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
- We had just eight games on Monday with 14 teams down for a scheduled off day, however, four of those games went to extra innings giving relievers the chances at wins and saves.
- Kutter Crawford will start for the Red Sox at home against the Rockies and with his lack of stamina, it is likely wily veteran Corey Kluber will piggyback him out of the bullpen. Kluber could be a nice play for a win but then again it is Kuber so the risk is high.
- The Rays sent closer Pete Fairbanks to the team’s Florida Complex League team for a rehab assignment. All eyes will be on how he fares after two stints on the injured list in quick succession.
- Giovanny Gallegos will assume the closer role for the Cardinals after Ryan Helsley was sent to the injured list with a right forearm strain. The closer had felt tightness in his forearm while playing catch on Sunday and tests came back negative, however, the Cardinals saw enough to be cautious with their man in the ninth.
Yesterday’s Performances
SFG 4 – STL 3
H: Tyler Rogers (13)
SV: Camilo Doval (19)
- Camilo Doval pitched around some command issues to record his third straight save in as many appearances. Doval only threw 13-of-27 pitches for strikes and allowed a hit alongside two walks across one and a third frames. Doval came in to get the last out in the eighth for Tyler Rogers but immediately walked Willson Contreras. However, he got the out and worked around a hit, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch in the ninth to come away unscathed.
- Despite a strong outing from Matthew Liberatore, the Cardinals bullpen failed to hold out for the win as both Andre Pallante and Chris Stratton allowed multiple hits to both cough up a run in back-to-back innings to hand the Giants the advantage in a close encounter. This was probably a game where Giovanny Gallegos needed to come in early and play the situation.
TBR 3 – OAK 4
SV: Ken Waldichuk (1)
- Shea Langeliers smacked a three-run double with the bases loaded to jump on Zach Eflin in the bottom of the fifth inning, knocking the starter out of the game. Kevin Kelly cleaned up the mess before Shawn Armstrong and Robert Stephenson held the A’s scoreless in a tight contest down the stretch.
- Three innings of shutout baseball from the unlikeliest of sources, lefty Ken Waldichuk cemented the A’s unpredictable sixth win on the trot, which came against a formidable Rays lineup. It’s not a sentence I thought I would be writing this season. Failed starter Waldichuk transitioned into the bullpen in May but nothing suggested a dominant outing like this. The former Yankee struck out five across three brilliant innings in which he didn’t walk anyone and allowed just two hits. Needless to say, it was his first career save, and it’s a nice story.
PHI 8 – ARI 9
H: Austin Adams (6), Andrew Chafin (9)
SV: Miguel Castro (7)
- The Phillies bullpen game went disastrously with four relievers giving up multiple runs including Andrew Vasquez, who gave up a three-run bomb to Evan Longoria in the bottom of the sixth to complete a miserable six-run inning and turn the tide in favor of the Diamondbacks.
- Miguel Castro allowed a leadoff double to J.T. Realmuto to complete the Phillies catcher’s cycle in the top of the ninth as he was asked to protect a two-run lead after a clean eighth inning from Andrew Chafin. Castro then gave up an RBI single to Bryson Stott to bring the tying run to the plate. Pinch hitter Kody Clemens went very close to a go-ahead two-run home run (and even fooled the commentary team) on a 3-2 count but replays confirmed the ball had edged foul. Castro then ended the game with the next pitch to escape a scrappy outing.
ATL 5 – DET 6 (10)
- Raisel Iglesias capitulated in the ninth inning giving up three runs on five hits in the bottom of the ninth protecting a three-run lead to blow his second save of the season. The former Angels reliever gave up a two-run homer to Spencer Torkelson before Zack Short knocked in a two-out RBI single to tie the game 5-5. Torkelson drove in the walk-off run in the bottom of the tenth of a beleaguered Joe Jiménez. A bad day at the office for the usually reliable Atlanta bullpen.
- Closer Alex Lange walked away with the win after pitching a clean 10th inning aided by a poor call to send Sam Hilliard in from third on a shallow fly ball to left field. Hilliard was easily tagged out at the plate to help Lange make quick work of the bottom of the Atlanta order.
COL 4 – BOS 3 (10)
SV: Matt Carasiti (1)
- Connor Seabold pitched a beauty with six innings of one-run baseball before Brent Suter gave up a solo home run to Christian Arroyo to give the Red Sox the lead in the seventh inning. Daniel Bard picked up the win thanks to working around a walk and a hit in the bottom of the ninth prior to the unheralded Matt Carasiti picking up his first career save. Carasiti allowed the zombie runner to score but otherwise, he was excellent. Carasiti is making a play for more high-leverage work after 13 consecutive frames without allowing an earned run.
- Nick Pivetta loaded the bases in the 10th after Kenley Jansen pitched a clean ninth. Pivetta then missed the zone low on a 3-1 count to walk in a run which proved to be enough to hand the Rockies the win. Josh Winckowski was left in the game in the bottom of the eighth inning for one too many hitters with the Red Sox leading 2-1 at the time – Elias Díaz driving the ball up the middle for an RBI single to tie the game.
The Best of the Rest…
- Major League debut, Major League save! Congratulations to Reds newcomer Ricky Karcher, who took the ball in a big spot in extra innings to earn the save after TJ Friedl scored on an overturned tag play at the plate in the top of the inning. Karcher could be a young arm to watch in Cincinnati thanks to his velocity and despite posting a 9.27 ERA and 31:34 K:BB over 22.1 innings with Louisville.
- Ty Adcock and Gabe Speier held the Marlins hitless in relief of Bryce Miller, who spun six impressive innings to earn his fourth win of the season. The Mariners jumped on Jesús Luzardo early forcing his out of the game after four innings. Multiple innings from Huascar Brazoban and Bryan Hoeing saved the more important arms from Marlins bullpen.
- It was all about Shohei Ohtani in Arlington with the Japanese superstar slugging two homers and recording four RBI against the Rangers including a two-run shot off Cole Ragans in the 12th inning. Both teams combined to churn through ten relievers in an ugly pitching game.
Bullpen Depth Charts
Also, if you’re looking for a detailed list or ranking of RPs, check out Rick Graham’s weekly pieces:
The Hold Up: Ranking the Top 100 Relievers for Holds Every Thursday
Closing Time: Ranking the Top 30 Closers
Top 100 Relievers for Save+Hold Leagues
(Photos by Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Doug Carlin (@Bdougals on Twitter)