Hunter Strickland could stabilize volatile Giants bullpen

September 12, 2016

Miami Marlins – It was only a one-out save, but A.J. Ramos showed he was up to the task despite his troublesome finger. He remains the most likely choice for saves for the Marlins down the stretch.

Hierarchy remains: *Ramos | Rodney | Barraclough.
* = closer-by-committee

San Francisco Giants – The San Francisco closer roulette wheel on Sunday landed on Hunter Strickland, who pitched the final 1.1 innings for his third save of the season. Sergio Romo and Will Smith bridged the gap to Strickland, though Romo had a forgettable outing, allowing a home run and a hit while only retiring one man. All things considered, this pushes Strickland to the top of the Giants closer committee. If he’s given (and converts) the next opportunity, he could seize hold of the job.

Updated hierarchy: *Strickland | Romo | Nathan.
* = closer-by-committee

Colorado Rockies – Jake McGee got the 9th inning of a tie game on Sunday, and pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts. He’s now logged seven straight scoreless appearances and has fought his way back on to the Rockies hierarchy.

Updated hierarchy: Ottavino | Logan | McGee.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Shawn Kelley, Washington Nationals – Mark Melancon has pitched in three straight.
2. Kelvin Herrera, Kansas City Royals – The Royals may take it easy on Wade Davis today, who has pitched in two straight and thrown over 20 pitches in each appearance.

A.J. Ramos battling finger injury

September 11, 2016

Miami Marlins — A.J. Ramos is dealing with discomfort in the finger he fractured in early August.  Fernando Rodney hasn’t been pitching well, but the injury to Ramos means both All-Stars should be in the mix for saves the rest of the season.

Hierarchy remains: *Ramos | Rodney | Barraclough.
*  = closer-by-committee

Seattle Mariners — Tom Wilhelmsen returned from the disabled list yesterday.  He pitched in a Mariners’ blowout victory and gave up a couple runs.  Nick Vincent hasn’t allowed a run since Wilhelmsen went on the disabled list in late August and has picked up three holds during that time.  We will leave Vincent on the hierarchy for now and watch how the Mariners use the veteran Wilhelmsen down the stretch.

Hierarchy remains: Diaz | Cishek | Vincent.

Milwaukee Brewers – Corey Knebel got the call in the eighth inning last night to protect a one run lead.  Unfortunately for Brewers’ fans (and fans of any other NL team battling with the Cardinals for the wild card), Knebel was unable to get the job done, as he gave up four runs while only recording one out.  Knebel has really struggled recently and Carlos Torres will likely see more time in the set-up role as a result.

Updated hierarchy: Thornburg  | Torres | Knebel.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Fernando Rodney, Miami Marlins – Manager Don Mattingly has said he doesn’t know who will get the call for the next save chance and while Ramos has been pitching better than Rodney, the injury to Ramos complicates things
2. Shawn Kelley, Washington Nationals – Mark Melancon has pitched in two straight.  Shawn Kelley has as well but he has only been asked to get one out each night.
3. Anybody but Santiago Casilla, San Francisco Giants – Bruce Bochy will likely mix and match in the ninth inning so it could be a righty in Sergio Romo, Joe Nathan, or Hunter Strickland, or a lefty in Will Smith or Javier Lopez, who ends up getting the last out in a save opportunity.  It won’t be Santiago Casilla.

 

Santiago Casilla burns Bruce Bochy for the last time

September 10, 2016

San Francisco Giants — Turns out Bruce Bochy wasn’t kidding when he said that the Giants’ new closer committee could include the struggling Santiago Casilla — it was Casilla himself who got the very first save chance, in the tenth inning of Friday’s game. Casilla blew the save when Jake Lamb hit his third home run in three at-bats against the righty this season, and Bochy admitted Casilla probably won’t get the next opportunity: “I’ve touched that hot stove enough.” The Giants took the lead in the twelfth, and Cory Gearrin wound up with a unique save that saw him retire a batter, move to left field, then return to the mound. San Francisco has no shortage of save options: Derek Law probably has the inside track when he returns from the DL early next week, but other qualified candidates include lefties Will Smith and Javier Lopez, ex-closers Sergio Romo and Joe Nathan, and eternal closer-in-waiting Hunter Strickland. Or Bochy could grab that stove again.

Updated hierarchy: *Romo | Nathan | Strickland.
*  = closer-by-committee

Miami Marlins — Fernando Rodney has struggled recently as head of the Miami committee, giving up six runs over four September appearances. On Friday, he gave up a leadoff homer and two singles before being pulled with no outs — but A.J. Ramos came in and set down three straight to record the save. We think Ramos is back ahead in the Miami ‘pen.

