Closer Monkey

Monkey Bytes | May 11

Full slates on Saturday usually yield bountiful leverage events, and yesterday did not disappoint. Relievers recorded seven wins and seven saves while suffering five losses. Cubs fans and fantasy players were encouraged by who notched the save yesterday. Helsley held on for another traffic-infused save, and Don Kelly played match-ups during an eventual loss against Atlanta.

Three Takeaways

(1) Is Hodge taking over? Preserving a one-run win against the Mets on the road, Porter Hodge worked around a lead-off walk by inducing a double play comeback groundball by Francisco Lindor and a game-ending groundout by Juan Soto for his second save. He threw 19 pitches (11 strikes – 57.9 Strike%) and produced one whiff.

Since April 20, he’s allowed one unearned run across eight appearances, spanning 7.1 innings while posting a win and two saves. His saves have come against the Dodgers and Mets while recording outs against Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Francisco Lindor, and Juan Soto. He also leads all qualified pitchers by batted ball events in hard-hit rate allowed at 20 percent, giving up only nine among 45 this season and one barrel. There has not been any announcement or confirmation of a role change, but usage patterns do not lie. Ryan Pressly appeared during a loss on Friday in the sixth inning, and Hodge secured a save with a one-run lead. For now, since the team will provide a proven veteran consideration, we agree with Hodge being the preferred option. If he’s somehow available in your league, change that:

Updated Hierarchy: *Porter Hodge | *Ryan Pressly | Daniel Palencia

*= closer-by-committee (roles in flux)

(2) Hells Bells and traffic: While setting team and personal records last year, Ryan Helsley posted 23 clean saves. Through 14 games this season, he has recorded a clean outing in one, a non-save appearance on April 1 against the Angels. Despite retiring the first two batters at the bottom of the ninth, he allowed José Tena’s single with two outs, followed by a walk, a double steal, and walking Dylan Crews, loading the bases. Helsley bore down, inducing a game-ending flyout against CJ Abrams for his seventh save. He threw 22 pitches (50 Strike%) with three whiffs (13.6 SwStr%).

However, he has a 1.64 WHIP with 14 strikeouts versus ten walks (6.3 K-BB%) through 14 innings. He’s producing fewer swinging strikes (down 5.5 percent) and allowing more contact (up 8.7 percent):

Yesterday marked a season-high in average pitch velocity with his four-seam, so better days may be ahead, but monitor his underlying data closely.

Hierarchy Remains: Ryan Helsley | Phil Maton | Kyle Leahy

(3) New usage patterns in Pittsburgh: David Bednar was used in the eighth inning for a second consecutive game, this time with his team trailing by a run. The good news is that he matched up against Atlanta’s 3-4-5 lineup pocket and faced the 9-1-2 hitters on Friday. He worked a clean eighth, striking out two on 16 pitches (11 strikes – 68.8 Strike%) with three whiffs (18.8 SwStr%):

Since his recall on April 19, he has a 0.90 WHIP with 15 strikeouts against one walk (35.9 K-BB%) across ten innings. But he’s only converted two saves and recorded three holds. Dennis Santana retired the side and recorded a strikeout in a scoreless ninth, facing Atlanta’s 7-8-9 batters. So, Kelly’s plan worked until it did not. Entering at the top of the 11th, Chase Shugart let the “place” runner score on a wild pitch and issued two walks (one intentional), resulting in his third loss. Until clarity emerges, I am keeping this a shared save situation:

Hierarchy Remains: *David Bednar | *Dennis Santana | Caleb Ferguson

*= closer-by-committee

For the save streamers:

Vulture Save Options for May 11

Garrett Cleavinger (TB): Fairbanks has pitched in three of the previous four days and logged 26 pitches yesterday.
Yimi García (TOR): Hoffman has worked four of the last five days.
Danny Coulombe (MIN): Duran has pitched in three of the previous four, but he may be available with an off day tomorrow. If not, Coulombe has recorded two ancillary saves this season and would be in line today.
Tanner Rainey (PIT): A veteran with closer experience, four relievers (Bednar/Santana/Ferguson/Shugart) have appeared on consecutive days.
Tyler Ferguson (ATH): Miller notched a five-out save and threw 26 pitches on Saturday.
Cam Booser (CHW): A Hail Mary option for those in deep leagues.

Vulture Save Stashes for May 12

Reed Garrett (NYM): If Díaz pitches today, it’s back-to-back outings.
Phil Maton (STL): He will be in line if Helsley gets deployed today, which will be consecutive appearances.

Here are the remaining leverage events of interest from Saturday.

Closer CliffsNotes

Atlanta Braves

Posting his second win, Scott Blewett worked two scoreless frames across the tenth and 11th innings, giving up a hit and striking out one in Pittsburgh. He threw 17 pitches (13 strikes – 76.5 Strike%) without a whiff.

Daysbel Hernández suffered his first blown save, letting his only inherited runner score on a bases-loaded walk at the bottom of the eighth. He logged 1.1 scoreless innings, giving up a hit and four walks (one intentional).
Rafael Montero gave up a hit and an earned run during two-thirds of the eighth, getting credit for his third hold.
Dylan Lee retired both batters via strikeout in the seventh, securing his fifth hold.
Pierce Johnson worked two-thirds scoreless between the sixth and seventh innings, yielding a hit for his fourth hold.

Hierarchy Remains: Raisel Iglesias | Daysbel Hernández | Dylan Lee

Cincinnati Reds

In order of appearance, Graham Ashcraft stranded two runners at the bottom of the fifth and logged 1.2 scoreless frames, giving up a hit and a walk while striking out four, collecting his third win. He threw 29 pitches (19 strikes – 65.5 Strike%) and generated six whiffs (20.7 SwStr%).

Luis Mey worked a clean seventh and recorded one strikeout.
Tony Santillan tossed a scoreless eighth, walking one and striking out two.
Emilio Pagán allowed a hit, an earned run, and a walk while striking out one in the ninth. He’s allowed a run in three of his last six outings.

Hierarchy Remains: Emilio Pagán | Tony Santillan | Graham Ashcraft

Miami Marlins

Shutting the door on his third save, Jesús Tinoco retired the side on 10 pitches (80 Strike%) without a whiff, preserving a two-run win over the White Sox.

Since April 13, he’s been scoreless in nine of ten contests, recording a win, three saves, and two holds with a 0.971 WHIP across 10.1 innings.

