Reliever Ranks – 7/23

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

 

• On Friday, 28 teams took the field, with DET and MIN receiving a day off. Speaking of days off, the following teams could push their bullpens this weekend as they’ll get a day off on Monday (7/25): NYY, TOR, CHW, MIN, NYM, and STL.
• All 30 teams take the mound in today’s action, with CLE and CHW playing a double-header.

 

• The Washington Nationals made a flurry of bullpen moves. Tyler Clippard was placed on the 15-day IL, Víctor Arano was activated from the IL, and Hunter Harvey was recalled from the minors.
• The Pittsburgh Pirates traded Daniel Vogelbach to the New York Mets for Colin Holderman, who will likely find a home as a long-reliever. Holderman is a two-pitch right-handed pitcher that features a slider (49% usage) and sinker (48% usage), with the slider earning a 20.3% SwStr%.

 

• The Milwaukee Brewers inked former-San Francisco Giant reliever Jake McGee to a one-year deal. McGee’s success comes from his fastball, which he throws 85% of the time. However, despite his typical velocity, batters are posting a .872 OPS and .203 ISO against the offering.
• The Miami Marlins placed long-reliever Cody Poteet on the 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation and recalled Jordan Holloway. In 17.2 Triple-A innings pitched, Holloway posted a tremendous 30.8% K-rate and a putrid 20.8% walk rate. He’ll likely move into Poteet’s vacant role for any multi-inning RP work.

 

• The New York Yankees suffered a massive blow to the bullpen as Michael King was placed on the 15-day IL. It will be very challenging to replace his 51 innings of 2.29 ERA.
• We have a few starters potentially going less than five innings, leading to a few multi-inning bull opportunities. The following RPs could see extra work from the pen: Ryan Yarbrough (TBR) and Garrett Richards (TEX).

 

 

STL 5 – CIN 9

• In a game that saw an abundance of early scoring, the bullpen wasn’t the issue for St Louis. Instead, Adam Wainwright allowed seven earned runs before completing the sixth inning. However, it wasn’t entirely Waino’s fault as Jordan Hicks (0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 K) allowed a triple with two inherited runners scoring. Johan Oviedo (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 K) and Zach Thompson (1.0 IP, 1 BB, 1 K) completed the eighth and ninth with the team down too many.
• The Reds’ bullpen has been a headache all season but pulled it out on Friday. Reiver Sanmartin (0.1 IP, 1 K) benefitted the most as he picked up the win by closing the fifth inning with the lead. Now, there was a little bit of a twist. Alexis Díaz (1.0 IP, 1 K) made an appearance, but in the seventh inning, Hunter Strickland (1.0 IP, 1 K) came out for the ninth. Although, unpredictable usage patterns are nothing new for the Cincy bullpen.

 

MIA 8 – PIT 0

• The Marlins’ bullpen was on-point last night as they didn’t allow a single base runner in the final three frames. Steven Okert (1.0 IP, 1 K), Dylan Floro (1.0 IP, 1 K), and Anthony Bass (1.0 IP, 2 K) had the Pirates’ bats stifled.
• On the flip side, Pirates’ starter Zach Thompson put the team in a big hole by allowing seven earned runs through six. From there, Dillon Peters (2.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER) found some multi-inning work, and Chris Stratton (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K) started his journey to dropping his ERA to a respectable number.

 

NYY 7 – BAL 6

• After starter Jameson Taillon failed to eclipse the third inning, Lucas Leutge (2.1 IP, 1 H, 3 K) brought the bullpen into the sixth inning and was rewarded with his third win. Jonathan Loáisiga (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB) and Aroldis Chapman (0.1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K) are still working on reclaiming their dominance but threw stinkers in this one. Michael King (1.0 IP) earned his 16th hold but suffered a fractured elbow. Finally, Clay Holmes (1.2 IP, 1 H, 3 K) notched his 17th save in an impressive outing.
• Outside of Joey Krehbiel (1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K), the Baltimore bullpen was in shutdown mode. Félix Bautista (1.0 IP, 3 K) pitched a flawless eighth inning, and Dillon Tate (1.0 IP, 3 K) hurled a scoreless frame. However, the bats couldn’t keep up as the Orioles suffered the loss.

