Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitcher Roundup: 8/22

Welcome to the RP Roundup, my daily fantasy baseball article reviewing every reliever performance from the previous day.

TOR 4 – NYY 3

Toronto Blue Jays
Spencer Miles – HLD (4)	0.1 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 K	0 Whiffs	25% CSW
Tyler Rogers – HLD (27)	1.0 IP	2 ER	1 H	2 K	2 Whiffs	43% CSW
Louis Varland – SV (29)	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	2 K	4 Whiffs	33% CSW

Tyler Rogers — Sinker up 0.8 MPH (84.0 vs. 83.2 season avg). It’s crazy that this feels like a down year for Rogers despite his 1.82 ERA, the best of his career. He is sporting a career-low BABIP and a 1.15 WHIP so there is that. The HR to Garcia was also the first he’s allowed all year.
Louis Varland — Four-Seamer up 0.9 MPH (99.6 vs. 98.7 season avg). Leadoff double by Jazz didn’t end up hurting Varland here.

New York Yankees
Yerry De los Santos	2.2 IP	1 ER	3 H	2 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	20% CSW
Bradley Hanner	1.2 IP	1 ER	3 H	0 BB	1 K	3 Whiffs	18% CSW
Fernando Cruz	1.1 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	2 K	4 Whiffs	29% CSW

Blegh

ATL 1 – MIL 4

Atlanta Braves
Victor Mederos	1.0 IP	0 ER	2 H	0 BB	2 K	3 Whiffs	42% CSW
Brent Suter	3.0 IP	0 ER	2 H	0 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	26% CSW

Victor Mederos — Four-Seamer up 1.2 MPH (98.3 vs. 97.1 season avg). Interesting, but it doesn’t really move the needle.

Milwaukee Brewers
Chad Patrick – HLD (9)	1.0 IP	0 H	1 BB	0 K	3 Whiffs	29% CSW
DL Hall – HLD (5)	1.0 IP	0 H	0 BB	2 K	4 Whiffs	33% CSW
Aaron Ashby – SV (2)	1.0 IP	2 H	0 BB	0 K	2 Whiffs	19% CSW

Chad Patrick — Four-Seamer up 2.4 MPH (97.9 vs. 95.5 season avg). #BrewersPitchingLab
DL Hall — Four-Seamer up 1.3 MPH (96.2 vs. 94.9 season avg). Glad to see Hall get this kind of usage, as we’ve seen an uptick in stuff from him since returning from the IL earlier this month.

WSN 2 – MIA 4

Washington Nationals
Erik Tolman	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	19% CSW
Jake Bird	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	31% CSW

Erik Tolman is already a great story, but I actually think there may be something here. The fastball is legit, and the changeup is probably good enough (we didn’t see the slider yesterday, but AAA numbers are favorable). Way better than any other left-handed reliever in this organization, outside of Will Dion, at least so he should stick around.

Miami Marlins
Michael Petersen – HLD (22)	1.0 IP	1 K	3 Whiffs	33% CSW
Josh Ekness – HLD (1)	1.1 IP	1 K	1 Whiffs	29% CSW
Tyler Zuber – HLD (8)	0.2 IP	0 K	0 Whiffs	25% CSW
Calvin Faucher – SV (2)	1.0 IP	0 K	0 Whiffs	15% CSW

Pete Fairbanks got the day off after throwing 25 pitches Friday, but he hadn’t pitched much prior to that. I mentioned Fairbanks velocity was down Friday, so that’s something to keep an eye on. Calvin Faucher filled in and got the job done despite 0 whiffs on 13 pitches. Congrats to Ekness for his first hold, and Petersen made his first appearance since Tuesday’s debacle (and he looked great).

STL 3 – PHI 12

St. Louis Cardinals
Ryan Fernandez	2.0 IP	4 ER	4 H	0 BB	1 K	6 Whiffs	34% CSW
Pedro Pagés	1.0 IP	1 ER	1 H	0 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	0% CSW

Philadelphia Phillies
José Alvarado	1.0 IP	1 ER	1 H	0 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	31% CSW
Chase Shugart	1.0 IP	1 ER	1 H	0 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	15% CSW

José Alvarado — Sinker down 1.4 MPH (96.6 vs. 98.0 season avg). Losing what little hope I had that Alvarado might turn things around this season.

