Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitcher Rankings – 5/9/24 Depth Chart

Welcome back to the latest edition of our Reliever Ranks series! This will bring you up-to-date bullpen depth charts every morning for the day’s games and makes for an excellent tool for those looking to stream saves or wins. This series runs seven days a week, so check in every morning to get your daily bullpen fix!

Notes

Transaction and Schedule Notes

• Almost all 30 teams were in action on Wednesday, including an afternoon double-header between the A’s and Rangers. Mets-Cardinals was rained out, so they’ll have to make that one up later in the year. There are just six games on Thursday with most of the league traveling.
• The Mariners placed lefty Tayler Saucedo on the 15-day IL with a knee injury and optioned Emerson Hancock to AAA. In corresponding moves, RHP Eduard Bazardo was activated, Kirby Snead joined the big-league team, and Matt Brash was moved to the 60-day IL.
• The Twins recalled Josh Staumont from St. Paul, with Jorge Alcala taking his place in the minors.

LAA 5 – PIT 4

SV: Carlos Estévez (6)

HD: Matt Moore (7), Luis García (4)

W: Adam Cimber (3-0)

L/BS: Luis L. Ortiz (2-2/2)

• The Angels had to work out of an early hole, but the offense provided and the bullpen took advantage to the tune of 4.1 shutout innings. Carlos Estévez nailed down his sixth save, striking out two in a perfect ninth.
• Pittsburgh emptied the tank trying to keep it close, and they succeeded, but it wasn’t quite enough. Aroldis Chapman, Colin Holderman and Hunter Stratton each pitched a clean inning in the losing effort. For Chapman, it was his second full inning without allowing a baserunner by hit or walk all season… but both have come here in May. Baby steps?

DET 4 – CLE 5 (10)

H: Jason Foley (2), Joey Wentz (2)

W: Emmanuel Clase (2-1)

L: Alex Lange (0-2)

BS: Andrew Chafin (2)

• After Jason Foley was used in the 7th inning, the Tigers’ pen yielded single runs in both the 8th and 9th to let Cleveland right back in it. The first of those was not earned, but David Fry’s game-tying bomb off Andrew Chafin in the 9th certainly was. Alex Lange got the last out of that inning, and he stayed on for the 10th, where he allowed a walk-off single to Brayan Rocchio.
• The Guardians rode Hunter Gaddis in relief for two innings to get them to extras, then sent out Emmanuel Clase to get the job done in the 10th. He did just that, efficiently inducing two groundouts and a strikeout to keep the game tied and set the stage for the walk-off.

TEX 12 – OAK 11

SV: Kirby Yates (7)

W: David Robertson (2-0)

• The nightcap of this double-header was an absolute roller coaster. At various different points in this game, Texas held leads of 5-2, 7-4, 10-6, and 12-7 — and after all of that, they nearly blew it again. Owen White came on for the 9th inning up five, and promptly allowed hits to the first three Oakland batters. He was then lifted for closer Kirby Yates, who went on to allow all three of them to score, plus another of his own doing. Finally, with the tying and go-ahead runs on the basepaths, Yates induced a shallow pop fly to end the game and secure his 7th save. Whew!
• While Texas used seven pitchers, Oakland took more of a bulk approach. Osvaldo Bido pitched into the third, T.J. McFarland threw two innings, and Kyle Muller handled the 6th, 7th and 8th. None of them were particularly great, but considering Mason Miller had already thrown 32 pitches in the early game, you’ve gotta respect the effort.

SEA 3 – MIN 6

SV: Jhoan Duran (3)

H: Griffin Jax (6), Caleb Thielbar (3)

• Jhoan Duran stays busy, picking up his third save in five appearances since returning from the IL on April 30. He retired the M’s in order in the 9th, capping it off with a 100 mph whiff to strike out Jorge Polanco. These two teams do play again Thursday afternoon, so you might see someone else get a chance in the 9th if Rocco Baldelli wants to play it safe with his young closer. If that does prove to be the case, Cole Sands is the most well-rested member of Minnesota’s high-leverage committee.
• Seattle followed George Kirby with another Kirby, Kirby Snead, fresh up from the minors. He and Trent Thornton each pitched perfect innings, but Cody Bolton ran into trouble in the 9th, allowing a pair of critical add-on runs that helped put the game away.

BAL 7 – WSN 6 (12)

SV: Jacob Webb (2)

H: Danny Coulombe (8), Yennier Cano (9), Cionel Pérez (3), Craig Kimbrel (2)

BS: Keegan Akin (1)

W: Albert Suarez (2-0)

L: Jordan Weems (1-1)

• The nuttiest game of the day took place in the nation’s capital, where Washington and Baltimore combined to use 16 pitchers. The O’s held a 3-1 lead entering the 9th, but alas, Craig Kimbrel happened. The struggling closer recorded the first two outs quickly, then gave up a solo homer, two walks, and a game-tying single to send it to extras. Ironically, Kimbrel wound up being credited with a hold despite the collapse — but I’m sure that’s little solace to anyone who has him rostered.
• Things only got weirder from there. Kyle Finnegan worked around some trouble in the 10th to keep it tied, and then Albert Suarez escaped a jam of his own in the bottom half. In the 11th Hunter Harvey allowed a go-ahead bomb to Ryan Mountcastle, only for
  Suárez to blow it. The O’s then took advantage of an error and a wild pitch by Jordan Weems to move ahead again in the 12th. Jacob Webb promptly allowed a leadoff double to cut the lead in half, but he managed to recover and strand him there to end the game, recording his second save of the season in the process.

The best of the rest…

• The Blue Jays managed to snap Philadelphia’s seven-game winning streak, despite nearly giving it away in the 9th. Jordan Romano allowed hits to three of the first four batters in the inning, but he held on to record his 5th save.
• Kansas City used a whopping seven pitchers in four innings, and somehow won, against the Brewers on Wednesday. James McArthur covered the final two outs to earn save No. 8.
• Dylan Cease and the Padres blanked the Cubs with a 1-hit masterclass, with Cease striking out 12 batters in seven innings. The final two were covered by Wandy Peralta and Robert Suarez, who earned a hold and a save, respectively.
• Daniel Hudson earned his first save since assuming the closer role in Los Angeles, setting down the Marlins in order to cap off a 3-1 win. More outings like this will help him cement his 9th-inning edge in Evan Phillips’ absence, but it’s still tenuous for the time being.
• The Diamondbacks rode a strong seven-inning performance from Jordan Montgomery to victory in Cincinnati, though things got dicey in the 9th. Kevin Ginkel was lifted with one out and the tying run on third, which allowed Joe Mantiply to jump in and vulture his first save of the year, thanks to a timely strikeout.
• Holy White Sox, Batman! In just his second save opportunity since April 9, Michael Kopech took advantage of the rare opportunity, closing out a 4-1 victory over the Rays. Steven Wilson and John Brebbia each got holds as well. Don’t get used to this, folks.

Bullpen Depth Charts