Anthony Bender notched his third hold, firing a clean eighth and striking out two.
Calvin Faucher collected his second win, giving up a hit and recording two strikeouts in a scoreless seventh, ahead of his team’s two-run rally at the top of the eighth.

Updated Hierarchy: Jesús Tinoco | Calvin Faucher | Anthony Bender

Minnesota Twins

Handed a one-run lead at the top of the ninth, Jhoan Duran navigated around a lead-off bunt single by inducing a double play groundout against Mike Yastrzemski, followed by a game-ending strikeout of Willy Adames for his seventh save. He threw 10 pitches (80 Strike%) without a whiff.

He’s converted a save in five straight appearances and been scoreless in his last eight appearances since April 26 with 12 strikeouts against two walks (33.3 K-BB%).

Cole Sands allowed a hit during a scoreless eighth, securing his fifth hold.
Griffin Jax fired a clean seventh and recorded a strikeout for his 11th hold. He has been scoreless in nine of his previous ten games.

Hierarchy Remains: Jhoan Durán | Griffin Jax | Louis Varland

Milwaukee Brewers

Tasked with a tied contest at Tampa Bay at the bottom of the ninth, Grant Anderson gave up Junior Caminero’s lead-off single, replaced by pinch-runner José Caballero, who was caught stealing. With one out, he issued a walk and recorded a flyout.

Trevor Megill took over with a runner on first and two outs. He allowed a stolen base, followed by Travis Jankowski’s walk-off RBI single. Adam McAlvy shared this video on X with Megill explaining his outing. Anderson gets tagged with his second loss, giving up a hit, an earned run, and a walk during two-thirds of the ninth.

Jared Koenig retired the side and recorded a strikeout in the eighth.
Nick Mears worked a clean seventh, striking out one.
Abner Uribe fired a clean sixth, striking out two on 13 pitches (10 strikes – 76.9 Strike%) with one whiff.

Hierarchy Remains: Trevor Megill | Abner Uribe | Nick Mears

Tampa Bay Rays

After recording a strikeout against the lead-off hitter at the top of the ninth, Pete Fairbanks had consecutive runners reach on fielding errors and issued a walk, loading the bases. He bore down, inducing a pop-out and an inning-ending flyout, then collected his third win on a walk-off rally at the bottom of the inning. He finished with a walk and a strikeout while throwing 26 pitches (15 strikes – 57.7 Strike%) with one whiff.

He owns a 1.10 WHIP with 15 strikeouts against eight walks (10.3 K-BB%).

Manuel Rodríguez retired the side and recorded a strikeout in the eighth.
Edwin Uceta fired a clean seventh.

Hierarchy Remains: Pete Fairbanks | Edwin Uceta | Garrett Cleavinger

The Athletics

Summoned with two runners on and one out at the top of the eighth, Mason Miller stranded both while retiring Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt via strikeout. He returned for the ninth, allowing Trent Grisham’s lead-off triple, induced Aaron Judge’s RBI groundout, and recorded two more strikeouts for his 11th save, the first this season requiring more than three outs. He worked 1.2 innings, giving up a hit and an earned run with four strikeouts on 26 pitches (17 strikes – 65.4 Strike%), producing six whiffs (23.1 SwStr%).

He’s posted a 0.98 WHIP with 30 strikeouts against (42.4 K-BB%).

Tyler Ferguson gets credit for his eighth hold, allowing a walk during one-third of the eighth.
Grant Holman collected his fourth win, tossing 1.1 scoreless frames, yielding a hit and striking out one.
Justin Sterner suffered his first blown save, allowing three hits, two home runs, five earned runs, and two walks over two-thirds of the sixth.

Updated Hierarchy: Mason Miller | Tyler Ferguson | Grant Holman

Toronto Blue Jays

Jeff Hoffman fired a clean bottom of the ninth, securing his ninth save dominantly, striking out the side in Seattle. He threw 17 pitches (11 strikes – 64.7 Strike%) and produced three whiffs (17.6 SwStr%) versus the 5-6-7 lineup pocket.

He owns a 0.95 WHIP with 30 strikeouts versus three walks (36 K-BB%) through 19 innings.

Mason Fluharty collected his third win, stranding two runners in the seventh and logging 1.1 clean frames while striking out two.

Hierarchy Remains: Jeff Hoffman | Yimi García | Chad Green

Quick Hits

Arizona Diamondbacks: Taking the baton from Corbin Burnes at the top of the eighth, Ryne Nelson logged two scoreless frames, preserving a combined shutout and recording his first save of the season, the second of his career. He threw 16 pitches (11 strikes – 68.8 Strike%) and induced one whiff against the Dodgers. This marks six scoreless innings as a reliever over his last two outings.
Chicago White Sox: In order of appearance, Steven Wilson suffered his first blown save, giving up Kyle Stowers’ game-tying solo home run at the top of the seventh. Jordan Leasure allowed a hit and an earned run and recorded two strikeouts, resulting in his third loss during two-thirds of the eighth.
Los Angeles Dodgers: In a shutout loss, Kirby Yates allowed two hits and an earned run while striking out two at the bottom of the eighth. Alex Vesia stranded a runner and retired his only batter via strikeout in the seventh.
New York Mets: Pitching for the first time since May 5, Edwin Díaz retired the side and recorded a strikeout against the Cubs’ 1-2-3 hitters. He threw 11 pitches (63.6 Strike%) and produced two whiffs (18.2 SwStr%). He’s on a modest four-game scoreless streak and has posted a 1.20 WHIP with 23 strikeouts against seven walks (25.8 K-BB%) across 15 innings.
New York Yankees: Taking over with a one-run lead, Fernando Cruz allowed three hits, including Shea Langeliers’ go-ahead three-run home run during his two-thirds of the seventh, resulting in his first loss and a blown save.
Seattle Mariners: During a tied game at the top of the eighth, Carlos Vargas struggled, allowing three hits, three earned runs, and two walks while striking out one, resulting in his second loss. Matt Brash worked a scoreless seventh, walking one and striking out two.
Texas Rangers: Finishing a seven-run win, Luke Jackson navigated around two walks and recorded a strikeout in a scoreless bottom of the ninth. He threw 19 pitches (11 strikes – 57.9 Strike%) and induced two whiffs (10.5 SwStr%) during his first appearance since May 4, and he last recorded a save on April 25. He owns a 1.46 WHIP with 12 strikeouts versus seven walks (8.8 K-BB%) through 13 innings.