TBR 2 – BAL 3

Tampa Bay Rays
Tyler Wells – HLD (14)	2.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	1 K	4 Whiffs	32% CSW
Kevin Kelly – BS (3)	0.2 IP	2 ER	2 H	1 K	2 Whiffs	17% CSW
Garrett Cleavinger	1.1 IP	0 ER	0 H	2 K	3 Whiffs	41% CSW
Bryan Baker – L (2)	0.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 K	1 Whiffs	40% CSW

Garrett Cleavinger — Four-Seamer usage 41% (+27 pts vs. 14% usual). The fastball looked pretty good here, actually. Now, can it stick?
Bryan Baker only faced one batter here, giving up a double off the top of the wall to Beavers for the walk-off. Not even a bad pitch, so let’s move on.

Baltimore Orioles
Josh Walker	1.0 IP	1 H	1 K	2 Whiffs	16% CSW
Alex Hoppe	1.1 IP	0 H	0 K	0 Whiffs	12% CSW
Andrew Kittredge	1.0 IP	1 H	0 K	2 Whiffs	46% CSW
Rico Garcia – W (5)	1.0 IP	0 H	0 K	2 Whiffs	33% CSW

Alex Hoppe — Four-Seamer up 0.9 MPH (99.0 vs. 98.1 season avg)
Andrew Kittredge — Slider usage 77% (+28 pts vs. 49% usual). Probably for the best, but it almost backfired as he did give up some hard contact on the pitch.
Rico Garcia — Curveball usage 58% (+39 pts vs. 19% usual). No K’s, but the stuff continues to trend upward. Can’t wait to see what Bautista’s velocity looks like today.

LAA 3 – TEX 0

Los Angeles Angels
Michael Fulmer – HLD (1)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 BB	0 K	2 Whiffs	21% CSW
Ryan Watson – SV (2)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	57% CSW

Ryan Watson filled in for Joyce, who had pitched the night before, and yea the breakers still look awesome…but the 3 four-seamers he threw here were at least average.

Texas Rangers
Cole Winn	1.2 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	3 K	5 Whiffs	41% CSW
Robby Ahlstrom	1.0 IP	1 ER	2 H	1 BB	1 K	5 Whiffs	47% CSW
Peyton Gray	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	26% CSW

Robby Ahlstrom — Four-Seamer up 0.8 MPH (95.3 vs. 94.5 season avg); Slider usage 53% (+29 pts vs. 24% usual). The fastball wasn’t the issue, well the command of it was, but he also left a lot of sliders up in the zone.
Peyton Gray — Four-Seamer up 0.9 MPH (93.9 vs. 93.0 season avg); Four-Seamer usage 74% (+33 pts vs. 40% usual)

ATH 4 – HOU 3

Athletics
Luis Medina – W (5)	1.0 IP	2 ER	3 H	1 BB	2 K	4 Whiffs	31% CSW
Hogan Harris – HLD (11)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	18% CSW
Elvis Alvarado – SV (3)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	2 K	3 Whiffs	31% CSW

Hogan Harris — Four-Seamer up 1.0 MPH (96.2 vs. 95.2 season avg)
Elvis Alvarado — Four-Seamer usage 85% (+26 pts vs. 59% usual). Oh, so are we back to Alvarado in the ninth, or are we splitting the role? Yes, he went heavy fastball here, but he did throw two really good slider as well, so hopefully that’s a sign that pitch is coming back around. Not going to get my hopes up, but this was elite stuff.

Houston Astros
AJ Blubaugh	1.1 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	2 K	5 Whiffs	37% CSW
Bennett Sousa – L (2)	0.1 IP	3 ER	2 H	1 BB	0 K	2 Whiffs	17% CSW
Bryan Abreu	1.2 IP	0 ER	1 H	1 BB	2 K	7 Whiffs	36% CSW

Some bad luck and command issues here for Bennett Sousa, but still not a good sign with Okert losing velocity and King being sent to AAA due to ineffectiveness.

NYM 10 – CHW 5

New York Mets
Jonathan Pintaro	0.2 IP	1 ER	2 H	1 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	25% CSW
Austin Warren – W (2)	1.2 IP	0 ER	1 H	1 BB	3 K	3 Whiffs	31% CSW
Dedniel Núñez – HLD (1)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	1 K	3 Whiffs	30% CSW
Kodai Senga	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	1 BB	2 K	4 Whiffs	39% CSW

Dedniel Núñez — Four-Seamer up 0.8 MPH (97.1 vs. 96.3 season avg). This is the best stuff we’ve seen from Núñez since he returned from the IL, but he also only threw 3 pitches over the plate here. At least the stuff is still there.

