Reliever Ranks – 8/11

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

 

• Only 28 teams played on Wednesday as the matchup between the Blue Jays and Orioles was postponed.
• Just more than half the league is scheduled to take part in eight matchups on Thursday. The teams with the day off include NYY, TOR, TBR, MIN, SEA, LAA, OAK, NYM, ATL, WSN, MIL, LAD, SDP, and SFG.

 

• The Atlanta Braves activated Kirby Yates from the 60-day IL. It’s been a long comeback from right elbow surgery as the former All-Star hasn’t pitched since he tossed just 4.1 innings in 2020. He won’t immediately factor into high-leverage situations, but he’s someone who could quickly move up Atlanta’s bullpen depth chart because of his track record.
• Diego Castillo was removed from the 15-day IL by the Seattle Mariners after missing time with right shoulder inflammation. He was one of the most-trusted options before his injury and will slot into holds consideration on the chart.

 

 

CIN 2 – NYM 10

• The Cincinnatti pitching staff got roughed up by one of the NL’s juggernaut teams. A six-run outing by their starter set the Reds back, but the bullpen didn’t do much better. Reiver Sanmartin allowed an unearned run in the fifth while Ian Gibaut saw the majority of the damage, permitting three earned runs in the sixth. Ross Detwiler and Hunter Strickland calmed things down with scoreless frames across the next pair of innings.
• With the massive advantage, the Mets turned to Seth Lugo, Trevor Williams, and Adonis Medina for an inning apiece. None of them were scored upon and they gave their All-Star closer his third day off in a row. The entire team will have the day off today to rest before their weekend series against the Phillies.

 

TBR 3 – MIL 4

• This extra-inning affair did not go the way the Rays envisioned. After a scoreless sixth from Jason Adam, a perfect seventh from Pete Fairbanks that earned him his third hold, and a flawless eighth from Brooks Raley that netted him his 16th hold, the Rays were set up for the win. Instead, Colin Poche served up a dinger to Rowdy Tellez to blow his fifth save. That game-tying homer forced extras, where Ryan Thompson allowed the zombie runner to score, resulting in his third loss and inciting a walk-off celebration. The Rays will have Thursday off, affording the relief corps some rest after Wednesday’s heavy usage.
• Given the chance to hold a lead and cap off a comeback, the Brewers’ bullpen did not disappoint. Brad Boxberger and Hoby Milner combined to put a zero on the board in the eighth, setting up a perfect frame from Trevor Gott in the ninth. With the Manfred Man on second, manager Craig Counsell called upon closer Devin Williams to keep the score where it was. He did so with a flawless inning and earned his third win upon the walk-off. With the off day today, Williams will have an adequate amount of time to recover from his seven-pitch outing.

 

WSN 2 – CHC 4

• A solid outing from their starter was not enough to keep the Nationals safe from a loss. Steve Cishek helped blow the lead by allowing an inherited runner and two runs of his own to score after the starter’s departure in the seventh. He even needed help from Carl Edwards Jr. to finish off that frame. Víctor Arano tossed a perfect eighth, but the damage had already been done. These arms and the rest of the team will look to rest up before their weekend matchup against their former superstar, Juan Soto, and the Padres.
• The Cubs continue to test out an arm barn that features tons of unfamiliar names following the trade deadline exodus of bullpen talent. The seventh went to Michael Rucker, who earned his first win following a perfect frame and the offense’s comeback. In the eighth, Jared Hughes earned his first hold without giving up a hit before Rowan Wick took over for the next four outs. The right-hander finished off the eighth and the ninth to secure his sixth save. It took him 15 pitches to do so, meaning he won’t be counted out of the ninth inning today.

