Edward Mujica still trusted, somehow, in Boston

June 18, 2014

Boston Red Sox — With Koji Uehara and Andrew Miller unavailable after heavy recent use, John Farrell elected to keep Junichi Tazawa in a set-up role and go to Edward Mujica, who hadn’t pitched in six days, for the vulture save. After the game, Farrell explained that he would ideally like to go to Mujica on nights when Uehara is unavailable, so although recent usage and statistics don’t support it, we’ve got to put Mujica back in the hierarchy. In non-hierarchy news, Burke Badenhop has now pitched 30.1 straight innings without surrendering an earned run.

Updated hierarchy: Uehara | Miller | Mujica.

St. Louis Cardinals — Trevor Rosenthal was given a second straight night off, and the Cardinals went with Jason Motte with a four-run lead in the ninth. But after Motte gave up a home run and a ground-rule double, Pat Neshek got three straight outs to nail down the victory. Although we still believe Motte would close if Rosenthal went down with an injury, Neshek is making a strong case as well.

Hierarchy remains: Rosenthal | Motte | Neshek.

Atlanta Braves — After a period of very heavy use (59 pitches in three days), David Carpenter was placed on the disabled list Tuesday with a strained right biceps. Jordan Walden will take on a bigger role in Carpenter’s absence.

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Simmons | Walden.

Los Angeles Dodgers — With solid performances over the past three weeks, Brian Wilson has earned his job back, supplanting Brandon League as next in line behind Kenley Jansen.

Updated hierarchy: Jansen | Wilson | League.

Philadelphia Phillies — Jacob Diekman and his 100 MPH fastball have been seeing some high-leverage innings lately, including Tuesday’s eighth. Although Antonio Bastardo would probably be the next choice for saves in the Philly bullpen, Diekman and Ken Giles could play larger roles as the season progresses.

Updated hierarchy: Papelbon | Bastardo | Diekman.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. A.J. Ramos, Miami Marlins — Steve Cishek threw 23 pitches Tuesday on his third straight day of work.

Rays committee continues to baffle; DL moves aplenty across majors

June 17, 2014

Tampa Bay Rays – Committees can be maddening for fantasy owners, and Joe Maddon hasn’t helped matters by the way he has gone about the late innings. Joel Peralta pitched the seventh before giving way to Grant Balfour, who struggled through one out of the eighth. Jake McGee, who appeared to be the leading candidate for saves, was called upon to bail him out and instead allowed an inherited runner to score, tying the game. The Rays regained the lead in the bottom half of the inning and it was Juan Carlos Oviedo who picked up his first save since he was Leo Nunez in 2011. After the game, Maddon insisted that there’s “no need” to settle on one closer, and that it’ll be the opponents’ batting order that dictates who enters the game. We still think McGee is at the head of the committee, but at this point it really could be anyone who gets the call at any particular moment.

Hierarchy remains: McGee | Peralta | Balfour.

San Francisco Giants — Santiago Casilla will rejoin the Giants beginning with their two-game series against the White Sox that opens tonight. Jean Machi, who sports a tremendous 0.29 ERA in 31 innings pitched this season, will cede the 8th-inning role to Casilla and become the go-to guy in the sixth and seventh innings.

Updated hierarchy: Romo | Casilla | Machi.

San Diego Padres — Nick Vincent was placed on the 15-day DL due to right shoulder fatigue. Dale Thayer will be the likely replacement for Vincent.

Updated hierarchy: Street | Benoit | Thayer.

Houston Astros – Josh Fields became the latest Astros arm to hit the disabled list with soreness in his throwing forearm. Kyle Farnsworth should see time in Fields’ stead. In addition, Houston signed former closer Jose Veras to a minor-league deal and he will be worth keeping an eye on as he continues rehabbing an oblique strain.

Updated hierarchy: Qualls | Sipp | Farnsworth.

Cleveland Indians — The usual suspects in the Indians’ bullpen were tuckered out – Cody Allen and Bryan Shaw had pitched in three straight games and John Axford was used in consecutive contests – which allowed an opportunity for Carlos Carrasco to pick up his first career save on Monday night. Carrasco certainly earned it, striking out four and allowing just one hit in 2.1 innings of work.

Hierarchy remains: Allen | Shaw | Axford.

Chicago Cubs – Hector Rondon returned on Monday night against the Marlins and needed 26 pitches to strike out the side in the bottom of the ninth inning, keeping the game tied. The Cubs took the lead in the top half of the 13th before James Russell breezed through the final three outs to record his first save of the season and just the third of his career.