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Monkey Bytes | May 10

There was some Friday night chaos across a bevy of high-leverage events, in particular, a wild contest in Arizona with multiple lead changes preceding a ninth-inning meltdown by Diamondback relievers:

Relievers recorded four wins and secured nine saves while suffering three losses last night. Our takeaways feature a Cubs reliever “getting in work,” Bednar used in the eighth, and Arizona’s collapse.

Three Takeaways

(1) Pressly needs more work: In a column ($) for The Athletic, Sahadev Sharma shared Tommy Hottovoy’s thoughts about the recent implosion by Ryan Pressly. He inferred that the veteran reliever needed more consistent work, hence his appearance at the bottom of the sixth last night, with his team trailing by five runs. He faced the top of the Mets’ lineup, allowing Francisco Lindor’s single and walking Juan Soto while striking out one in a scoreless appearance. He threw 19 pitches (11 strikes – 57.9 Strike%) and induced three whiffs (15.8 SwStr%).

And his results:

Fantasy players prefer clarity and are known to rage-drop a struggling closer after a historically bad appearance. However, there are no assurances Porter Hodge will receive the next save chance, even if he should. In the long term, this is the solution unless the team adds a reliever before the trade deadline. For now, it feels like Pressly remains in the high-leverage mix and until he appears ahead of Hodge:

Hierarchy Remains: Ryan Pressly | Porter Hodge | Daniel Palencia

(2) Bednar’s as the opening act for Santana: Musical pun aside, in the first save situation under the guidance of new manager Don Kelly, David Bednar was used at the bottom of the eighth with a 3-0 lead, entering against Atlanta’s 9-1-2 lineup pocket. He notched his third hold, navigating around two hits and striking out three, throwing 23 pitches (16 strikes – 69.6 Strike%) with two whiffs (8.7 SwStr%).

Although Dennis Santana could not complete the combined shoutout, he finished a one-run win for his fourth save. He allowed Eli White’s lead-off triple and induced a groundout before Michael Harris II produced a sacrifice fly. With two outs, Alex Verdugo singled, took second on defensive indifference, and scored on Drake Baldwin’s RBI single before a game-ending flyout by Ozzie Albies. Santana gave up three hits and two earned runs on 22 pitches (13 strikes – 59.1 Strike%) with two whiffs (9.1 SwStr%).

This hierarchy was trending toward Bednar resuming his closer role, but this usage pattern keeps it as:

Hierarchy Remains: *David Bednar | *Dennis Santana | Caleb Ferguson

*= closer-by-committee

(3) A nightmare in the ninth for Arizona: Called upon with two runners on and one out, Ryan Thompson allowed Shohei Ohtani’s three-run home run, putting an earned run on his ledger during two-thirds of the ninth. Kevin Ginkel suffered his first loss and blown save, giving up four hits, five earned runs, and a hit batter while striking out one in one-third of the ninth, nuking his fantasy manager’s ratios.

He’s allowed at least a run during four of his five appearances this month. Shelby Miller worked a scoreless eighth, yielding a hit and striking out one for his sixth hold.

His assignment in this contest was taking on the top of the Dodgers’ lineup during the highest-leveraged situation to prevent them from turning the lineup over. It worked initially but ended up being a tactical half-measure. Jalen Beeks notched his sixth hold, recording two outs, one via strikeout in the seventh. Cristian Mena logged 3.2 scoreless frames, issuing one walk and striking out five in his MLB debut.

For those seeking a positive update, this tweet shares Justin Martinez, who has been throwing, and A.J. Puk, who is asymptomatic and trending toward throwing soon, though no timeframe for a return has been set.

Updated Hierarchy: *Shelby Miller | *Jalen Beeks | Kevin Ginkel

*= match-up-based approach

For the save streamers:

Vulture Save Options for May 10

Chad Green (TOR): Hoffman has pitched in three of the previous four games, and García threw 28 pitches last night.
Bryan Baker (BAL): He was warming before Cano took over, but he’s pitched in consecutive games, and Bautista has not worked in back-to-back games yet.

Vulture Save Stash for May 11

Jason Adam (SD): If Suarez pitches today, it’s consecutive appearances at Coors.
Tayler Scott (HOU): If Hader gets deployed today, he will have appeared in back-to-back contests.
Taylor Clarke (KC): If Estévez and Erceg are used today, each reliever will have worked in two straight games.

Here are the remaining leverage events of interest from Friday.

Closer CliffsNotes

Baltimore Orioles

Shutting the door on his seventh save, Félix Bautista retired the side and recorded two strikeouts against the Angels’ 3-4-5 lineup pocket, finishing a three-run win. He threw 12 pitches (75 Strike%) and induced two whiffs (16.7 SwStr%).

This extended his scoreless streak to nine games since April seven, during which he’s converted seven saves with 11 strikeouts against three walks (25 K-BB%) and a 0.556 WHIP in nine innings.

Keegan Akin stranded two runners and retired his only batter in the eighth for his sixth hold.
Yennier Cano allowed a hit and a walk while striking out one in one-third of the eighth, getting credit for his eighth hold.

Hierarchy Remains: Félix Bautista | Yennier Cano | Gregory Soto

Boston Red Sox

Summoned at the top of the 12th, Sean Newcomb suffered his fourth loss, recording an out on a sacrifice bunt, followed by Freddy Fermin’s walk-off RBI single.

Brennan Bernardino stranded two runners and retired his only batter in the 11th.
Garrett Whitlock was tagged with his third blown save, giving up a hit, an unearned run, and a walk while striking out two in two-thirds of the 11th.
Aroldis Chapman fired a clean tenth, striking out two on 16 pitches (62.5 Strike%) and producing two whiffs (12.5 SwStr%).

Justin Slaten retired all four batters faced and stranded two at the bottom of the eighth.
Justin Wilson gave up a hit and a walk while striking out two in two-thirds of the eighth.
Greg Weissert issued two walks but escaped with a scoreless seventh.

Updated Hierarchy: Aroldis Chapman | Liam Hendriks | Justin Slaten

Chicago White Sox

In order of appearance, Jordan Leasure worked a scoreless sixth, giving up a hit and striking out two, securing his fifth hold on 12 pitches (83.3 Strike%) with four whiffs (33.3 SwStr%).

