Reds lose another bullpen arm to injury

June 20, 2022

Cincinnati Reds – The Reds late-inning corps took another hit yesterday, as Alexis Diaz was placed on the IL with right biceps tendinitis. With Lucas Sims, Tony Santillan, and now Diaz all injured, we’ll slot converted starter Jeff Hoffman on to this hierarchy. The lefty is having the best season of his career (32.1 IP, 2.78 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 34 Ks) though his control (17 BBs) leaves a lot to be desired.

Updated hierarchy: *Strickland | Hoffman | Kuhnel.
* = closer-by-committee

Boston Red Sox – John Schreiber struck out the side in the 8th inning on Sunday, picking up his 10th hold of the year. With Tanner Houck cementing himself in the 9th — we’re kicking his asterisk with the caveat that he’s still building up to more traditional closer usage — Schreiber is starting to look like the clear handcuff.

Updated hierarchy: Houck | Schreiber | Strahm.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Archie Bradley – Raisel Iglesias, Ryan Tepera, and Aaron Loup have all gone back to back and three of four.

Tomorrow
1. Adam Cimber – Jordan Romano threw 28 pitches yesterday; another appearance tonight means he’s probably down on Tuesday.
2. Brad Boxberger – If Devin Williams goes today, it’s back to back and three of four.
3. Anthony Bass – If Tanner Scott goes today, it’s back to back.
4. Michael Fulmer – If Gregory Soto goes today, it’s back to back.

Tanner Scott starting to look like a closer in Miami

June 10, 2022

Miami Marlins – The Marlins haven’t had anyone claim the top spot in their bullpen for a while, but Tanner Scott has been making a good case lately. He’d had the bullpen’s most recent save, and had also appeared in spots in a couple of tie games when teams would normally use their closer. Then, on Thursday, he picked up another save, following 1.1 scoreless set-up innings by Anthony Bass. We’ll shuffle him to the top of this hierarchy and see if he sticks.

Updated hierarchy: *Scott | Bass | Floro.
* = closer-by-committee

Arizona Diamondbacks – Mark Melancon’s recent struggles have prompted some fans to call for a closer change in Arizona, but it didn’t materialize last night, even though Melancon got the 8th and Ian Kennedy got the 9th (and the save). It turns out that Melancon, who hadn’t pitched in four days, asked to get into the game at some point, so when the DBacks were faced with a two-run deficit in the bottom of the 8th, Lovullo sent out his closer, knowing that they might not need another arm if they didn’t close the gap. But the offense then went on to rally for four runs in the top of the 9th, prompting the need for a reliever in the bottom half. Melancon remains the closer for now.

Hierarchy remains: Melancon | Kennedy | Mantiply.

Tampa Bay Rays – Jason Adam picked up the save after 8 stellar innings from starter Shane McClanahan. Adam, who now has a 0.72 ERA on the year, last earned a save on May 13, so we won’t bump Colin Poche (3 saves since May 25) off the top spot yet, but Adam has had an admirable season to this point.

Updated hierarchy: *Poche | Adam | Raley.
* = closer-by-committee

Colorado Rockies – With Daniel Bard, Alex Colome, and Tyler Kinley all having pitched in two straight games, it wasn’t clear who the Rockies would go with if they had a lead in the 9th, but it turns out that of the group, Colome was apparently the most ready for a third straight day. The veteran’s durability meant he was able to pick up his third save of the season.

Hierarchy remains: Bard | Colome | Kinley.

Kansas City Royals – Arodys Vizcaino, who last appeared in the majors in 2019, joined the Royals at the end of May after posting a 1.76 ERA across 15.1 innings in AAA. He made his fifth major league appearance for Kansas City on Thursday and picked up an 8th inning hold. Welcome back to a Closer Monkey hierarchy, Arodys!

Updated hierarchy: *Barlow | Staumont | Vizcaino.
* = closer-by-committee

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Anthony Bass – Tanner Scott has gone back to back.
2. Arodys Vizcaino – Scott Barlow and Josh Staumont have both gone back to back.
3. Art Warren – Tony Santillan might get today off after an ugly blown save yesterday.

Tomorrow
1. Ryan Tepera/Aaron Loup – If Raisel Iglesias or Ryan Tepera goes tonight, it’s back to back and three of four.
2. Will Smith – Same for Kenley Jansen.

Ryan Helsley ascends, while Cole Sulser and Corey Knebel struggle

May 31, 2022

St. Louis Cardinals – With all of the top Cardinal arms well rested, and with the team nursing a two-run lead in the 6th inning against the Padres, on came Giovanny Gallegos, who got the last out of the inning after allowing an inherited run to score. Gallegos would get two more outs in the 7th before giving way to Genesis Cabrera, who had a similar outing, getting out of the 7th and then getting the first two outs of the 8th. By now, it was no longer a save situation, but either way, it seems certain that this was meant to be Ryan Helsley’s game to finish, which he did so, albeit while giving up his first earned run of the season, but finished the job. He’s your committee leader now, though we already know Oliver Marmol is going to rest him frequently. We’ll see if his usage becomes consistent enough to remove the asterisk.

Updated hierarchy: *Helsley | Gallegos | Cabrera.
* = closer-by-committee

Philadelphia Phillies – It’s been a rough couple of days for Corey Knebel. On Sunday, the righty blew the 9th inning save chance against the Mets and then took the loss in the 10th after allowing the automatic runner to score; and yesterday, he came in to a tie game in the 9th and allowed the go-ahead home run to Evan Longoria in a game the Phillies would again lose in extra innings. Seranthony Dominguez (2.00 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, no runs allowed in his last 9 appearances) and Brad Hand (1.29 ERA despite a 1.50 WHIP) both could lay claim to this job soon.

