Reliever Ranks – 7/29

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 ten games were played Thursday, so ten teams had the day off, including MIN, CHW, OAK, NYM, ATL, WSN, MIL, STL, ARI, and SDP.
• All 30 teams are scheduled to play today.
• Baltimore hasn’t announced a starter for today’s game yet, so expect them to use several relievers. The most likely for multiple innings are the recently called-up Beau Sulser and Logan Gillaspie.
• Bryan Garcia is making his first start with the big club of 2022 today. As such, the Tigers’ tired bullpen could once again see significant action. Gregory Soto and Jason Foley are the only arms who haven’t pitched over the past two games.

 

• Reynaldo López went on the IL yesterday. We moved Matt Foster up in the hierarchy as a hold option for the White Sox in the interim.
• The Marlins placed Jordan Holloway on the IL and recalled Daniel Castano. Holloway joins a crowded list of injured Marlins relievers. We added Huascar Brazoban to the chart as the long reliever in his stead.
• Drew Smith and his strained lat were put on the IL by the Mets Thursday. Tommy Hunter could see more hold opportunities as a result.
• Due to shoulder inflammation, the Mariners will be without Diego Castillo for a while. In the meantime, we slotted Andrés Muñoz in as the setup man and added Matthew Festa to the grid as an option for holds.

 

 

 

MIA 7 – CIN 6

• The Marlins were forced into a bullpen game after a comebacker hit Daniel Castano in the forehead in the first inning. A parade of Miami relievers followed, starting with Jeff Brigham, Richard Bleier, and Stephen Okert, who pitched through the sixth inning. All three gave up runs, and by the time Anthony Bass entered the game in the seventh, the Marlins were down 5-4. However, Bass, Zach Pop, and Tanner Scott pitched scoreless frames, and the offense came back in the ninth for the victory. Pop took home the “W” while Scott recorded his 14th save.
• The Reds’ starter, Graham Ashcraft, got into the seventh before leaving with a man on second, two outs, and a slim 5-4 lead. Alexis Díaz replaced him, finished the inning without further damage, and pitched a perfect eighth to boot. Hunter Strickland came on for the save opportunity, but things quickly got away from him as Miami went HR, BB, and HBP with its first three batters of the inning. That was it for Strickland, who gave way to Buck Farmer. Farmer couldn’t stop the bleeding, though, and Strickland was saddled with the loss and the blown save. Both Diaz and Strickland have gone back-to-back and may not be available tonight. The next time the opportunity arises, it will be surprising if Diaz doesn’t get the opportunity to close things out.

 

BOS 4 – CLE 2

• Kutter Crawford pitched into the sixth inning, at which point Jake Diekman took over. Diekman got the final out of the sixth and followed with a scoreless seventh. In the meantime, the Red Sox plated three while he was in the game, ultimately leading to Diekman winning his fifth game of the season. Garrett Whitlock pitched the final two frames and earned his third save despite giving up a run. As he covered two innings and threw 27 pitches, it’s unlikely he’ll be available again this evening.
•  Boston did all its damage against Triston McKenzie, who went seven innings and allowed four runs. James Karinchak threw a scoreless eighth, though he did walk two batters.

 

NYY 1 – KC 0

• Clay Holmes won his fifth game of the season when Aaron Judge walked the game off in the bottom of the ninth with a home run off Scott Barlow. Holmes covered the ninth inning in relief of Ron Marinaccio, who pitched the seventh and eighth. Jameson Taillon started and went six innings. Holmes has thrown 39 pitches over the past two games, so Wandy Peralta may get a vulture opportunity tonight if the situation arises.
• Brady Singer pitched a masterful seven innings, and Dylan Coleman followed with a 1-2-3 eighth. Barlow got the clubhouse-changing Andrew Benintendi for the first out of the ninth. However, he lost the battle, and the game, after Judge stepped to the plate. Coleman has gone back-to-back, so he’s best avoided if you’re streaming holds tonight.

 

BAL 3 – TB 0

• The Orioles shut out the Rays behind starter Jordan Lyles and three relievers. Cionel Pérez came on with two out and pitched out of a jam to end the sixth. He followed with a scoreless seventh. Bryan Baker took over in the eighth, but with two out and two on, Brandon Hyde called on Félix Bautista to finish the inning. Bautista followed with a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his third save, with Jorge López having pitched in back-to-back games. Perez and Baker each earned holds. Bautista will likely switch places with Lopez tonight as he’s gone back-to-back.
• Sometimes-starter Ryan Yarbrough was a hard-luck loser after surrendering only one run over six innings. Shawn Armstrong took over in the seventh but fell victim to a Trey Mancini two-run HR in the eighth.