Caleb Freeman allowed two hits, including a solo home run, and recorded one out, resulting in his first blown save in the seventh.
Cam Booser allowed a hit and struck out one in two-thirds of the seventh, collecting his first win when his teammates rallied for three runs at the bottom of the frame.
Steven Wilson worked around two walks for a scoreless eighth and notched his fourth hold.
Brandon Eisert tossed a scoreless ninth, walking and striking out one, preserving a four-run margin.

Hierarchy Remains: *Jordan Leasure | *Cam Booser | *Steven Wilson

*= closer-by-committee

Detroit Tigers

Locking down his fourth save, Will Vest fired a clean top of the ninth and recorded one strikeout, preserving a one-run win while facing the Rangers’ 2-3-4 lineup pocket. He threw 10 pitches (90 Strike%) and produced two whiffs (20 SwStr%).

He has a 1.00 WHIP with 19 strikeouts versus seven walks (18.2 K-BB%) across 17 innings.

Tommy Kahnle allowed a hit during a scoreless eighth, securing his third hold. He’s posted a 0.75 WHIP with 13 strikeouts in 13.2 innings.

Hierarchy Remains: *Will Vest | *Tommy Kahnle | Tyler Holton

Houston Astros

Converting his ninth save and preserving a combined shutout, Josh Hader navigated around a one-out Tyler Stephenson double with consecutive strikeouts. He threw 20 pitches (65 Strike%) and generated seven whiffs (35 SwStr%) while recording three strikeouts.

He’s posted a 0.882 WHIP with 25 strikeouts versus four walks (31.3 K-BB%) across 17 innings.

Bryan Abreu allowed a hit and a walk while striking out two in a scoreless eighth, securing his tenth hold.
Bryan King fired a clean eighth and recorded a strikeout for his tenth hold.
Kaleb Ort stranded a runner and retired his only batter in the sixth, notching his first hold.

Hierarchy Remains: Josh Hader | Bryan Abreu | Bryan King

Kansas City Royals

Benefiting from a walk-off at the bottom of the 12th, Steven Cruz earned his first career win. He stranded a runner while retiring both batters faced at the top of the inning, including a strikeout of Abraham Toro.

Daniel Lynch IV gave up a hit and an unearned run during 1.1 innings between the 11th and 12th.
Carlos Estévez fired a clean top of the tenth and recorded a strikeout on 16 pitches (75 Strike%) with two whiffs (12.5 SwStr%) facing the 7-8-9 hitters.

Lucas Erceg worked 1.1 scoreless frames, yielding a hit against the heart of the batting order.
John Schreiber gave up a hit and recorded a strikeout in two-thirds of the eighth.

Hierarchy Remains: Carlos Estévez | Lucas Erceg | Daniel Lynch IV

Los Angeles Dodgers

Sealing a come-from-behind rally, Tanner Scott retired the side and recorded two strikeouts at the bottom of the ninth for his ninth save. He threw 19 pitches (12 strikes – 63.2 Strike%) and induced two whiffs.

He’s been scoreless in his last six outings, and this marks his first save since April 20. He has a 0.802 WHIP with 19 strikeouts against one walk (27.3 K-BB%) over 18.2 innings.

Alex Vesia allowed two solo home runs in the eighth but gets credited with his first win.
Luis García logged 1.1 scoreless frames, yielding a hit and a walk while striking out one.

Updated Hierarchy: *Tanner Scott | *Kirby Yates | Alex Vesia

*= match-up-based approach with a primary save share

Minnesota Twins

Securing his second save, Danny Coulombe retired the side against the Giants’ 1-2-3 lineup pocket, recording two strikeouts on nine pitches (88.9 Strike%) with two whiffs (22.2 SwStr%). This extended the team’s six-game win streak, and Coulombe remains scoreless through 17 appearances, spanning 15.1 innings.

Louis Varland notched his sixth hold, stranding a runner and retiring both batters in the eighth. He’s been scoreless in his last four games and five of six this month.

Hierarchy Remains: Jhoan Durán | Griffin Jax | Louis Varland

San Diego Padres

Forced into action with two runners on and one out at Coors, Robert Suarez induced a game-ending double play groundout against Sean Bouchard, securing his MLB-leading 15th save. He threw three pitches, all strikes, and produced one whiff (33.3 SwStr%). He owns a 0.565 WHIP with 18 strikeouts against four walks (22.9 K-BB%) across 17.2 innings. He’s converted 17 straight save opportunities since September 22, 2024.

Hierarchy Remains: Robert Suarez | Jason Adam | Jeremiah Estrada

Tampa Bay Rays

With the leverage ladder running on fumes, Eric Orze filled in capably, converting his second save while working around a two-out single and recording a strikeout in a scoreless ninth. He threw 15 pitches (66.7 Strike%) without a whiff. He has a 1.35 WHIP with eight strikeouts against six walks across 13.1 innings.

Cole Sulser suffered his first blown save, allowing a hit, an earned run, and two walks with one strikeout at the top of the eighth, but was awarded his first win courtesy of a rally at the bottom of the inning.
Mason Montgomery fired a clean seventh and recorded two strikeouts for his sixth hold.

Hierarchy Remains: Pete Fairbanks | Edwin Uceta | Garrett Cleavinger

Toronto Blue Jays

Bouncing back with a scoreless bottom of the ninth, Jeff Hoffman posted his eighth save while preserving a three-run win in Seattle. He let J.P. Crawford reach on a wild pitch after a strikeout but recorded a strikeout of Jorge Polanco and a game-ending fielder’s choice groundout against Julio Rodríguez. Hoffman threw 18 pitches (14 strikes – 77.8 Strike%) and produced four whiffs (22.2 SwStr%) while striking out three.

Yimi García worked into then out of trouble, loading the bases on a hit and two walks before retiring the next three batters for his fifth hold.
Brendon Little logged 1.2 scoreless frames, stranded one of two inherited runners in the sixth, allowing a hit and striking out three for his eighth hold.

Hierarchy Remains: Jeff Hoffman | Yimi García | Chad Green

Quick Hits

Colorado Rockies: Working a scoreless top of the ninth during an eventual loss, Jake Bird issued a walk and recorded a strikeout. Zach Agnos allowed two hits and an earned run while striking out one in the eighth. Seth Halvorsen fired a clean seventh and recorded two strikeouts on 14 pitches (9 strikes – 64.3 Strike%) with four whiffs (28.6 SwStr%).
Los Angeles Angels: Getting in work, Kenley Jansen gave up an RBI triple by Gunnar Henderson, scoring his only inherited runner and recording two outs in a non-save capacity.
Milwaukee Brewers: Jared Koenig suffered his first loss, giving up two hits, an earned run, and two walks, including one with the bases loaded while striking out two in two-thirds of the eighth. Joel Payamps stranded three runners, striking out his only batter in the eighth.
Philadelphia Phillies: Tossing a scoreless bottom of the eighth during a shutout loss, Orion Kerkering allowed a hit and recorded a strikeout on 19 pitches (14 strikes – 73,7 Strike%) with two whiffs.

