Bullpen Report: April 6, 2016
The Bullpen Report team worked a bit earlier than normal on Wednesday to compile notes and observations revolving around the earlier contests, so if by chance we publish before the Best Coast games go final, we’ll catch up with you on Thursday with the necessary details.
-After constant chatter on the comment section, it looks like the mob was right about Sam Dyson in Texas. Keone Kela came on in the seventh inning and struggled a bit allowing three baserunners and an earned run only getting two outs in the inning. Sam Dyson finished the seventh and also threw a scoreless eighth and he looks to be next in line for saves in Texas. Those save opportunities might be a bit closer too after Shawn Tolleson’s no good very bad day today. Tolleson entered the ninth with a 5-4 lead and proceeded to allow five hits and five runs without recording an out. Tolleson was never the most talented in the Rangers relief corps but he was the one getting saves. He hasn’t lost his job yet but I would run to the waivers to put a claim on Dyson.
–Jeremy Jeffress looked solid in his debut as closer for the Brewers. Jeffress threw 12 pitches across a perfect frame for his first save in 2016 and the second of his career. The Brewers aren’t a particularly good team but saves are saves and his job is secure.
-Back to the comments again as someone brought up Erasmo Ramirez’s role in Tampa last night. A day after Alex Colome threw two innings, it was Erasmo’s turn to throw a pair of scoreless innings, netting his first save of the year and he might have a bigger role in the back of the pen than expected. Erasmo still has legitimate rotation/multiple inning relief appeal so I’m not sure he’ll be a permanent fixture here but he might be creeping in. Danny Farquhar threw another scoreless seventh which is solid but he’s likely not the “eighth inning guy” in Tampa. Xavier Cedeno is another talented reliever for the Rays but as a lefty might not be primed as the main setup man either.
–Jake McGee notched his first save in a Rockies’ uniform this evening in a 4-3 Colorado victory over division rival Arizona. McGee took the bump with a two-run cushion in the final frame, surrendered a one-out homer to Nick Ahmed, but induced two consecutive fly ball outs to escape the ninth-inning with his 27th career save. The Rockies’ closer needed 17 pitches to seal the deal, 10 of which were strikes (four looking, zero swing-and-misses, three fouled off, three in play). Prior to allowing the longball to Ahmed, McGee had allowed just five home runs to opposing batters in his previous 112 appearances.
-The Phillies’ bullpen blew another lead tonight, this time it was 30-year-old Dioler Hinojosa’s turn. Hinojosa entered the home half of the ninth-inning with a one run lead, but surrendered two earned runs on four hits to take the loss and his first blown save of the season. While sifting through the rubble, you can find a clean eighth-inning of work along with a strikeout from the last night’s victim David Hernandez. That’s good news, if you couldn’t read between the lines. If I were a gambling man, I’d say that Hernandez may get the next save chance. And once Andrew Bailey gets a handful of solid appearances under his belt on the farm, we could see him get a look in the ninth if things haven’t settled by then.
Quick Hitters: Francisco Rodriguez, Mark Melancon, Zach Britton, Cody Allen, Ivan Nova each recorded their first saves of the year while Jonathan Papelbon notched his second in as many chances. Britton allowed a hit and a walk but fanned three en route to his save. Rodriguez fanned the only batter he faced — Giancarlo Stanton — to earn his first.
Closer Grid:
[Green light, yellow light, red light: the colors represent the volatility of the bullpen order.]
In addition to contributing to the RotoGraphs blog, you can find Alan at his own site, TheFantasyFix.com and follow his nonsense on Twitter @TheFantasyFix.
Axford and Madson are switched
Agreed and fixed. Thanks, bud.