 

SDP 4 – NYM 1

• San Diego got seven strong innings from starter Yu Darvish, which led to an effortless night on the bullpen. Nick Martinez (1.o IP) earned his second hold, and Taylor Rogers (1.0 IP) picked up save number 27.
• The Mets’ bullpen didn’t start well as Joely Rodríguez (o.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER) allowed an HR to the first batter he faced (Trent Grisham), then put two men on the basepaths. Seth Lugo (0.2 IP, 1 BB) allowed one of the base runners to score, but it was unearned due to a throwing error from the catcher. Finally, in a multi-inning role, Trevor Williams (2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K) completed the last six outs.

 

TOR 28 – BOS 5

• This game was a blowout, and the Blue Jays bullpen wasn’t a factor. In a long-relief, just-throw-strikes role Jeremy Beasley (3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 5 K) kept things managed, even though he allowed a pair of HRs. Anthony Banda (1.0 IP, 1 K) grabbed an inning of work for good luck too.
• Starter Nathan Eovaldi got rocked to the tune of nine earned runs before the third inning. Furthermore, the following few mop-up relievers got crushed by the HR ball. Luckily, none of the high-leverage RPs were utilized and remain fresh for Saturday’s attempt at redemption.

 

LAA 1 – ATL 8

• After six scoreless frames, starter Shohei Ohtani ran out of gas. In the seventh, he was left in WAY too long, and a pair of HRs tallied six late runs to his stat line. Furthermore, Aaron Loup (0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K) loaded the bases before Elvis Peguero (1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 K) allowed an inherited base runner to score after a wild pitch.
• Atlanta kept the LA bats in check until the ninth inning. Dylan Lee (1.0 IP, 1 H, 3 K) earned his second win as he pitched in the suitable period of the game. Jackson Stephens (1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K) hurled another scoreless frame and dropped his ERA to 2.93. The only scoring for the Angels came from Will Smith (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 K), allowing a solo HR to Jonathan Villar.

 

TBR 7 – KCR 3

• The Rays’ bats spotted the bullpen a four-run lead through five innings. The combination of Brooks Raley (1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 K), Pete Fairbanks (1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER), Colin Poche (1.0 IP), and Shawn Armstrong (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K) was utilized to keep the lead as the game completed.
• Royals’ starter Brad Keller only lasted four-inning, making the pen toss six arms. Notably, Amir Garrett (1.0 IP, 1 K),  Dylan Coleman (1.0 P, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K), Wyatt Mills (1.0 IP, 1 BB, 2 K), and Joel Payamps (1.0 IP, 1 K) fired scoreless innings. However, the same could not be said for Josh Staumont (1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K). His struggles came from living outside the zone (29 pitches, 17 strikes-12 balls).

 

MIL 6 – COL 5 (13 innings)

• The ninth inning finished with scores locked up at threes. However, the Rockies needed to spend all their high-leverage arms to get there. Lucas Gilbreath (2.0 IP, 1 BB, 2 K), Alex Colomé (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB), and Daniel Bard (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K) were all effective as this went into extras. That’s where things got interesting. After the bats put up two runs in the top of the 10th, Robert Stephenson (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 K) blew the save as Hunter Renfroe went deep. In the 11th, Carlos Estévez (1.0 IP, 1 K) kept the scoreboard clean, but Jake Bird (1.0 IP, 1 H, 3 BB) allowed the winning run to come around after a flurry of walks.
• In a similar usage pattern, Milwaukee stacked the seventh, eighth, and ninth inning with well-known faces like Brad Boxberger (1.0 IP), Devin Williams (1.0 IP, 3 K), and Josh Hader (1.0 IP, 1 BB, 2 K). Then, Jandel Gustave (0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER) coughed up a pair of runs to extend the game further. Hoby Milner (1.1 IP, 2 K) was crucial as he cleaned up Gustave’s mess. Earning his second win, Brett Suter (2.0 IP, 2 K) made a multi-inning appearance look easy.

