Josh Taylor and Chris Stratton record saves

September 12, 2021

Boston Red Sox — Josh Taylor picked up an extra-innings save yesterday, pitching a scoreless 10th inning.  Garrett Whitlock pitched the 8th and 9th innings with the game tied.  The Red Sox are still in committee mode and it’s tough to know who will get the save on any given night.  The last four Red Sox saves have been recorded by four different relievers and we will see if anybody can separate themselves over the last few weeks of the season.

Hierarchy remains: *Ottavino | Whitlock | Robles.
* = closer-by-committee

Pittsburgh Pirates – Chris Stratton pitched a scoreless 9th inning to pick up his fourth save of the season.  That’s two straight saves for Stratton and we will monitor this situation to see if he has moved ahead of David Bednar in this committee.

Hierarchy remains: *Bednar | Stratton | Shreve.
*=closer-by-committee


San Francisco Giants — Caleb Baragar pitched the final three innings of a 15-4 Giants victory to pick up his second save of the season.  The first person to send us a screenshot proving you had Baragar in your lineup yesterday wins our Premium service for a year.

Hierarchy remains: *McGee | Rogers | Leone.
* = closer-by-committee

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. JB Wendelken (ARI) – Noe Ramirez has pitched in two straight.
2. Ryan Tepera (CHW) – The White Sox bullpen has been busy lately. Liam Hendriks, Craig Kimbrel, and Michael Kopech have all pitched in two straight, while Aaron Bummer has gone in three straight. Ryan Tepera could be an option to close if the White Sox rest all those guys today.
3. Joe Kelly (LAD) – Kenley Jansen has pitched in three straight, while Blake Treinen has gone in two straight, throwing a total of 45 pitches.
4. Genesis Cabrera (STL) – Giovanny Gallegos has pitched in three of the last four.

Monday
1. Anthony Bender (MIA) – If Dylan Floro pitches on Sunday, it will be two straight and three of four.
2. Blake Treinen (LAD) – Kenley Jansen could get two days off after pitching in three straight.

Craig Kimbrel finally gets a save for the White Sox

August 27, 2021

Kansas City Royals – Josh Staumont went on the IL Thursday, though no reason was given. Domingo Tapia, who has three holds in his last three appearances, enters the hierarchy.

Updated hierarchy: Barlow | Davis | Tapia.

Miami Marlins – After a four-run lead became a two-run lead in the ninth inning, Dylan Floro came on to retire the only batter he faced and earn the save. Anthony Bender had maintained that four-run lead with a scoreless eighth inning and also pitched the seventh inning on Wednesday, with Floro picking up a 10th-inning win. We’ll keep an eye out to see if this was just a flukey couple of games or if Floro has truly overtaken Bender in the Miami bullpen.

Hierarchy remains: *Bender | Floro | Bass.
* = closer-by-committee

Philadelphia Phillies — Jose Alvarado returned from the IL on Thursday. He should slide right back into his usual high-leverage role for the Phillies.

Updated hierarchy: Kennedy | Alvarado | Bradley.

Chicago White Sox — The Vulture Save Watch predicted that Liam Hendriks might get a second day off and that was indeed the case as Craig Kimbrel needed just six pitches (all strikes) to collect his first save with the White Sox.

Hierarchy remains: *Hendriks | Kimbrel | Kopech.
* = closer-by-committee

Arizona Diamondbacks — The Diamondbacks entered the ninth inning with an 8-3 lead, but Brett de Geus and a bad defense behind him made sure things got interesting. He was able to get two outs but departed with an 8-5 lead and a runner on second. Noe Ramirez came in, and after a walk, passed ball and single, he was able to get a strikeout to end the game and pick up the save. Amazingly, all five of the runs Arizona allowed in the ninth inning wee unearned.

Hierarchy remains: Clippard | Clarke | Ramirez.

San Francisco Giants — The Giants gave Jake McGee the night off after he threw 24 pitches on Wednesday, so Tyler Rogers converted Thursday’s save chance.