Updated hierarchy: *Ramos | Rodney | Barraclough.
*  = closer-by-committee

Texas Rangers — Matt Bush picked up a win last night after recording the last out of the seventh and staying on for the eighth. Bush has been getting eighth innings ahead of Sam Dyson lately, while Jake Diekman has struggled mightily in three September appearances (45.00 ERA, 7.00 WHIP). Keone Kela has looked good lately and could pass Diekman soon.

Updated hierarchy: Dyson | Bush | Diekman.

Chicago Cubs — Hector Rondon looked solid in a high-leverage eighth-inning hold Friday night, and should see vulture save chances over young C.J. Edwards going forward.

Updated hierarchy: Chapman | Rondon | Edwards.

Minnesota Twins — Trevor May returned from the DL on Friday, but because he didn’t get the benefit of any minor league rehab appearances, he isn’t expected to get any high-leverage use right away.

Hierarchy remains: Kintzler | Pressly | Rogers.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Andrew Miller, Cleveland Indians — Cody Allen has pitched in three straight and Miller got last night off.
2. Felipe Rivero, Pittsburgh Pirates — Tony Watson has pitched in four of five, and Neftali Feliz is still out.
3. Steve Cishek/Nick Vincent, Seattle Mariners — Edwin Diaz has gone in three straight, and Cishek has pitched in three of four himself.
4. Fernando Salas, New York Mets — The Mets may well keep riding their workhorse Jeurys Familia, but both he and Addison Reed have pitched in three of four and five of seven.

Fernando Rodney is still shooting arrows for Miami

August 25, 2016

Miami Marlins — It wasn’t a huge surprise when Don Mattingly called on Fernando Rodney in a save situation on Wednesday, and it certainly didn’t shock anyone when Rodney loaded the bases, then managed to escape. But it was unusual when the manager suggested he might leave Rodney in the closer role down the stretch, in part to take advantage of A.J. Ramos’s ability to pitch “multiple innings.” The team hasn’t made an official announcement — and might never do so — but we’re going to call it a committee at this point, with Rodney taking the first chair. Ramos stays in the lead for next year, though; Rodney’s 2017 team option is on the rise, due to incentives for appearances and games finished.

Updated hierarchy: *Rodney | Ramos | Barraclough.
*  = closer-by-committee

Arizona Diamondbacks — Gifted a four-run lead in the ninth, the least bad option in Arizona’s bullpen (Enrique Burgos) gave up a home run, two walks, and an RBI single. Randall Delgado and Daniel Hudson had already pitched, and Jake Barrett threw 22 pitches on Monday and Tuesday, so Dominic Leone dragged his 7.91 ERA and 2.28 WHIP out to the mound for the inevitable blown save. Hudson hasn’t allowed a run in his last 10 games — although his last four appearances have been a combined 16 pitches — so he could get the next Arizona save opportunity. Have at him, masochists.

Updated hierarchy: *Hudson | Delgado | Barrett.
* = closer-by-committee

Kansas City Royals — While the Royals extended their bullpen’s scoreless innings streak to 34.2, Wade Davis pitched a scoreless rehab inning in 102-degree Arizona heat.

Hierarchy remains: Herrera | Soria | Strahm.

Boston Red Sox — Overrated reliever Jonathan Papelbon evidently has a standing offer to return to the Red Sox. If Papelbon wants a chance to help out the Rangers or Indians in the playoffs, he’ll have to sign with Boston by the end of this month.

Hierarchy remains: Kimbrel | Ziegler | Barnes.

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.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Jake Barrett, Arizona Diamondbacks — If Arizona doesn’t give Hudson the next shot at blowing a save, it could well be Barrett again.
2. Xavier Cedeno, Tampa Bay Rays — Alex Colome has pitched in three of four.
3. Adam Liberatore/Pedro Baez, Los Angeles Dodgers — So has Kenley Jansen. Joe Blanton is also tired (two straight, 42 pitches).

Fernando Salas appears secure; A.J. Ramos is back

August 22, 2016

Los Angeles Angels – Over the past few weeks, the Los Angeles Angels have been an insult to “shambles” everywhere, and save chances have been scant. But when they occur, they’ve belonged to Fernando Salas. He picked up his fourth save last night, and we’ll remove the asterisk until someone else gets one. In other Angels news, Huston Street is out for the year.

Hierarchy remains: Salas | Ramirez | Guerra. 

Miami Marlins – In his first action since being activated, A.J. Ramos pitched the 8th inning ahead of Fernando Rodney. Ramos is being worked back in slowly, but he should be closing again soon, perhaps as soon as his next appearance.

Updated hierarchy: Ramos | Rodney | Barraclough.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Andrew Miller, Cleveland Indians – If Cody Allen needs a day off after his 30-pitch outing yesterday, Miller will get the call.