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Statistical Credits:

Monkey Bytes | May 9

Thursday’s nine-game slate produced fours across the board. Relievers recorded four wins, saves, and holds. They also suffered four losses and four blown saves. In a leverage ladder that lost Joe Jiménez before the season began, a closer struggling with contact was not what Brian Snitker hoped for. Plus, a Reds reliever cannot convert his first save opportunity in the ninth inning and Arizona had a seventh reliever record a save through the team’s first 38 contests.

Three Takeaways

(1) Raisel vs. Quality of Contact: In 15 appearances this season, Raisel Iglesias has allowed six home runs, two more than last season. He has not discriminated: four have been hit by right-handed batters with two by left-handed hitters, three have occurred at home, and three have happened on the road. The good news is that he has a 1.07 WHIP with 18 strikeouts against two walks (26.7 K-BB%) through 15 innings with a 2.46 SIERA. His contact percentage and swinging strike rates are stable compared with last year’s and career levels. It’s not how much contact but the type.

However, his Statcast data shows he has a .367 expected weighted on-base average (xwOBA), a robust .526 expected weighted batting average on contact, and a 5.28 xERA. He’s already matched his barrels allowed total from last year, seven, in 35 batted ball events versus 175. Here are his updated batted ball trends:

Link: https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/cvCpx/1/

His 20 percent barrel rate and 42.9 hard-hit percentage are career-worsts in this year’s limited sample. With this in mind, here are his pitch usage percentages this season:

He’s throwing fewer change-ups while increasing his sinker use, which may not be the problem. As we view his splits by pitch, the slider has been an issue:

Link: https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/dhIOy/1/

There is no easy fix in this instance, especially with him working with reduced velocity:

In last night’s game, he allowed three hits, including Rece Hinds’ go-ahead two-run home run at the top of the ninth, on, you guessed it, a hanging slider:

Fantasy managers need him to throw more change-ups ahead in the count, which requires command of his arsenal. Hope lies in his SIERA, but if the quality of contact issues persist, the only thing insulating his closer role is the lack of competition on his leverage ladder.

Hierarchy Remains: Raisel Iglesias | Daysbel Hernández | Dylan Lee

(2) Graham cracked: Handed a two-run lead at the bottom of the ninth, Graham Ashcraft issued Ozzie Albies a lead-off walk, a mortal sin during leverage events. Sean Murphy followed with a single, though Rece Hinds did not judge the ball well in right field. With runners on the corners, Ashcraft recorded an out on an RBI sacrifice bunt by Eli White, but Michael Harris II roped a game-tying single, handing him his second blown save. This could have been nerves, and no one knows how this plays out if Hinds makes the catch on Murphy’s hit. Those in keeper leagues will note Luis Mey worked a scoreless tenth, walking and striking out one on 22 pitches (13 strikes – 59.1 Strike%) with two whiffs. He’s turned in three consecutive scoreless outings with four strikeouts against one walk. Taylor Rogers suffered his first loss, allowing Drake Baldwin’s two-out, walk-off RBI single. Rogers finished with a hit, an unearned run, and a walk (intentional – Eli White) while striking out one among his two outs at the bottom of the 11th.

Hierarchy Remains: Emilio Pagán | Tony Santillan | Graham Ashcraft

(3) Ginkel’s on the board: Taking over with a three-run lead at the top of the ninth against the Dodgers’ 8-9-1 lineup lane, Kevin Ginkel secured his first save despite allowing Shohei Ohtani’s solo home run. He threw 18 pitches (55.6 Strike%) and induced two whiffs (11.1 SwStr%).

This represents his first save since April 28 last year. He’s given up at least a run in three of five appearances this season but remains in the mix for saves with multiple injuries in the team’s leverage ladder.

Hierarchy Remains: *Shelby Miller | *Kevin Ginkel | Ryan Thompson

*= closer-by-committee

For the save streamers, a light forecast:

Vulture Save Options for May 9

Louis Varland (MIN): Durán and Jax have pitched in consecutive contests.
Mason Montgomery (TB): Fairbanks, Uceta, and Cleavinger have worked in back-to-back games.

Vulture Save Stash for May 10

Pierce Johnson (ATL): If Iglesias pitches tonight, it will be three appearances in four days.

Here are the remaining leverage events of interest from Thursday.

Closer CliffsNotes

Baltimore Orioles

Taking over at the bottom of the eighth, Yennier Cano walked Harrison Bader leading off the inning, followed by a stolen base. He recorded a strikeout, then walked Byron Buxton, resulting in his removal from the contest. Gregory Soto inherited both runners and let them score on Brooks Lee’s two-RBI double and a run on his ledger, giving up Ty France’s single. Cano finished with two earned runs and two walks while striking out one for his second loss. Soto gave up two hits, an earned run, and a walk while striking out two.

Hierarchy Remains: Félix Bautista | Yennier Cano | Gregory Soto

Boston Red Sox

Completing a combined shutout, Liam Hendriks logged two scoreless innings, allowing one base runner on a hit-by-pitch. He threw 18 pitches (66.7 Strike%) without a whiff.

He owns a 0.25 WHIP across four scoreless innings through three outings in May.

Garrett Whitlock gave up a hit and a walk while striking out two in a scoreless seventh.
Justin Slaten collected his first win, retiring all four batters and stranding two at the top of the fifth.

Hierarchy Remains: Aroldis Chapman | Liam Hendriks | Greg Weissert

Minnesota Twins

Slamming the door on his sixth save, Jhoan Durán fired a clean top of the ninth against the Orioles’ 9-1-2 hitters and recorded a strikeout. He threw six pitches, all strikes, and produced two whiffs (33.3 SwStr%).

This extended his scoreless streak to seven games, during which he’s racked up 11 strikeouts against two walks (33.3 K-BB%) with a 0.857 WHIP through seven innings.