 

WSH 1 – ARI 10

• You gave up earned runs if you wore a Nationals uniform and pitched last night. Starter Patrick Corbin gave up five in five innings, but the rest of the pen didn’t look sharp. Newly-activated RPs Hunter Harvey (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER) and Víctor Arano (1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB) struggled.
• The D-backs got a gem from starter Zac Gallen, who went seven scoreless innings. Locking up the eighth inning, Ian Kennedy (1.0 IP, 2 K) continued the scoreless trend. However, Edwin Uceta (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB) didn’t get the memo as he allowed the lone Nationals run to score.

 

TEX 4 – OAK 5

• The Texas bullpen entered this game down by four runs, but Brock Burke (1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 K), Jonathan Hernández (1.0 IP, 1 BB, 1 K), and José Leclerc (1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K) kept the scoring to a minimum. Sadly, it wasn’t enough as the Rangers’ bats made things interesting late.
• On the other side, Oakland tossed quite a few relievers in Thursday’s action and continued the trend in this one. Zach Jackson (0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 K) added to his hold total, which sits at 19. Sam Moll (0.1 IP) needed only one pitcher to record his one out. “Sweet” Lou Trivino (0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K) was anything but that as he notched a hold but came away with an unsavory outing. Coming in to save the day (and the game) was AJ Puk (0.1 IP). The save marks Puk’s first of the season. Trivino and Puk pitched back-to-back nights and will likely be unavailable. Should a save opportunity arise, Zach Jackson or Domingo Acevedo would be the next in line.

 

HOU 5 – SEA 2

• The first arm from the pen was Seth Martinez(1.0 IP, 1 H), who tossed a clean seventh inning. In the eighth, Houston hurled two arms that made appearances for back-to-back nights (Phil Maton and Ryne Stanek). The duo allowed a bunch of base runners and one earned run. Finally, with Ryan Pressly still on paternity and Rafael Montero pitching in both double-header games, Héctor Neris (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K) was awarded his first save.
• The Mariners’ bullpen did what it usually does, shut down offenses. Penn Murfee (1.1 IP, 1 H), Matt Festa (1.0 IP, 1 K), and Erik Swanson (1.0 IP, 1 K) were nearly flawless for the final ten outs.

 

LAD 5 – SFG 1

• This was a tightly contested game as the game was tied 1-1 after the seventh inning. Tyler Rogers (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K) aided the efforts(along with starter Logan Webb), but Sam Long (1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 K) tallied the loss after four unearned runs crossed home plate. Cody Bellinger smashed a grand slam after a LaMonte Wade Jr.fielding error.
• The Dodgers elected to pitch Craig Kimbrel (1.0 IP, 2 H) in a non-save situation after tossing an inning on Thursday. Indeed, he’ll be unavailable on Saturday. Additionally, the winning pitcher, Alex Vesia (0.1 IP), will be unavailable since he pitched back-to-back nights too. If you’re looking for the RP to vulture a save on Saturday, it’ll likely be Evan Phillips.

 

CHC 15 – PHI 2

• The Chicago Cubs elected to toss lower-leverage arms since they built up a decent-sized lead. Scott Effross (1.0 IP) and Rowan Wick (1.0 IP, 1 BB, 1 K) kept the scoreboard clean. However, Erich Uelmen (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K) was touched up for a run as he struggled mightily with command issues (20 pitches, nine stikes-11 balls).
• The Phillies bullpen coughed up several runs, but five were from catcher Garrett Stubbs tossing an inning in the blowout. Furthermore, Jeurys Familia (0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 K) didn’t help the cause by a pair of doubles and allowing both inherited runners to score. Although it wasn’t entirely doom-and-gloom, Corey Knebel (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K) and Nick Nelson (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K) escaped innings without allowing a run.

 

CLE 8 – CHW 2

• Cleveland jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. Additionally, the Guardians relievers were stout! Nick Sandlin (1.0 IP, 1 BB, 1 K), Enyel De Los Santos (1.0 IP, 1 K), Bryan Shaw (1.0 IP, 1 K), and James Karinchak (1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K) combined to keep the White Sox scoreless for the final four frames.
• Down by a bunch early, the bullpen had its work cut out. Outside of Matt Foster (o.2 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 1 BB), the rest danced around base runners but didn’t allow any to cross home plate. Jimmy Lambert (2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB) grabbed a couple of innings after Giolito only went three innings. Joe Kelly (1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K) and José Ruiz (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K) put batters away quickly in the eighth and ninth inning.

 

 

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