Hierarchy remains: Rondon | Ramirez | Strop.

St. Louis Cardinals — Seth Maness got the Cardinals out of a minor jam in the eighth inning and stayed on to complete the ninth and collect his first save of the season in a 6-2 victory over the Mets.

Hierarchy remains: Rosenthal | Motte | Neshek.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Junichi Tazawa, Boston Red Sox – Koji Uehara has pitched in three straight while Andrew Miller has appeared in four consecutive contests.
2. Neil Ramirez, Chicago Cubs – Hector Rondon threw 26 pitches in his return last night and might get a breather.

Is it finally Jake McGee’s time?

June 16, 2014

New York Mets – Prior to Sunday’s game, there was talk of a disabled list stint for Jenrry Mejia.  But when the late innings rolled around, Mejia proved himself healthy, picking up a rare 2-inning save in a 2-run game.  Jeurys Familia’s two-day stint at closer is at an end.

Hierarchy remains: Mejia | Familia | Black.

Chicago Cubs – With Hector Rondon still apparently unavailable, Neil Ramirez picked up his third save of the year on Sunday.  Rondon is due to return in short order.

Hierarchy remains: Rondon | Ramirez | Strop.

Tampa Bay Rays – It’s been obvious that Jake McGee has been the best arm in the Rays bullpen this year.  But even when Grant Balfour began to struggle, there were various reasons — arbitration considerations, usage, his left-handedness — to think that he wasn’t going to be the first man to get a save chance in Tampa’s new committee.  (And, he wasn’t.)  But despite the lack of save chances, the stars have been aligning for McGee ever since the Rays made the switch.  He pitched the 9th inning of a 1-run loss — behind Joel Peralta — in the first day after the Rays declared a committee last week.  Grant Balfour picked up that weird, 7-out save on Wednesday, but Joe Maddon went out of his way after the game to point out that McGee was unavailable.  Two nights ago, he likely would’ve gotten a save chance, except that the Rays scored a bunch of runs in the 9th.  And yesterday, after David Price turned in 8 solid innings, it was McGee who closed the door in the 9th.  There are still way too many dynamics in play to anoint McGee the new full time closer, and after all, this was just his first save.  But with that finally out of the way, we’re inching him to the head of the Tampa committee.

Updated hierarchy: McGee | Peralta | Balfour.

Los Angeles Angels – Ernesto Frieri had a disastrous outing on Saturday, allowing five hits and four runs without recording an out, and on Sunday, Mike Scioscia said that the Angels would remain the same, with Frieri closing on some nights, and Joe Smith closing on other nights.  This struck us as a bit puzzling, as Frieri has been entrenched as the closer after a strong May while Smith had only gotten one save opp in the past month.  If it’s true that the Angels are going back to a committee, it also seems a bit of an overreaction to one bad outing, as Frieri had converted his previous 9 save chances.  But time will tell whether this was just bluster, or whether Smith truly is going to start getting 9th inning chances again.

Ernesto Frieri to Hot Seat.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Shae Simmons, Atlanta Braves – Craig Kimbrel has pitched in three straight.
2. Jason Motte, St. Louis Cardinals – Trevor Rosenthal has pitched in three straight.
3. Adam Ottavino/Rex Brothers, Colorado Rockies – LaTroy Hawkins has pitched in three straight.
4. Will Smith/Brandon Kintzler, Milwaukee Brewers – K-Rod didn’t pitch yesterday, but he’d gone four straight just beforehand, so another day off isn’t out of the question.

Hector Rondon’s elbow feels good, Sergio Romo blows another save

June 15, 2014

Chicago Cubs — Hector Rondon threw an 11 pitch bullpen session yesterday and said he felt good after it.  Rondon could be available to pitch as early as today.  Given Rondon’s injury history this is still something to monitor, but for now it looks like Rondon will be fine and resume closing out games for the Cubs.

Hierarchy remains: Rondon | Ramirez | Strop.

San Francisco Giants — Sergio Romo blew his second save in two days on Saturday.  Romo gave up 5 runs on Friday and 2 more yesterday.  Romo has been good all season and Bruce Bochy will remain patient with his closer so he is not in danger of losing his job at this point.

Hierarchy Remains: Romo | Machi | Lopez.

Detroit Tigers — Ian Krol recorded a 4 out save yesterday.  It wasn’t a typical save opportunity since the Tigers were still up 5 when Krol entered the game.  Joe Nathan should be available on Sunday so it will be interesting to see if Brad Ausmus will go to him if there is a save opportunity.