 

LAA 5 – OAK 4

• It took some gutsy efforts, but the Angels hung on in a 12-inning matchup with the A’s. The bullpen set things up poorly from the get-go, as Aaron Loup allowed one run across four outs for his 13th hold before Andrew Wantz was charged with two runs in the seventh, yet earned his third hold anyway. Those runners scored under the watch of Jesse Chavez, who was tagged with his third blown save as a result, but he bounced back by finishing off the frame and pushing onward to complete the eighth. The ninth went to Ryan Tepera, who did his job with a perfect outing. In extras, Jaime Barria was called upon so as to not overwork his teammates. He wound up lasting three frames, and despite blowing his first save when he let the zombie runner score in the 10th, he went home with his second win. I had predicted yesterday that Barria would get a shot to pitch today because of the starter’s expected light workload. I just didn’t envision it to be in extras. He got the win nonetheless and ended the week on a high note as the team gets a day off today.
• The extra-inning runner on second spoiled what was an A+ night from the A’s bullpen. Sam Moll gave up a homer to Luis Rengifo that knocked in two inherited runners while finishing off the starter’s sixth, but that was the extent of the earned runs to score against the relief corps. Domingo Acevedo was able to end that frame and pitch his own perfect seventh before letting A.J. Puk do the same in the eighth. Zach Jackson followed suit with a flawless ninth and then it was off to free baseball. From there, Dany Jiménez allowed the zombie runner to score in the 10th, but he was given a second chance when the offense came back and he was sent out for the 11th. This time, he kept the runner on second base away from the plate. Austin Pruitt pitched the 12th, but he wasn’t as lucky as Jiménez, as the offense couldn’t overcome the deficit that resulted from his unearned run and ultimately ended with his first loss. A 12-inning game would be a bullpen killer, but the A’s get today off to rest up for their weekend series in Houston.

 

SFG 7 – SDP 13

• A combined 20 runs were scored in this NL West matchup, portending bad pitching and copious amounts of arm barn usage. The Giants’ starter couldn’t escape the third, needing help from Alex Young to complete the inning. Young wound up pitching the next two frames as well, inducing nine whiffs across 40 pitches. The loss went to Yunior Marte who forgot how to pitch, surrendering five runs (four earned) across three outs. Jarlín García allowed two unearned runs of his own, but he offset them by securing seven outs. A day off will be awarded to the Giants after a tough series loss to a division rival.
• The San Diego relief corps was much more elegant in their work. Nabil Crismatt allowed three runs (two earned) to start the sixth and was tagged with his fourth blown save, but he was supported by Robert Suarez in finishing off the frame. Saurez claimed his third win after going on to pitch the seventh as well. Adrian Morejon and Tayler Scott pitched the next two frames without event. The Padres also have Thursday off, giving them a chance to relax before an easy series against baseball’s worst team, the Nationals.

 

NYY 3 – SEA 4

• Another crushing loss at the hands of the Mariners was a result of the bullpen needing to be flawless and not coming through. Albert Abreu was tagged with his first blown save and second loss after serving up a go-ahead dinger to Carlos Santana in the seventh. The eighth was covered perfectly by Wandy Peralta, but it wasn’t enough to keep Seattle from winning the series. Thursday will be a day off for the Yankees, preparing them for a rivalry matchup in Boston this weekend.
• America’s team has done it again. They took down the AL’s best team to put them just a game back from taking over the top AL Wild Card spot. Despite Penn Murfee giving up a game-tying homer to Aaron Judge, the bullpen was able to maintain the lead in the final two frames. Murfee earned his third win as well upon the lead change. Diego Castillo was flawless in his return from the IL, claiming his fifth hold, while Paul Sewald was able to shut things down in the ninth to secure his 15th save. After back-to-back days of use, Sewald will have a shot to rest today as the entire team gets the day off.

