Reliever Ranks – 9/9

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 12 teams played yesterday, two of which, the Giants and Brewers, played a doubleheader. Off yesterday were BAL, BOS, TBR, TOR, CLE, DET, KCR, HOU, LAA, SEA, TEX, ATL, NYM, PIT, ARI, COL, LAD, and SDP.
• All 30 teams are in action today. The Mets hadn’t announced a starter at the time of publishing, so a bullpen game could be on tap. If so, Trevor Williams could be in line for multiple innings.

 

• The Tigers will recall Joey Wentz today to start their contest against the Royals. In Wentz’s two starts in May, he lasted a combined six and two-thirds innings, so Detroit’s bullpen could be busy. Daniel Norris should be good to go if multiple innings are required, as he hasn’t thrown since last Saturday.

 

 

WSN 11 – STL 6

• Josiah Gray only got one out in the fourth inning before handing off to the Nationals’ bullpen with the score tied at four. Mason Thompson pitched out of a bases-loaded jam to end the fourth and added a scoreless fifth. He ended up with the win after the Nationals went ahead for good in the top of the sixth. Andres Machado and Kyle Finnegan covered the sixth through the eighth without consequence, each earning a hold for their effort. Jake McGee came on in the ninth with the score now 11-4 and loaded the bases with one out. Carl Edwards Jr. closed the game out, but not before allowing a two-run single to Corey Dickerson. Finnegan and Edwards have gone back-to-back, so if a save opportunity arises tonight, Hunter Harvey may have a shot at the vulture opportunity.
• Adam Wainwright didn’t have a great outing by his standards, lasting only five innings and allowing four runs. Andre Pallante took over in the sixth and surrendered base hits to two of the three batters he faced. Jordan Hicks followed but couldn’t keep one of the runners from scoring. Hicks was charged with two runs of his own the following inning, though the second was scored after Chris Stratton had relieved him. The floodgates opened in the ninth off James Naile, with the big blow coming off the bat of Alex Call, who left the yard with a three-run jack.

 

CIN 4 – CHC 3

• Converted reliever Luis Cessa did a nice job for the Reds, going five and two-thirds innings with only two runs allowed. The second run charged to him came with Buck Farmer on the mound, who replaced him in the sixth. Farmer ran into trouble in the seventh, and manager David Bell turned to Alexis Díaz to clean up the mess. The rookie came through, recording two big strikeouts to end the inning. Diaz stayed on for the eighth and surrendered a home run to Seiya Suzuki, which put the Cubs ahead. Fate was on his side, though, as the Reds scored twice in the ninth to give Diaz the victory. Ian Gibaut closed the game out for his first major-league save. Diaz threw 27 pitches in this one, so there’s a good chance the Reds will hold their prized rookie out tonight.
• Adrian Sampson pitched well for Chicago, shutting the Reds out through six innings. Kyle Farmer homered off him to start the seventh, though, and that was it for him. Brandon Hughes followed, put a couple on while recording a couple of outs, and handed the ball to Manuel Rodríguez, who got the final out of the inning. Rodriguez started the eighth and got two outs but followed Hughes’ lead and put a couple of runners on. In came Rowan Wick, who walked the bases loaded and then walked in the tying run. If you’re keeping score, that’s a hold for Hughes and Rodriguez and a blown save for Wick. The Cubs bullpen wasn’t done imploding, however. Mark Leiter Jr. started the ninth with a one-run lead, but a walk, a triple, and a single later, he bore the loss and the Cubs’ second blown save of the game. David Ross had to call on Michael Rucker to get the last out. Hughes and Wick, the two would-be closers, both came in early in this one, making it hard to have faith in anyone in Chicago’s pen.