Hierarchy remains: Knebel | Hand | Dominguez.

Miami Marlins – We weren’t certain which way the Marlins would go with Anthony Bender out and Dylan Floro struggling, but Cole Sulser certainly didn’t make a good case for himself on Monday, allowing four earned runs in the 7th inning and ultimately taking the loss. Tanner Scott wasn’t much better, as he allowed three additional runs in the 9th after the game was out of reach. We’ll move Anthony Bass back up for lack of better options, while also noting that, following a couple disastrous outings off the IL, Dylan Floro now has six straight scoreless appearances.

Updated hierarchy: *Bass | Sulser | Floro.
* = closer-by-committee

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Devin Williams – Maybe Josh Hader was offended by us calling JP Feyereisen possibly the best reliever in the game, because he went out and saved BOTH games of yesterday’s doubleheader (while maintaining his 0.00 ERA). Anyway, he’ll have today off and maybe tomorrow, too.
2. Giovanny Gallegos – For all his dominance, Ryan Helsley has yet to pitch in back to back games, so until that happens, you’ll see a Cardinal reliever in this spot following all his appearances.
3. Daniel Hudson – Craig Kimbrel has gone back to back, including a blown save loss last night.
4. Chris Stratton – David Bednar threw 50 pitches across two innings yesterday and will probably need two days to recover.
5. Michael Fulmer – Gregory Soto has gone back to back.

Tomorrow
1. Trevor Stephen – If Emmanuel Clase goes today, it’s back to back and three of four.
2. Matt Bush/Dennis Santana – If Joe Barlow or Matt Bush go today, it’s back to back.

Gose has a hose!

September 21, 2021

Cleveland Indians – Anthony Gose, who last played in the bigs five years ago as an outfielder, made his return as a relief pitcher, punctuating his appearance with a 100 mph strikeout of Salvador Perez. It’s a great story, but given the stuff he flashed, Gose has the stuff to develop into a valuable reliever for the Indians going forward.

Hierarchy remains: Clase | Shaw | Parker.

Detroit Tigers – Alex Lange picked up his first save of the year with a clean 9th inning. This might be a committee, but we’re more inclined to think that Michael Fulmer is still the guy here, and that the Tigers just gave him two days off after pitching him twice over the weekend.

Hierarchy remains: Fulmer | Funkhouser | Lange.

Tampa Bay Rays – On the day that the Rays put their erstwhile “closer” Andrew Kittredge on the IL, lefty Dietrich Enns picked up his second save (in his eighth career appearance), recording the final out of the 9th after JT Chargois got the first two. Rays gonna Rays.

Hierarchy remains: *McHugh | Fairbanks | Anderson.
* = closer-by-committee

St. Louis Cardinals – Luis Garcia continued the best season of his career, earning his first save with a scoreless 9th inning on Monday. With a 3-run lead, the Cardinals probably figured this was a good opportunity to get Giovanny Gallegos some rest, though we will move Garcia on to the hierarchy thanks to his stellar second half.

Updated hierarchy: Gallegos | Cabrera | Garcia.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Anthony Bender/Anthony Bass – Dylan Floro has gone back to back, as has Anthony Bender, though the latter has thrown fewer pitches.

Tomorrow
1. Chad Green – If Aroldis Chapman goes tonight, it’s back to back.

The Orioles actually recorded a save

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

Miami Marlins – Anthony Bass and Richard Bleier combined to turn a 5-1 lead into a 5-3 lead in the ninth inning, so Dylan Floro came on with a chance to earn his third save in as many chances. Floro was unable to halt the Mets’ comeback, but we’ll still move him to the top of this committee based on his recent usage.

Updated hierarchy: *Floro | Bender | Bass.
* = closer-by-committee

Tampa Bay Rays — After the Rays made things interesting in the ninth by allowing the Red Sox to get within three, Andrew Kittredge got the final two outs of the frame to earn another save and maintain his place at the top of this committee.

Hierarchy remains: *Kittredge | McHugh | Fairbanks.
* = closer-by-committee

Washington Nationals — Kyle Finnegan was placed on the paternity list on Tuesday. It was not a good night for the remainder of the Nats’ bullpen, as Andres Machado was rocked in the sixth inning to blow a lead before Wander Suero, who was recalled from Triple-A earlier in the day, had this nightmare of a ninth inning.

Hierarchy remains: *Finnegan | Machado | Voth.
* = closer-by-committee

Texas Rangers – A day after Joe Barlow came off the IL and recorded a seven-pitch save, the Rangers stayed away from him and instead went to Spencer Patton to close out Tuesday’s win. Patton, who allowed a two-run homer on Monday, threw a perfect ninth to notch his second save of the season.

Hierarchy remains: *Barlow | Patton | Sborz.
* = closer-by-committee

Chicago Cubs — Rowan Wick threw a perfect ninth inning on Tuesday to record his first save since August 18, 2020.

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

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Michael Lorenzen (CIN) – The Reds are playing a doubleheader today…
2. Genesis Cabrera (STL) – …against the Cardinals.
3. Doctor’s Choice (BOS) – The Red Sox are dealing with a COVID outbreak, so we’ll keep an eye out if all of a sudden Adam Ottavino or other hierarchy members head to the IL.
4. Steve Cishek (LAA) – Raisel Iglesias has pitched in two straight and three of four.
5. Emilio Pagan (SD) – Mark Melancon has made back-to-back appearances.
6. Austin Voth (WAS) – Kyle Finnegan is on paternity leave and Andres Machado has gone in two straight.