 

MIA 3 – PHI 4

• Just one reliever was used by the Marlins and he got just one out. Anthony Bender finished off the starter’s eighth and that was it for Miami’s bullpen action.
• Relying on three relief arms, the Phillies secured a victory. Brad Hand pitched a perfect seventh before Andrew Bellatti allowed a run on three hits in the eighth. Bellatti wound up with his third win when the offense took the lead in the bottom half. Seranthony Domínguez was once again called upon to secure his eighth save. He did so in a dominant fashion, striking out two and inducing four whiffs across 14 pitches. The righty could pitch today after tossing just 19 total pitches across the past two days, but it likely won’t be necessary considering the team has a great backup option in trade deadline acquisition David Robertson.

 

CLE 3 – DET 2

• Despite being part of the minority that doesn’t have today off, the Guardians decided to empty out the arm barn. Six relievers pitched, but they were all equally effective and secured the win. Sam Hentges and Nick Sandlin combined for a scoreless fifth. The sixth and seventh were pitched flawlessly by Bryan Shaw and Trevor Stephan, each striking out two batters. The former was credited with his fifth win while the latter earned his seventh hold. James Karinchak tossed a scoreless eighth, claiming his second hold and striking out three more batters to push his strikeout rate to 43.8%. For the second day in a row, Emmanuel Clase took the mound in a save opportunity. He converted it successfully for his 26th save, giving him sole possession of the AL lead in that category. The two fastest pitches of the day came from his arm, as he topped out at 99.9 mph with his four-seamer. He has often been used three days in a row this season, so you can’t count him out of action today, especially after he combined for just 18 pitches in his two appearances.
• While the Tigers didn’t earn the win or feature as many relievers, they might’ve had the most dominant relief showing of the day. Four arms appeared and not a single baserunner reached under their watch while each of them recorded at least one punchout. Perfect frames were posted by Alex Lange, Joe Jiménez, Andrew Chafin, and Gregory Soto. Chafin has the best ERA among that quartet, featuring a 2.17 mark (37.1 IP). Soto tossed 13 pitches and should be good to go today should a save situation arise.

 

ATL 8 – BOS 4

• It was a less-than-stressful day for the Braves bullpen as they maintained a comfortable lead, nearly blew it, and still coasted to the finish. Dylan Lee almost blew it by giving up a three-run dinger to Tommy Pham in the seventh. Kirby Yates recovered the frame in his Atlanta debut, earning his first hold in his first appearance since 2020. A.J. Minter followed with a hitless eighth for his 19th hold, and Raisel Iglesias finished things off with a perfect ninth. The team will get the day off today to rest a bullpen that has been worked to the bone this week.
• The Red Sox relievers weren’t too effective on Wednesday. Both Darwinzon Hernandez and Ryan Brasier surrendered two runs apiece. Austin Davis settled things down for a single out before things got out of control again, as Kaleb Ort allowed another run to score. Despite the run, Ort induced five whiffs on 22 pitches, but now features a 9.00 ERA (15 IP).

 

TEX 8 – HOU 4

• In the final extra-inning affair of the day, the Rangers emerged victorious in the battle for the Lone Star State. Brock Burke blew his third save by surrendering a homer to Yordan Alvarez in his second inning of work. Matt Moore kept the score tied with a clean eighth and Taylor Hearn kept it going with a flawless ninth. When the offense exploded in the 10th, Hearn earned his fifth win and Jonathan Hernández was called upon to end the game. He did so, despite watching the zombie runner crawl home. As the presumptive closer, it is worth noting that Hernández should be available today after tossing 18 pitches on Wednesday.
• One blemish defined Houston’s bullpen usage, but it was a notable one. The night started off well with Ryne Stanek, Héctor Neris, and Ryan Pressly each putting up a scoreless frame across the final three innings of regulation. While Stanek was impressive by inducing five whiffs on 17 pitches, Pressly topped him by earning a whopping seven whiffs on only 11 pitches. In the 10th, however, things went awry, as Phil Maton allowed five runners to cross home, resulting in his second loss. Bryan Abreu was needed to close out the inning, but the deficit was too much for the offense to overcome. Pressly has pitched back-to-back days now, using 31 pitches in that time, and likely cedes ninth-inning duties to Rafael Montero today.