 

MIL 2 – SFG 1 (Game 1)

• The Brewers got a textbook eight innings from Corbin Burnes, and a one-two-three ninth from Devin Williams for his 11th save. Easy peasy.
• San Francisco went with an opener in Game 1, trotting Scott Alexander out there for an inning to start the game. Alexander did his job, and Jakob Junis covered the next six innings. Junis held his own, only allowing two runs to score, set up by back-to-back doubles in the fourth. Tyler Rogers threw the last frame for the Giants with a clean eighth in the losing effort.

 

MIL 4 – SFG 2 (Game 2)

• Freddy Peralta started but left after only two innings with shoulder fatigue. The Brewers bullpen had their work cut out for them, so it was good Burnes gave them eight innings in Game 1. Milwaukee used five relievers over the final seven innings, allowing only two runs in total. Peter Strzelecki, Hoby Milner, Brad Boxberger, Matt Bush, and Taylor Rogers all threw, and only Boxberger and Bush allowed a run to score. Strzelecki got the win, Rogers the save, and the other three nabbed holds.
• The Giants again rocked with an opener in Game 2; this time, it was Alex Young. Young didn’t make it out of the first inning before three runs were across. It wasn’t all Young’s fault, as an error by Evan Longoria contributed to the rough start. Sean Hjelle pitched next and covered most of the game for San Francisco, throwing five innings total and allowing only one more run. Dominic Leone and Luis Ortiz also got in some work, primarily Ortiz, as Leone only threw 11 pitches.

 

MIA 6  – PHI 5

• Sandy Alcantara allowed an uncharacteristic five runs over his six innings of work, although an error by JJ Bleday set up the last two. He left with his team trailing by one, turning it over to Richard Bleier for an inning and Dylan Floro for two. The combo kept the Phils off the board and allowed the offense to mount a comeback. Floro walked away with the win for his effort.
• Kyle Gibson could only give Philadelphia five innings, though he did leave with a slim 5-4 lead. Vinny Nittoli, Sam Coonrod, and Brad Hand earned holds covering a scoreless sixth, seventh, and eighth innings. The trio set it up for David Robertson, but he blew the save and took the loss with an assist from an error by Rhys Hoskins. Only one of the two runs Robertson gave up was earned, and he struck out the side, though that is probably of little consolation to him.

 

MIN 4 – NYY 3

• Sonny Gray gave the Twins six solid innings, allowing only two runs, before handing off to the pen. Griffin Jax was first up, covering the seventh without issue. Jorge López took the hill to start the eighth with Aaron Judge up first, but he allowed a run to come in off a wild pitch after loading the bases. Caleb Thielbar had to get the final out of the eighth and stayed on for the first out of the ninth. Michael Fulmer was asked to close the game out. The Yankees loaded the bases but couldn’t deliver the clutch hit, and Fulmer earned his third save. All of the Twins relievers that pitched Thursday also pitched Wednesday, so Jhoan Duran could get a shot at a save tonight if the opportunity arises.
• Nestor Cortes came off the IL and gave the Yankees four innings, allowing two runs. Clarke Schmidt followed with three scoreless, and then Wandy Peralta came on in the eighth. An error by Peralta put a runner on (unearned runs are the theme of the day), then with two outs, Greg Weissert came in to face Carlos Correa, who took him deep to break the stalemate. Ryan Weber tossed a scoreless ninth, but New York couldn’t mount a comeback.

 

CHW 14 – OAK 2

• Dylan Cease continued his late Cy Young push with six shutout innings and nine strikeouts before leaving with a 14-0 lead. José Ruiz threw a scoreless seventh, but Vince Velasquez lost the shutout in the eighth, allowing two runs to score. He closed the game out with a scoreless ninth.
• JP Sears had a rough go of it Thursday, allowing six runs and three dingers in two innings of work. Zach Logue took over in the third and fared just as poorly, allowing eight runs and two homers in his three frames. Tyler Cyr restored some order for the A’s, throwing three scoreless innings to get the game to the ninth. At that point, it was position-player-pitcher time as Sheldon Neuse got the call. Neuse got it done, allowing only a single.

 

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)