able to string together a couple good outings he should reclaim his role as closer. However, with the Orioles in the midst of a playoff chase they cannot afford any more blown saves from Johnson so if he struggles in his next outing, Tommy Hunter could continue to see save opportunities. No hierarchy change.
August 21, 2013
Baltimore Orioles – In a wild 9th inning, Buck Showalter first left Darren O’Day on the mound to try to get the first out, and then yanked him in favor of Brian Matusz after the submariner allowed the first runner to reach. Matusz walked the only hitter he faced before being pulled in favor of Tommy Hunter, who worked his way through the remainder of the inning to earn the save. Postgame, Showalter gave no endorsement to embattled closer Jim Johnson, saying the Orioles would do what they could to win the rest of the way. Given Hunter’s successful outing tonight, he’s probably the best player to add, though Francisco Rodriguez, Matusz, O’Day, and Johnson could all be in the mix. Hierarchy change: Tommy Hunter to Closer, Jim Johnson to Set-up, Francisco Rodriguez to 2nd in line.
August 15, 2013
Baltimore Orioles — Jim Johnson blew his third straight save and ninth of the year on Wednesday. Even before the game, the Baltimore Sun was asking its readers whether Johnson should be demoted, with 92% saying yes at the time of this report. Although Buck Showalter insists that he “can’t live in that world,” won’t “shoot the wounded,” and has no intention to give any save opportunities to K-Rod, we’ve heard that tune before. Johnson can’t afford another mistake. Hierarchy change: Francisco Rodriguez to Set-up, Tommy Hunter to 2nd in line, Jim Johnson to Hot Seat.
August 10, 2013
Baltimore Orioles — Tommy Hunter pitched the 10th inning to pick up the save last night. Jim Johnson blew the save in the 9th but Francisco Rodriguez was still available. It looks like Tommy Hunter is the best option to pick up saves for the Orioles if Johnson is unavailable. Hierarchy change: Tommy Hunter to Set-up, Francisco Rodriguez to 2nd in line.
July 24, 2013
Baltimore Orioles — As we reported last night, the Orioles have traded for Francisco Rodriguez and are likely to put him to immediate use in the set-up role. Jim Johnson is now on notice. Hierarchy change: Francisco Rodriguez to Set-up, Tommy Hunter to 2nd in line.
July 23, 2013
Baltimore Orioles — The Orioles traded for Francisco Rodriguez on Tuesday. It is unlikely that K-Rod immediately replaces Jim Johnson as closer, especially considering Johnson currently leads the majors in saves. However, Johnson also has blown six saves this year and if he blows a couple more, the Orioles could turn to Rodriguez. Hierarchy change: Francisco Rodriguez to Set-up, Tommy Hunter to 2nd in line.
July 22, 2013
Baltimore Orioles — After Jim Johnson was used in two straight games, Darren O’Day was used to pick up the save on Sunday night. No hierarchy change.
July 17, 2013
Baltimore Orioles — In the thick of an extremely competitive AL East race, the O’s are likely to stay with their current approach in the bullpen: Darren O’Day and Tommy Hunter pitching effectively in front of an inconsistent Jim Johnson. TRADE DEADLINE BUY/SELL: None.
July 6, 2013
Baltimore Orioles — Jim Johnson blew his sixth save of the season last night. Johnson saw his ERA climb over 4 and, with the way Tommy Hunter has been pitching, he could be in danger of losing his job if he continues to pitch poorly. Jim Johnson to Hot Seat.
June 29, 2013
Baltimore Orioles – Tommy Hunter picked up the save on Friday night. Jim Johnson was given the night off after pitching in three of the past four games. No hierarchy change.
June 19, 2013
Baltimore Orioles — Tuesday night marked the third straight eighth-inning appearance for Tommy Hunter; in two of those games, Buck Showalter used Darren O’Day earlier, including with a four-run lead in the 6th on Tuesday. Both men are pitching very well, but Hunter has nosed ahead. Hierarchy change: Tommy Hunter to Set-up, Darren O’Day to 2nd in line.
May 27, 2013
Baltimore Orioles – Jim Johnson picked up the save on Saturday but blew another one on Sunday. The blown save on Sunday was his fourth of the season and he is still very much on the hot seat. No hierarchy change.