Chicago White Sox
Huascar Brazobán	1.0 IP	1 ER	1 H	1 BB	1 K	3 Whiffs	31% CSW
Trevor Richards	2.0 IP	2 ER	2 H	0 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	27% CSW

Huascar Brazobán — Sinker up 1.1 MPH (97.2 vs. 96.1 season avg). I had mentioned before how Brazobán was benefiting from Citi Field, but unfortunately, the White Sox were at home to play the Mets here. He now holds a 6.00 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, and 2.4% K-BB rate over 9 games (9 IP) with the White Sox.

DET 1 – KCR 3

Detroit Tigers
Tanner Rainey	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	29% CSW
Drew Sommers	2.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	4 K	4 Whiffs	52% CSW

Drew Sommers — Four-Seamer up 1.0 MPH (95.9 vs. 94.9 season avg). We may need to have a serious discussion about Sommers entering the closer role. The big fastball/slider lefty is for real.

Kansas City Royals
Alex Lange – HLD (3)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	27% CSW
Craig Kimbrel – SV (1)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 BB	2 K	2 Whiffs	20% CSW

Love to see Craig Kimbrel record a save for his ninth different ballclub in this one. The stuff’s not that bad still either; the fastball/curve combo can still play.

PIT 3 – LAD 4

Pittsburgh Pirates
Yohan Ramírez – L (4)	1.0 IP	2 ER	2 H	2 K	2 Whiffs	38% CSW
Camilo Doval	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	2 K	2 Whiffs	40% CSW
Kirby Yates	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 K	0 Whiffs	25% CSW
Antwone Kelly	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 K	3 Whiffs	22% CSW

Yohan Ramírez — Four-Seamer up 0.9 MPH (97.5 vs. 96.6 season avg)
Camilo Doval — Sinker down 0.8 MPH (97.6 vs. 98.4 season avg)
Antwone Kelly — Four-Seamer up 1.7 MPH (100.9 vs. 99.2 season avg); Sweeper usage 0% (-27 pts vs. 27% usual). Kelly has electric stuff, three plus offerings, so he should have a chance to stick around in this bullpen.

Los Angeles Dodgers
Evan Phillips – HLD (5)	0.2 IP	1 H	2 K	2 Whiffs	33% CSW
Jack Dreyer – HLD (10)	0.1 IP	0 H	1 K	1 Whiffs	60% CSW
Tanner Scott – SV (19)	1.0 IP	0 H	1 K	1 Whiffs	18% CSW

Tanner Scott — Four-Seamer up 1.4 MPH (98.2 vs. 96.8 season avg). Dave Roberts mentioned that Edwin Díaz will get a “softer landing” when he returns in September. We could see Scott finish out the season as the closer.

CHC 4 – SEA 5

Chicago Cubs
Trent Thornton – HLD (5)	1.1 IP	0 ER	1 H	1 K	1 Whiffs	33% CSW
Ryan Rolison – HLD (7)	0.2 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 K	1 Whiffs	33% CSW
Jacob Webb – L (3)	0.2 IP	3 ER	3 H	0 K	1 Whiffs	33% CSW

Ryan Rolison — Four-Seamer up 1.4 MPH (96.1 vs. 94.7 season avg).
Jacob Webb may have just conceded the closer role to Daniel Palencia with this outing. The first nine pitches were fine; he got two outs and got ahead of Wilson 0-1. He then left a fastball over the middle of the plate, which Wilson doubled on. Then Rivas blooped a changeup into short right for a single before Arozarena took a slider down in the zone deep to center for a walk-off home run. I’m not worried about Webb in the long term, but an outing like this could open the door for Palencia to slide back into the closer role.

Seattle Mariners
Carlos Vargas	1.1 IP	1 ER	2 H	1 BB	2 K	5 Whiffs	29% CSW
Seranthony Domínguez	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	3 K	4 Whiffs	40% CSW
Michael Rucker – W (1)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	36% CSW

Seranthony Domínguez — Four-Seamer down 1.2 MPH (96.0 vs. 97.2 season avg). Yet somehow, this was the best line he’s posted in how long?