Griffin Jax worked a clean eighth and recorded two strikeouts, keeping the game tied, then collected his first win after his teammates plated three runs at the bottom of the inning.
Justin Topa tossed a clean seventh, striking out one.
Cole Sands navigated around two hits for a scoreless sixth.

Hierarchy Remains: Jhoan Durán | Griffin Jax | Louis Varland

Philadelphia Phillies

Entering with a two-run lead at the bottom of the tenth, Matt Strahm allowed Danny Jansen’s RBI single and Chandler Simpson’s single before a game-ending strikeout secured his second save. Strahm threw 18 pitches (13 strikes – 72.2 Strike%) and induced three whiffs (16.7 SwStr%).

José Alvarado collected his fourth win, giving up a hit and striking out one in a scoreless ninth, throwing 11 pitches (63.6 Strike%) without a whiff. He’s posted a 1.22 WHIP with 23 strikeouts versus three walks (26.4 K-BB%).
Jordan Romano navigated around two hits and recorded a strikeout in a scoreless eighth. He’s been scoreless in his last four appearances.

Hierarchy Remains: *José Alvarado | *Jordan Romano | Orion Kerkering

*= floating closer concept

Tampa Bay Rays

During the top of the tenth, Manuel Rodríguez suffered his first loss, allowing two hits, two runs (one earned), and recording one strikeout. Brandon Marsh’s lead-off RBI double, a sacrifice bunt, and Trea Turner’s single were the contest’s differences.

Pete Fairbanks had his outing take a turn after an errant pick-off attempt let Johan Rojas reach third. A fielder’s choice groundout scored the game-tying run, handing Fairbanks his first blown save. He finished with a hit, an unearned run, and a walk while striking out one.

Mason Montgomery notched his fifth hold, retiring his only batter and stranding a runner in the eighth.
Edwin Uceta gave up four hits and three earned runs in the eighth, including Bryson Stott’s three-run home run.
Garrett Cleavinger retired the side for his third hold in the seventh.

Hierarchy Remains: Pete Fairbanks | Edwin Uceta | Garrett Cleavinger

Toronto Blue Jays

Protecting a three-run lead, Chad Green nailed down his first save with a clean bottom of the ninth and recorded two strikeouts against the Angels’ top of the batting order. He threw nine pitches (77.8 Strike%) and induced one whiff (11.1 SwStr%), filling in with Jeff Hoffman and Yimi García unavailable.

Yariel Rodríguez worked two scoreless frames, yielding a hit and striking out five on 29 pitches (69 Strike%), and produced seven whiffs (24.1 SwStr%). Appearing on consecutive days, he posted 3.1 scoreless innings, scattering two hits and recording seven strikeouts among 12 batters (58.3 K%).

Hierarchy Remains: Jeff Hoffman | Yimi García | Chad Green

Quick Hits

Detroit Tigers: Wrapping up a sweep during a ten-run win in Game 2, Beau Brieske tossed a scoreless bottom of the ninth, walking one and striking out two on 17 pitches (8 strikes – 47.1 Strike%) with two whiffs (11.8 SwStr%).
Kansas City Royals: Finishing a combined shutout, Steven Cruz retired the side and recorded one strikeout against the White Sox 2-3-4 hitters on 12 pitches (75 Strike%) with three whiffs (25 SwStr%). He has a 0.70 WHIP across ten scoreless innings. Chris Stratton fired a clean top of the eighth, striking out two.
Los Angeles Angels: In order of appearance, Ryan Johnson took over the top of the sixth with a one-run lead. He allowed two hits and a walk before being removed, resulting in three earned runs and his first loss. Brock Burke let all three inherited runners score on two hits and two walks, putting an earned run on his ledger and suffering his first blown save.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Appearing during a loss, Jack Dreyer logged three scoreless frames, allowing three hits and a walk while striking out one.

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Monkey Bytes | May 8

Wednesday provided volume among its peaks and valleys for high-leverage results. Relievers recorded eight wins and nine saves while suffering six losses. In today’s takeaways, an encouraging outing in the Bronx, an intriguing option for the Phillies made his debut in relief, and a rough night in Los Angeles.

Three Takeaways

(1) A step forward for D-Will: In his best appearance at home, Devin Williams stranded the “place” runner while navigating around a walk and a hit-batter for a scoreless ninth by recording three strikeouts. He collected his first win, throwing 21 pitches (11 strikes – 52.4 Strike%) and producing five whiffs (23.8 SwStr%).

His command was not pristine, but this represents a step forward in his return to closing games. Luke Weaver let both inherited runners score at the top of the eighth on Jackson Merrill’s RBI single and a sacrifice fly. He finished with 1.2 scoreless innings, yielding one hit on 18 pitches (13 strikes – 72.2 Strike%) with three whiffs (16.7 SwStr%). He has a 0.71 WHIP with 16 strikeouts against six walks (15.9 K-BB%) in 17 innings.

Hierarchy Remains: Luke Weaver | Devin Williams | Fernando Cruz

(2) Hoffman cannot escape LA: Jeff Hoffman allowed three earned runs while facing the Angels for a second straight game, resulting in his first loss and a first blown save. He took over with a two-run at the bottom of the ninth and issued Kyren Paris a lead-off walk, followed by consecutive singles, loading the bases. Hoffman recorded a strikeout against Taylor Ward and then gave up Jorge Soler’s walk-off, two RBI double. He threw 14 pitches (9 strikes – 64.3 Strike%) and induced two whiffs (14.3 SwStr%) in one-third of the ninth. Following the game, the closer felt he was missing spots with his pitches, and he did leave pitches up in the zone:

He has a 1.06 WHIP with 24 strikeouts versus three walks (30.9 K-BB%) across 17 innings, and his 1.90 SIERA and 1.98 xERA confirm these games as blips, not panic. Also, during this game, Yariel Rodríguez worked 1.1 scoreless innings, yielding a hit and striking out two, securing his third hold. He may be earning a larger leverage share, and if he’s used like this over the weekend ahead of Chad Green, the hierarchy will be adjusted.

Hierarchy Remains: Jeff Hoffman | Yimi García | Chad Green

(3) Is Taijuan taking the Hoffman path? Many forget Taijuan Walker‘s former teammate was a starting pitcher before becoming a reliever and recorded more than three outs in 14 games between 2023 and 2024 for the Phillies. Last night, Walker carried over his gains this season by recording his first career save. He worked three scoreless frames, yielding a hit and striking out seven of ten batters. He threw 45 pitches (66.7 Strike%) and induced four whiffs (8.9 SwStr%).