 

CHW 3 – KCR 8

• Needing only three innings of bullpen work, the outcome was not ideal for the White Sox. Not only did Jake Diekman take his second loss after surrendering a solo shot to MJ Melendez, but Jimmy Lambert also permitted four more runs in the eighth to put the game out of reach. José Ruiz was there to help complete the frame, but maybe he should’ve been used initially.
• Royals relievers were at the top of their game on Wednesday. Four arms combined for 3.1 flawless frames, capping off the team’s 46th win of the campaign. Wyatt Mills finished off the starter’s sixth before Josh Staumont, Dylan Coleman, and Luke Weaver each pitched a perfect inning of their own. Staumont earned his third win and Coleman his 11th hold. Coleman’s ERA now sits at 2.91 (46.1 IP) as he now leads the team in holds.

 

STL 9 – COL 5

• Two relievers took the mound for the Cardinals, one pitching exceptionally and the other pitching poorly. Andre Pallante fit the first criteria, tossing two clean frames while striking out three. The right-hander has started a third of the 30 games he’s appeared in this season. He owns a 3.99 ERA in 54.1 innings as a starter and a 1.36 ERA in 33.2 innings as a reliever. Chris Stratton fit the second criteria, allowing three runs (two earned), but still managed to finish off the win.
• The Rockies called upon Austin Gomber for bulk work after the starter couldn’t escape the fifth. The lefty secured 11 outs, inducing six whiffs across 62 pitches with an 18% CSW across his repertoire. Two runs crossed home during his time on the mound. Robert Stephenson followed with a one-run inning of his own to cap off Colorado reliever action. Closer Daniel Bard hasn’t pitched since Saturday and could use some maintenance work today.

 

PIT 6 – ARI 4

• Set up to use their top arms, the Pirates did just that…right up until the end. Colin Holderman grabbed five outs after the starter exited, permitting no baserunners and earning his second hold. He was followed by Wil Crowe, the fill-in closer. Crowe also secured five outs and earned his 15th hold, but was pulled in the ninth with one out to go in favor of Eric Stout. The lefty got the final out to nab his first career save. I don’t think Stout will be factoring into save situations going forward. Manager Chris Shelton just grew antsy after Crowe got into trouble and allowed a run. He has now pitched on consecutive days, throwing 30 pitches in that time, and could lose another save today. This time, it likely goes to Yerry De Los Santos.
• Some light work was all that was needed from the Arizona arms. Noé Ramirez completed two spotless frames with three strikeouts to set up Edwin Uceta to pitch the ninth. The young right-hander allowed a run but escaped without further damage.

 

MIN 5 – LAD 8

• It’s always going to be a tough night against baseball’s best team. Caleb Thielbar was asked the finish off the starter’s fifth before things got ugly. Taking his fifth loss following a Chris Taylor dinger, Michael Fulmer had an unfortunate sixth. The seventh went to Griffin Jax who let the game slip away. He served up a three-run shot to Joey Gallo, his first dinger as a Dodger. After posting a 2.70 ERA across his first 43.1 IP, Jax owns an 11.25 ERA across his last eight innings, pushing his season-long ERA north of four (4.03, 51.1 IP). Cole Sands finished the Twins’ night by tossing a perfect eighth. The team will earn a day off today to rest up for their weekend series against the other LA-based team.
• Despite the easy win, the Dodgers still needed five arms to get the job done. Finishing the starter’s fifth, Alex Vesia walked away without any damage against him. He was followed by three straight perfect frames, one from David Price, one from Evan Phillips, and another from Chris Martin. Price was credited with his first win while Phillips earned his 15th hold. Even with a four-run lead, Craig Kimbrel was brought aboard. He made himself comfortable, creating his own save situation by permitting a run, and was still able to put the game on ice. The Dodgers have today off, so Kimbrel’s usage won’t affect his availability in the team’s next matchup.

 

 

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)