May 21, 2013
Baltimore Orioles — In under a week, a Jim Johnson blown save has gone from historical oddity to disturbing three-time trend. It’s likely that Johnson, never conventionally dominant, is simply reverting to the mean via a run of particularly bad luck. On the heels of a six-game losing streak in the competitive AL East, however, Buck Showalter may not long have the luxury of keeping faith in his large righthander. Jim Johnson to Hot Seat.
May 15, 2013
Baltimore Orioles — Jim Johnson blew the save last night, managing to squeeze four singles, a hit batsman, and three outs from a mere 13 pitches. Of course he’s in no danger, as it was his first blown save since last July, a string of 35 successes broken. Perhaps someone could inform the Oriole “fans” on Twitter. No hierarchy change.
May 8, 2013
Baltimore Orioles — Pedro Strop continues to slide down the Baltimore bullpen hierarchy, while Tommy Hunter was summoned again in a late/close situation and picked up his second vulture win in four days. Hierarchy change: Tommy Hunter to 2nd in line, replacing Pedro Strop.
May 6, 2013
Baltimore Orioles – Darren O’Day on Sunday entered the game in the 8th inning with a few runners on and got out of the jam, retiring the first man he faced. With the Orioles up 4, he stayed on for the 9th inning, and picked up his first save of the season. O’Day has had a tremendous season so far, but he’s not a threat to take Jim Johnson’s job at this point. No hierarchy change.
April 22, 2013
Baltimore Orioles – Nearly all season, Darren O’Day has served as the 8th inning man for the Orioles. Pedro Strop was the go-to set-up man for Baltimore last year, but has struggled out of the box this year, having posted a 9.45 ERA through the season’s first three weeks. He pitched yesterday in the 7th inning of a game the Orioles were losing, and will need to get back on track before he’s used in high-leverage situations again. Hierarchy change: Darren O’Day to Set-up, Pedro Strop to 2nd in line.
April 21, 2013
Baltimore Orioles – Tommy Hunter picked up a three inning save in the second game of the double header yesterday. Hunter has pitched relatively well this season out of the bullpen, but he still does not currently factor into the Orioles late inning options. No hierarchy change.
February 24, 2013
Baltimore Orioles – Starting 2013 hierarchy: Closer- Jim Johnson, Set-up- Pedro Strop, 2nd in line- Darren O’Day.
July 27, 2012
Baltimore Orioles – Submariner Darren O’Day pitched the 7th inning last night, picking up his 6th hold of the year. He now has a 2.97 ERA and has been pitching in higher-leverage spots than Matt Lindstrom as of late. Hierarchy change: Darren O’Day to 2nd in line, replacing Matt Lindstrom.
July 13, 2012
Baltimore Orioles – The Orioles bullpen has been spectacular, top to bottom, thus far this year. Jim Johnson and Pedro Strop have been solid in their roles, and the Orioles are unlikely to seek any help at the deadline. They’re leading the race for the second Wild Card and aren’t going to be selling, either. TRADE DEADLINE BUY/SELL: None.
June 30, 2012
Baltimore Orioles – Matt Lindstrom got the final out of the 7th inning on Friday, and eventually earned the win in his second appearance since returning from the DL. The hard-throwing righty has a 1.80 ERA on the season, and given his past closer experience, he’d likely be the guy the Orioles went to if Jim Johnson and Pedro Strop were unavailable. Hierarchy change: Matt Lindstrom to 2nd in line, replacing Darren O’Day.
June 11, 2012
Baltimore Orioles – Darren O’Day picked up his 4th win of the year on Sunday, pitching a scoreless frame in the 10th inning. The submariner now has a 1.78 ERA and has shown that he can consistently get both righties and lefties out. Hierarchy change: Darren O’Day to 2nd in line, replacing Luis Ayala.
May 19, 2012
Baltimore Orioles – Pedro Strop picked up a save in the 11th inning on Friday. As noted in yesterday’s Vulture Save Watch, Jim Johnson had pitched three nights in a row and had a day off. No hierarchy change.
May 5, 2012
Baltimore Orioles – Luis Ayala pitched two innings in a tie game Friday, and has now gone 13 innings without allowing a run this season. He’s surpassed Matt Lindstrom on the depth chart. Hierarchy change: Luis Ayala to 2nd in line, replacing Matt Lindstrom.