Hierarchy remains: *McGee | Rogers | Leone.
* = closer-by-committee

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today:
1. Wade Davis (KC) — After throwing 31 pitches in a blown save on Wednesday, Scott Barlow needed just eight pitches on Thursday, but still should get Friday off.
2. Chad Green (NYY) — Aroldis Chapman has pitched in three of four and Jonathan Loaisiga threw 30 pitches over two innings yesterday.

Saturday:
1. Blake Treinen/Corey Knebel (LAD) — If Kenley Jansen (or Treinen and Knebel) pitch today, that will be three of four.
2. Andres Machado/Austin Voth (WAS) — Same goes for Kyle Finnegan and Machado.

Aroldis Chapman makes his return and Brad Hand continues to struggle

August 19, 2021

New York Yankees — Aroldis Chapman returned from his injury absence and Aaron Boone announced that he would immediately resume his role as New York’s closer. With a four-run lead, Chapman gave up a solo home run — his seventh on the year, tying his career high — then was pulled for Lucas Luetge after he put two more guys on base. Luetge got a single out to earn his first save of the season, and also his first since August 21, 2012. (Covered, naturally, by Closer Monkey.) Chapman is still looking to recapture his command, but (for now at least) he’ll be doing so in the ninth inning.

Updated hierarchy: Chapman | Loaisiga | Green.

Toronto Blue Jays — Toronto has a Brad Hand problem. The lefty surrendered a walk-off walk last Friday, and yesterday he gave up a seventh-inning lead with three runs allowed to his old crew from Washington. Opponents are hitting over 100 points better against Hand since the trade, and he’s given up three home runs in only six innings. We won’t take Hand out of the hierarchy until it’s clear that the Jays have, but we can’t see him getting a shot at a save opportunity anytime soon either.

Updated hierarchy: *Romano | Cimber | Hand.
*=closer-by-committee

San Francisco Giants — We’ve been keeping our eye on the Giants’ seventh-inning situation, and Dominic Leone pitched there again Wednesday, after Zack Littell nailed down the fourth and fifth. San Francisco has several effective relievers to choose from in the late innings — including last year’s closer, Tony Watson, who has three holds in the last week and hasn’t given up a run since he was traded here from the Angels — but we think Leone belongs in the hierarchy.

Updated hierarchy: *McGee | Rogers | Leone.
* = closer-by-committee

Seattle Mariners — The Mariners went with Drew Steckenrider in the ninth on Wednesday, clarifying that although Diego Castillo is a mainstay in the eighth inning, he’s the third option for save chances in this committee.

Updated hierarchy: *Sewald | Steckenrider | Castillo.
* = closer-by-committee

Milwaukee Brewers — When Josh Hader pitched the ninth inning in a tied game, that left the save opportunity in the tenth for Devin Williams, who converted it.

Hierarchy remains: Hader | Williams | Boxberger.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today:
1. Tyler Duffey (MIN) — Alex Colome has pitched in three of four, including a 31-pitch blown save on Wednesday.
2. Wade Davis (KC) — Scott Barlow gave up three hits in a rocky save last night, and it was his third appearance in four days. Jake Brentz had pitched in three straight before getting yesterday off and Josh Staumont has gone in two in a row, so we’re going to go off-menu and predict a save chance for Davis.
3. Brad Boxberger (MIL) — Josh Hader has pitched in three of four, and Devin Williams four of five.
4. Craig Kimbrel (CHW) — Liam Hendriks earned a five-out save Wednesday and has pitched in two of three and three of five.
5. Giovanny Gallegos/Genesis Cabrera (STL) — Alex Reyes hadn’t pitched in almost a week, but he went two innings yesterday (32 pitches). Gallegos needed 26 pitches himself.
6. Taylor Clarke (ARI) — Tyler Clippard has pitched in two straight, miraculously garnering consecutive saves for Arizona.

Friday:
1. Richard Rodriguez (ATL) — Will Smith has pitched in three of four and might get rested Friday even after Thursday’s off day.
2. Blake Treinen (LAD) — An appearance by Kenley Jansen would mark three of four.
3. Drew Steckenrider (SEA) — Paul Sewald has gone in two straight.