SFG 2 – BOS 3

San Francisco Giants
Carson Seymour – HLD (3)	1.1 IP	0 ER	2 H	1 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	9% CSW
Dylan Smith – HLD (7)	1.0 IP	1 ER	1 H	1 BB	2 K	3 Whiffs	33% CSW
Sam Hentges – L (6)	0.1 IP	2 ER	2 H	1 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	22% CSW

Dylan Smith — Four-Seamer usage 81% (+28 pts vs. 53% usual). The Giants used Smith against the middle of the Red Sox lineup in the 8th inning here to clean up Seymour’s mess (which he did), and then he opened the ninth inning but walked Durbin on four pitches. Perhaps if that at-bat had gone more smoothly, he’d have finished the inning, but they opted to bring in Sam Hentges to blow the lead instead. They are trying to use Smith as the fireman, high-leverage guy, and closer all at once, and I get it, there’s no one else you can trust in this bullpen, but they may be spreading Smith too thin.

Boston Red Sox
Greg Weissert	1.0 IP	1 H	0 BB	2 K	3 Whiffs	37% CSW
Jovani Morán	1.0 IP	1 H	1 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	17% CSW
Wyatt Olds – W (1)	1.1 IP	1 H	2 BB	1 K	4 Whiffs	32% CSW

Ignore the two walks, Wyatt Olds > Greg Weissert.

CIN 11 – ARI 5

Cincinnati Reds
Luis Mey	1.0 IP	0 ER	2 H	0 BB	2 K	2 Whiffs	39% CSW
Tony Santillan	1.0 IP	1 ER	1 H	2 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	23% CSW
Tejay Antone	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	44% CSW

Luis Mey — Sinker down 0.8 MPH (97.6 vs. 98.4 season avg). As long as he’s over 97 MPH and throwing strikes…
Tony Santillan made his first appearance in two months, and was predictably rusty, but the stuff was more or less fine.

Arizona Diamondbacks
Dennis Santana	1.0 IP	1 ER	2 H	0 BB	1 K	3 Whiffs	46% CSW
Kevin Ginkel	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	3 K	7 Whiffs	47% CSW

Dennis Santana — Four-Seamer usage 0% (-30 pts vs. 30% usual). Ok.
Kevin Ginkel — Sinker up 0.8 MPH (95.7 vs. 94.9 season avg); Four-Seamer usage 12% (-32 pts vs. 44% usual). The Reds lineup is very hit-or-miss, but Ginkel got the swing-happy version here.

CLE 4 – COL 3

Cleveland Guardians
Erik Sabrowski – HLD (23)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 K	4 Whiffs	42% CSW
Hunter Gaddis – HLD (26)	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	1 K	1 Whiffs	11% CSW
Cade Smith – SV (33)	1.0 IP	1 ER	1 H	1 K	3 Whiffs	55% CSW

Erik Sabrowski — Slider usage 67% (+55 pts vs. 12% usual); Four-Seamer usage 33% (-34 pts vs. 67% usual). Sure, whatever, just keep not walking batters, and we are all good.

Colorado Rockies
Nick Frasso	1.0 IP	1 ER	3 H	0 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	15% CSW
Brennan Bernardino	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	25% CSW
Juan Mejia	2.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 BB	1 K	3 Whiffs	12% CSW

Nick Frasso — Four-Seamer down 1.4 MPH (94.8 vs. 96.2 season avg)
Juan Mejia — Four-Seamer down 1.7 MPH (95.4 vs. 97.1 season avg). I’ll be excited to see Mejia out of Colorado someday.

MIN 5 – SDP 7

Minnesota Twins
A.J. Minter – HLD (6)	0.2 IP	0 ER	1 H	1 K	1 Whiffs	25% CSW
Andrew Morris – L (5)	1.0 IP	3 ER	3 H	0 K	5 Whiffs	32% CSW
Tommy Nance	1.0 IP	1 ER	3 H	3 K	5 Whiffs	33% CSW

Andrew Morris — Four-Seamer up 0.9 MPH (98.1 vs. 97.2 season avg); Cutter usage 47% (+27 pts vs. 20% usual). The three hits weren’t exactly crushed, but Morris’s lack of swing and miss ability is starting to come back to hurt him lately.
Tommy Nance — Sinker down 1.5 MPH (93.1 vs. 94.6 season avg). 3 hits and 3 K’s in the inning?

San Diego Padres
Kyle Hart	1.0 IP	1 ER	3 H	0 K	2 Whiffs	19% CSW
Adrian Morejon – HLD (21)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 K	2 Whiffs	20% CSW
Mason Miller – SV (32)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 K	3 Whiffs	50% CSW

Kyle Hart — Sinker down 1.1 MPH (92.6 vs. 93.7 season avg). Womp womp.

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Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitcher Roundup: 8/22

Rick Graham

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Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitcher Roundup: 8/22

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