April 27, 2012
Baltimore Orioles – With Jim Johnson hospitalized all week with a mystery illness, the Orioles have had to turn elsewhere in the ninth during their last three games. After two straight saves for Pedro Strop, Thursday was Luis Ayala’s turn. Manager Buck Showalter says Johnson could be released from the hospital Friday “if he can hold the food down.” No hierarchy change.
April 26, 2012
Baltimore Orioles – Jim Johnson remained hospitalized on Wednesday and Pedro Strop again got the save. Johnson is still the closer when he comes back but Strop is definitely the guy to own as Johnson’s backup. No hierarchy change.
April 25, 2012
Baltimore Orioles – Pedro Strop got the save last night as Jim Johnson spent Monday night in a hospital with flulike symptoms and was unavailable. No hierarchy change.
April 14, 2012
Baltimore Orioles – Pedro Strop pitched in the 8th last night with the Orioles up one. Strop has only given up one run so far this season while Kevin Gregg has gotten off to a slow start. Hierarchy change: Pedro Strop to Set-up, replacing Kevin Gregg.
March 24, 2012
Baltimore Orioles- Jim Johnson remains the closer after taking the job from Kevin Gregg last season. Gregg is being actively shopped by the O’s, but for now remains the setup man. Matt Lindstrom, acquired in the offseason via a trade with the Rockies, is expected to be the 7th-inning man. Starting 2012 hierarchy: Closer- Jim Johnson, Set-up- Kevin Gregg, 2nd in line- Matt Lindstrom.
Sept. 25, 2011
Baltimore Orioles- With Jim Johnson having thrown 25 pitches the night before, as well as having pitched in 4 of the previous 5 games, the Orioles gave Kevin Gregg another save chance, and the veteran delivered. No hierarchy change.
Sept. 23, 2011
Baltimore Orioles- Jim Johnson was given the night off after pitching on three consecutive nights. Kevin Gregg got the save in his stead. No hierarchy change.
Sept. 20, 2011
Baltimore Orioles- Since being acquired in the Mike Gonzalez deal, Pedro Strop has been quietly solid for the Orioles. He was one of four relievers the O’s used to bridge the gap between their starting pitcher and closer Jim Johnson last night, and currently sports a sub-3 ERA. Hierarchy change: Pedro Strop to 2nd in line, replacing Chris Jakubauskas.
Sept. 13, 2011
Baltimore Orioles- Jim Johnson picked up the save tonight. Kevin Gregg was available, having not pitched in three days, so it appears that the Orioles have finally handed the job to the hard-throwing sinkerballer. Hierarchy change: Jim Johnson to Closer, Kevin Gregg to Set-up.
Sept. 10, 2011
Baltimore Orioles- Kevin Gregg was rested last night after throwing 52 pitches in the previous two games, so Jim Johnson pitched the ninth, picking up his 4th save of the season. No hierarchy change.
Sept. 8, 2011
Baltimore Orioles- Jim Johnson picked up an 11th inning save last night after Kevin Gregg had already pitched. No hierarchy change.
Sept. 1, 2011
Baltimore Orioles- With the trade of Mike Gonzalez, Jim Johnson returns to the set-up role for now. The O’s still want to give him a start or two though, so this could change quickly. Hierarchy change: Johnson to Set-up, Jakubauskas to 2nd in line.
Aug. 25, 2011
Baltimore Orioles- Mike Gonzalez looked sharp again for Baltimore, striking out all three batters he faced in the 8th. The O’s are looking to move Jim Johnson in to the rotation, so Gonzalez may assume the set-up role soon. Hierarchy change: Gonzalez to Set-Up, Johnson to 2nd in line.
Aug. 21, 2011
Baltimore Orioles- Jim Johnson pitched 3 scoreless innings last night, while Mike Gonzalez was used for only 0.2 innings in the 6th. While Gonzalez has more career saves, Johnson is clearly the best pitcher in the Orioles bullpen, including closer Kevin Gregg, who blew the save last night. Hierarchy change: Johnson to Set-Up, Gonzalez to 2nd in line. Gregg to Hot Seat.