Paul Sewald moves to the top of the Seattle committee

August 18, 2021

Seattle Mariners — Paul Sewald is back from paternity leave and he’s back in the ninth inning for Seattle. He earned his fifth save of the season on Tuesday against the heart of the Rangers’ order. Diego Castillo worked the eighth, which has been the case quite a bit lately, even with Sewald on leave. We’ll slide Sewald to the top of the hierarchy and see if he continues to consistently get save chances.

Updated hierarchy: *Sewald | Castillo | Steckenrider.
* = closer-by-committee

Chicago Cubs — Codi Heuer retired all six batters he faced over the final two innings to pick up his first save of the season and help the Cubs snap a 12-game losing streak. Rowan Wick struggled through the seventh inning, loading the bases before getting a strikeout and then watching Adam Morgan need just one pitch to get the Cubs out of the inning unscathed. This was just Wick’s third appearance (and first high-leverage outing) since returning from the IL, which is understandable given how bad the Cubs have been this month. We’ll hold Wick at the top of the committee for now and see if Heuer truly becomes the top option for whatever save chances the Cubs stumble into during the final weeks of the season.

Hierarchy remains: *Wick | Heuer | Rodriguez.
* = closer-by-committee

Arizona Diamondbacks — We welcome J.B. Wendelken to the Arizona hierarchy after he got the final two outs of the seventh to keep the Diamondbacks ahead by two. Taylor Clarke pitched a scoreless eighth to get the ball to Tyler Clippard for the save.

Updated hierarchy: Clippard | Clarke | Wendelken.

San Francisco Giants – We correctly predicted that Jake McGee and Tyler Rogers would get Tuesday off, and with two lefties and a switch hitter due up in the ninth, Gabe Kapler went with southpaw Jarlin Garcia to start the frame. Garcia retired two of the three hitters he faced before Dominic Leone came in to secure the final out and get the save. Zack Littell has been terrific for the Giants since getting called back up, picking up two saves and a win before throwing three scoreless innings on Saturday in what Kapler called a “heroic performance.” We’ll see if Littell just needed one more day of rest after that 41-pitch outing or if Leone has truly usurped Littell as the best option for saves after McGee and Rogers.

Hierarchy remains: *McGee | Rogers | Littell.
* = closer-by-committee

Kansas City Royals – We thought both Scott Barlow and Jake Brentz would get Tuesday off after having pitched in two straight games, but Brentz worked his third consecutive day when he got the ninth inning with the Royals ahead of Houston, 3-1. Brentz issued two walks but also notched two strikeouts to secure the save. 

Hierarchy remains: Barlow | Brentz | Staumont.

New York Yankees – The Yankees swept a doubleheader against the Red Sox on Tuesday, allowing both Jonathan Loaisiga and Chad Green to collect a save. Loaisiga loaded the bases with nobody out in the first game of the day but recorded a Houdini to end the game. Green closed out a 2-0 win in game two to complete the sweep.

Hierarchy remains: *Loaisiga | Green | Britton.
* = closer-by-committee

Cincinnati Reds – The Reds designated Heath Hembree for assignment on Tuesday. David Bell also announced that if all goes well during Tejay Antone’s rehab outings this week, Antone could rejoin the Reds next Tuesday.

Updated hierarchy: Givens | Lorenzen | Sims.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Jose Cisnero (DET) – Gregory Soto threw 30 pitches in a rough outing yesterday.
2. Blake Treinen (LAD) – Kenley Jansen has made two straight appearances, including a 24-pitch performance yesterday. Treinen has also gone back-to-back days but threw just eight pitches on each occasion.
3. Zack Britton (NYY) – Jonathan Loaisiga threw 34 pitches over two innings yesterday while Chad Green has gone in two straight and three of four.

Tomorrow
1. Taylor Clarke (ARI) – If Tyler Clippard pitches today, that’s two straight for him.
2. Josh Staumont/Wade Davis (KC) – If Scott Barlow goes today, that’s three out of four for him. Jake Brentz has pitched in three straight and may get two days off in a row.
3. Devin Williams/Brad Boxberger (MIL) – If Josh Hader appears today, that will be two straight and three of four. The same would be true for Boxberger, while Williams has already gone in three of four. If all three have a heavy Wednesday workload, Brent Suter may get a chance.
4. Tyler Duffey (MIN) – An Alex Colome appearance today will be three of four for him.