Including this appearance, he has a 1.24 WHIP with 29 strikeouts through 31.1 innings. This appearance, combined with early-season struggles by Orion Kerkering and Jordan Romano, may pave the way for some leverage work or multi-inning saves going forward, as Corey Seidman of NBC Philadelphia notes in this article:

Those in leagues with pitcher designations should stash Walker as a SPARP option and monitor his usage patterns closely in upcoming contests.

Hierarchy Remains: *José Alvarado | *Jordan Romano | Orion Kerkering

*= floating closer concept

For the save streamers:

Vulture Save Options for May 8

Lucas Erceg (KC): Estévez threw 21 pitches last night and has pitched in two of the previous three days.
Yiimi García (TOR): Hoffman has appeared in consecutive contests.
Graham Ashcraft (CIN): Pagán and Santillan have worked in back-to-back games.

Doubleheader Options

Detroit Tigers: Preferred option – Tyler Holton; YOLO – Beau Brieske

Vulture Save Stashes for May 9

Yennier Cano (BAL): Until Félix Bautista appears on consecutive days; if he pitches, we assume he’s off the next day.

Here are the remaining leverage events of interest from Wednesday.

Closer CliffsNotes

Boston Red Sox

Although he allowed a solo home run, Aroldis Chapman recorded his fifth save, issuing a walk and striking out one, closing a two-run win over Texas. He threw 18 pitches (11 strikes – 61.1 Strike%) and induced two whiffs (11.1 SwStr%), along with registering the fastest pitch this season (103.8 miles per hour).

This marked his first save since April 15. He has a 1.05 WHIP and 18 strikeouts versus five walks (26 K-BB%) over 12.1 innings.

Greg Weissert retired the side for his fourth hold in the eighth.
Brennan Bernardino earned his second win, working a clean seventh ahead of his team’s two-run rally at the bottom of the frame.

Updated Hierarchy: Aroldis Chapman | Liam Hendriks | Greg Weissert

Cincinnati Reds

Bouncing back on his 34th birthday, Emilio Pagán preserved a one-run win over Atlanta with a scoreless ninth, allowing a two-out single and recording two strikeouts for his ninth save. He threw 22 pitches (15 strikes – 68.2 Strike%) and produced five whiffs (22.7 SwStr%).

He’s posted a 0.63 WHIP with 20 strikeouts against four walks (25.4 K-BB%) across 17.1 innings.

Tony Santillan notched his ninth hold, striking out one in a clean top of the eighth.
Luis Mey recorded a clean seventh and struck out one for his first hold.
Brent Suter logged two innings, giving up a solo home run (Drake Baldwin) and recording three strikeouts while collecting his first win.

Hierarchy Remains: Emilio Pagán | Tony Santillan | Graham Ashcraft

Cleveland Guardians

Securing his eighth save, Emmanuel Clase closed a two-run win in Washington, working around a one-out CJ Abrams single and a stolen base with a strikeout, followed by a game-ending flyout against James Wood. He threw 12 pitches (83.3 Strike%) and produced three whiffs (25 SwStr%).

He’s converted his last four save chances, allowing two runs (one earned) with five strikeouts (29.4 K-BB%) and a 1.00 WHIP.

Kolby Allard notched his first hold, retiring the side in the eighth.
Cade Smith let both inherited runners score, giving up two hits and a walk while recording one out. He received credit for his ninth hold.
Joey Cantillo collected his first win, tossing a scoreless fifth, walking and striking out one.

Hierarchy Remains: Emmanuel Clase | Cade Smith | Hunter Gaddis

Detroit Tigers

Capping a two-run rally and collecting his second win, Will Vest tossed two scoreless frames at Coors, allowing a hit and two walks (one intentional – Michael Toglia) while striking out two. He threw 30 pitches (70 Strike%) without a whiff. He has a 1.06 WHIP with 18 strikeouts versus seven walks (17.5 K-BB%) through 16 innings.

Tommy Kahnle worked around a hit and two walks while striking out one in a scoreless eighth, throwing 23 pitches (9 strikes – 39.1 Strike%) without a whiff.
Brenan Hanifee tossed a scoreless seventh, yielding a hit and striking out one.
Brant Hurter logged 2.1 scoreless frames, scattering two hits and striking out two.

Hierarchy Remains: *Will Vest | *Tommy Kahnle | Tyler Holton

*= match-up-based approach

Houston Astros

Showing signs of rust after last appearing on April 29, Josh Hader tossed a scoreless bottom of the ninth, finishing an eight-run win at Milwaukee. His outing began by walking Isaac Collins, striking out Christian Yelich, then giving up Rhys Hoskins’ double. After recording a strikeout of Daz Cameron, he hit Caleb Durbin with a pitch before inducing a game-ending flyout. Hader threw 19 pitches (12 strikes – 63.2 Strike%) and produced four whiffs (21.1 SwStr%).

He has a 0.88 WHIP with 22 strikeouts against four walks (28.6 K-BB%) through 16 innings.

Bryan Abreu retired the side in the eighth on six pitches.

Hierarchy Remains: Josh Hader | Bryan Abreu | Bryan King

Kansas City Royals

Dealing with traffic at the top of the ninth, Carlos Estévez allowed Miguel Vargas’ lead-off double, Luis Robert Jr.’s RBI single, and another single before recording a strikeout. With one out, Estévez induced a groundout and a game-ending strikeout for his 11th save. He allowed three hits and an earned run while striking out two on 21 pitches (71.4 Strike%) with five whiffs (23.8 SwStr%).

He’s converted six straight save chances, but this outing snapped his modest five-game scoreless streak.

Lucas Erceg fired a clean eighth, striking out the side and throwing 17 pitches (12 strikes – 70.6 Strike%) while producing four whiffs (23.5 SwStr%).

Hierarchy Remains: Carlos Estévez | Lucas Erceg | Daniel Lynch IV

Minnesota Twins

Locking down his fifth save, Jhoan Durán fired a clean top of the ninth, striking out the side on 14 pitches (11 strikes – 78.6 Strike%) and inducing two whiffs (14.3 SwStr%).

He’s recorded a save in three consecutive appearances and been scoreless in his last five. He’s posted a 1.04 WHIP with 20 strikeouts versus eight walks (18 K-BB%) over 16.1 innings.