 

TOR 5 – DET 3

• Yusei Kikuchi left after five with a 3-1 lead, and the bullpen made it hold up despite allowing two runs to score. Adam Cimber, Tim Mayza, and Yimi García earned holds. Mayza and Garcia surrendered a run each, though Garcia’s was unearned after a Bo Bichette error. Jordan Romano got the last out of the eighth and followed with a clean ninth for his 22nd save of 2022.
• Tyler Alexander was pressed into starting duty and kept his team in the game after allowing three runs (two earned) over four innings. Will Vest followed him with a scoreless fifth, but Angel De Jesus gave up a HR to Matt Chapman in the sixth. After a one-out double and single, José Cisnero relieved him in the seventh and induced an inning-ending double play. Alex Lange threw the eighth, allowing an unearned run after a throwing error by Jeimer Candelario put the leadoff batter aboard.

 

PHI 8 – PIT 7

• Zack Wheeler was cruising with an 8-0 lead in the seventh until Cal Mitchell hit a 2-run HR to end the shutout. Corey Knebel gave the Phils a scoreless eighth, but things got interesting in the bottom of the ninth. Jeurys Familia took over and, after getting the first out, gave up three singles, a walk, and a triple to cut the score to 8-6. Seranthony Domínguez had to replace him and got the final two outs, though one more run came in on a groundout. Dominguez managers can thank Familia for the save.
• Philadelphia relentlessly pounded Zach Thompson, who surrendered seven runs over his five and 2/3 innings of work. Kyle Schwarber’s 32nd HR in the sixth was the icing on the cake. Chris Stratton followed him and allowed another run off of three hits. Dillon Peters covered the last two innings cleanly, allowing the Bucs to make this one interesting.

HOU 4 – SEA 2

• Andrés Muñoz took over in the eighth with the score tied 2-2. Munoz was following Penn Murfee, who threw a scoreless seventh in relief of Logan Gilbert. It wasn’t Munoz’s night. He hit Yuli Gurriel to start the inning, and two batters later allowed the go-ahead run to score on an Alex Bregman double. Bregman would later score on a wild pitch, cementing the loss for the usually reliable Munoz, who has now pitched in two straight games.
• The game went like clockwork for Houston, who turned to their setup man Rafael Montero in the seventh with two outs. Montero covered the eighth as well and thus earned the win. Ryan Pressley notched his 21st save after pitching a scoreless ninth inning.

 

LAD 13 – COL 0

• The Dodgers didn’t have to work their pen too hard in this one. Jake Reed threw a scoreless eighth in relief of Tyler Anderson, who pitched seven shutout innings. In the ninth, the Dodgers turned to the legendary Hanser Alberto, who closed the game out and completed the shutout.
• José Ureña had a rough night. He left in the fourth before recording an out in the inning and down 8-0. Austin Gomber and Justin Lawrence, who covered the next four innings, couldn’t keep the Dodgers off the board either, allowing one and two runs, respectively. Jake Bird was the only Rockies reliever to keep L.A. off the board with a scoreless eighth. In the ninth, the Rocks turned to catcher Brian Serven, who also threw a scoreless frame. It was a good night for the position players on the mound.

 

TEX 2 – LAA 0

• Four Rangers pitchers combined to shut the Angels out. Brock Burke relieved Spencer Howard in the sixth, followed by Matt Bush and Matt Moore. Burke and Bush earned holds, and Moore got his second save of the year with Brett Martin sitting this one out after pitching in two straight.
• Shohei Ohtani’s 11 strikeouts in six innings weren’t enough for the Halos. Jaime Barria covered the final three innings without a hitch, but it wasn’t enough as the Angels couldn’t muster any offense.

 

SF 4 – CHC 2

• Alex Wood took a no-hitter into the seventh, but a single by Ian Haap and a home run by Patrick Wisdom ended his night. However, he still won the game as the Giants bullpen picked him up. Dominic Leone and John Brebbia picked up holds, and Camilo Doval struck out the side in the ninth for his 13th save.
• Justin Steele gave up four runs, but none were earned. He only lasted three and 2/3 innings, though, before the bullpen was called on. Chicago’s relievers did their jobs well, keeping the Giants off the board the rest of the way. Erich Uelmen, Brandon Hughes, and Chris Martin combined to cover the last four and 1/3 shutout innings.

 

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