Hierarchy remains: Nathan | Chamberlain | Alburquerque.

Los Angeles Dodgers — Brian Wilson pitched a perfect 8th inning ahead of closer Kenley Jansen last night.  Wilson has only given up one run in his last 12 appearances and looks like he is working his way back into the Dodgers late-inning bullpen plans.

Updated hierarchy: Jansen | League | Wilson.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Will Smith/Brandon Kintzler, Milwaukee Brewers – K-rod has pitched in 4 straight
2. Jeurys Familia, New York Mets – Jenrry Mejia could be unavailable again on Sunday with his hurt back.
3. Javier Lopez/Jeremy Affeldt, San Francisco Giants – Sergio Romo and Jean Machi have both pitched 3 games in a row

Neil Ramirez gets save with Rondon hurting, Joe Nathan has another rough outing

June 14, 2014

Chicago Cubs — Neil Ramirez got the call in the 9th inning last night to protect a two run lead.  He allowed one run on two hits and a walk but was able to pick up his 2nd save of the season.  Regular closer Hector Rondon was unavailable due to a sore elbow.  Rondon will throw a bullpen session on Saturday to test out the elbow.  He has a history of elbow issues, and if he will miss an extended period of time, Ramirez looks like the guy.

Hierarchy remains: Rondon | Ramirez | Strop.

Tampa Bay Rays — The Rays used Joel Peralta in the 8th inning last night with a 3 run lead.  They added 2 more runs in the top of the 9th so there was no save opportunity for anyone.  Jake McGee did end up coming on for the last out of the game and likely would have gotten the save if the Rays had not tacked on more runs.  Peralta was warming up for the save in the 9th the other night so it seems like this is a true committee.  We still like Peralta but we would also not be surprised if McGee saw the next save opportunity.

Updated hierarchy: Peralta | McGee | Balfour.

Detroit Tigers — Joe Nathan pitched for the first time since last Saturday, and, unfortunately for the Tigers, the rest didn’t seem to help.  The inning started off with an error by shortstop Eugenio Suarez to let the leadoff hitter reach base.  After that it wasn’t pretty for Nathan.  He threw a wild pitch, hit a batter, and walked two hitters, including one with the bases loaded, before being pulled.  Nathan was not happy about being pulled (as you can see if you can read lips in this GIF).  Manager Brad Ausmus continues to say that they need Nathan to pitch well, but with the Tigers lead shrinking in the AL Central, they might not be able to afford to keep sending Nathan out there in the 9th.

Hierarchy remains: Nathan | Chamberlain | Alburquerque.

New York Mets — The Mets do not expect closer Jenrry Mejia to need a DL stint after he had an MRI on his back on Friday.  However, Mejia is still expected to miss a few more days.  Familia pitched the 9th in a 4 run game last night and should see any save opportunities while Mejia is sidelined.

Hierarchy remains: Mejia | Familia | Black.

Toronto Blue Jays – Dustin McGowan recorded a five out save on Friday night.  Since moving to the bullpen in mid-May, McGowan has only given up 1 run in 11 appearances.  During that time he has picked up a win, a save, and five holds.  He should continue to see time in the later innings for the Blue Jays bullpen.

Updated hierarchy: Janssen | Cecil | McGowan.

Pittsburgh Pirates — The Pirates bullpen had a rough 9th inning last night.  They started the inning with a 4 run lead, but after Justin Wilson walked two batters, the Pirates had to call on closer Jason Grilli.  He gave up a hit and walked three more batters (one intentionally) and was pulled with the bases loaded and the Pirates clinging to a one run lead.  Mark Melancon came on and walked the first batter of the inning, the sixth walk of the inning for Pirates’ pitchers, and allowed the game-tying run to score.  Although Grilli was removed in the 9th last night we don’t think he is danger of losing his job.  He had converted five straight save chances.

Hierarchy remains: Grilli | Melancon | Watson.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Joba Chamberlain, Detroit Tigers – Joe Nathan threw 29 pitches and could be in danger of losing his job
2. Jonathan Broxton, Cincinnati Reds – Aroldis Chapman has pitched in 3 straight
3. Will Smith/Brandon Kintzler, Milwaukee Brewers – K-Rod has pitched in the last 3 games.
4. Jeurys Familia, New York Mets – Jenrry Mejia is likely unavailable with a sore back