Griffin Jax navigated around two hits for a scoreless eighth, securing his tenth hold. Brock Stewart tossed a scoreless seventh, giving up a hit and striking out one.
Louis Varland stranded a runner despite yielding a hit during one-third of the sixth.
Danny Coulombe collected his first win, stranding two runners in the fifth, allowing a hit, and striking out two in a scoreless combined inning.

Hierarchy Remains: Jhoan Durán | Griffin Jax | Louis Varland

San Francisco Giants

Working around a lead-off single by Carson Kelly, Ryan Walker induced Justin Turner’s double-play grounder and a game-ending Nico Hoerner groundout, preserving the two-run margin while recording his seventh save. He threw 14 pitches (8 strikes – 57.1 Strike%) and produced three whiffs (21.4 SwStr%).

He has a 1.35 WHIP with 15 strikeouts against four walks (18.3 K-BB%) through 13.1 innings.

Tyler Rogers retired the side in the eighth, notching his ninth hold.
Camilo Doval extended his scoreless streak to 13 games, walking one and striking out two in a scoreless seventh, securing his fifth hold. In this stretch, he’s posted a 0.325 WHIP with 11 strikeouts versus three walks (20 K-BB%) through 12.1 innings.

Hierarchy Remains: Ryan Walker | Camilo Doval | Tyler Rogers

Seattle Mariners

Handed a one-run lead at the bottom of the ninth, Andrés Muñoz permitted Luis Urías’ lead-off single, then bore down, recording two strikeouts, sandwiched around a flyout for his American League-leading 13th save. He threw 18 pitches (11 strikes – 61.1 Strike%) and generated five whiffs (27.8 SwStr%) while facing the A’s 7-8-9-1 hitters.

He owns a 0.83 WHIP with 25 strikeouts versus eight walks (25 K-BB%) through 18 scoreless frames.

Gabe Speier retired both batters at the bottom of the eighth for his sixth hold.
Eduard Bazardo collected his first win, logging 1.1 scoreless innings, yielding a hit and striking out one.

Hierarchy Remains: Andrés Muñoz | Carlos Vargas | Matt Brash

The Athletics

Curious leverage moves resulted in a one-run deficit. Grant Holman worked around two hits for a scoreless top of the ninth. Justin Sterner retired his only batter in the eighth via strikeout, stranding a runner.

Noah Murdock took over in the seventh, stranding a runner, but struggled during his up-down. During the eighth, he issued a one-out walk, and after a strikeout, the pinch-runner stole second and then scored the game-tying run on Leody Taveras’ single. He stole second, then scored the go-ahead run on Dylan Moore’s double, resulting in Murdock’s removal, his first loss, and a first blown save.

T.J. McFarland recorded two outs in the seventh and allowed a hit, securing his fifth hold.

Hierarchy Remains: Mason Miller | Tyler Ferguson | Justin Sterner

Quick Hits

Colorado Rockies: Forced into a two-inning outing, Zach Agnos gave up two runs at the top of the tenth on Spencer Torkelson’s RBI double and a fielding error by Jordan Beck. He finished with a hit and two unearned runs, striking out two on 27 pitches (66.7 Strike%) and generating six whiffs (22.2 SwStr%). He owns a 0.75 WHIP with three strikeouts across 9.1 innings. Seth Halvorsen worked 1.2 scoreless frames, giving up a hit and a walk while striking out three. He threw 24 pitches (62.5 Strike%) and produced five whiffs (20.8 SwStr%). With its two best relievers entering a doubleheader on this usage pattern during a loss, it may answer questions about the team’s record.
Los Angeles Angels: After tossing a scoreless top of the ninth while allowing a walk, Brock Burke collected his third win on a walk-off rally at the bottom of the inning. He threw 11 pitches (36.4 Strike%) versus Toronto’s 9-1-2-3 hitters.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Taking the baton from Landon Knack, newly promoted Matt Sauer logged four innings, giving up a hit, an unearned run, and a walk while striking out four, recording his first major league save. He threw 42 pitches (31 strikes – 73.8 Strike%) and produced seven whiffs (16.7 SwStr%). He’s the seventh pitcher with at least one save for Los Angeles this season; there are five franchises with fewer than seven saves this year. Before the game, the team placed Evan Phillips on the 15-day injured list with right elbow discomfort.
Miami Marlins: As the first reliever in the contest, Cade Gibson suffered his first loss, allowing two hits, an earned run, and a walk during his combined inning. Lake Bachar imploded, giving up four hits, six earned runs, and three walks while striking out one in one-third of the seventh.
San Diego Padres: Tasked with a tied game at the bottom of the tenth, Jeremiah Estrada suffered his second loss. He allowed a sacrifice bunt, followed by a walk-off sacrifice fly by J.C. Escarra. Robert Suarez worked a scoreless ninth, giving up Cody Bellinger’s one-out single. Jason Adam gave up a game-tying Trent Grisham two-run home run and a walk while striking out one during 1.1 innings.
St. Louis Cardinals: Completing a combined shutout, Chris Roycroft retired the side and recorded a strikeout at the top of the ninth against the Pirates. Kyle Leahy notched his ninth hold, working around two hits and striking out one in a scoreless eighth. This extended his scoreless streak to eight games, spanning 9.1 innings.
Tampa Bay Rays: Appearing during a shutout loss, Pete Fairbanks tossed a scoreless top of the ninth against the Phillies’ 3-4-5-6 hitters. One batter reached on an error and reached third on a wild pitch. He threw 15 pitches (60 Strike%) without a whiff. Garrett Cleavinger fired a clean eighth, striking out two. Edwin Uceta allowed a hit and recorded three strikeouts in a scoreless seventh.
Texas Rangers: Entering at the bottom of the sixth, Hoby Milner allowed three hits and an earned run, getting tagged with his first blown save. Jacob Webb suffered his second loss, stranding a runner and recording two outs in the sixth, but was removed after giving up two hits in the seventh. Both runners scored on Alex Bregman’s two-RBI single with two outs against Robert Garcia; he allowed a hit during a scoreless seventh.
Washington Nationals: Taking over at the top of the sixth, Jorge López let his only inherited runner score, allowing two hits, three earned runs, and a walk while not retiring a batter. Andrew Chafin could not stem the tide, letting both inherited runners score, giving up a hit, an earned run, and two walks while recording three outs in the sixth. Cole Henry logged three scoreless frames in the eventual loss, scattering two hits and striking out two.

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