Bullpen Report: August 26, 2019

The Mets did not need a closer in Sunday’s 2-1 loss to the Braves, but if they did, it would not have been Edwin Díaz. On Saturday, Díaz came in for the top of the ninth inning, one inning after Brad Brach had already allowed the Braves to unlock a 5-5 tie on Ronald Acuña Jr.‘s RBI single. He allowed the Braves to increase their lead on Freddie Freeman’s leadoff homer, and two batters later, Díaz was lifted due to tightness in his trapezius muscle. He was unavailable for Sunday’s game, and an IL stint is not off the table.

For however long Díaz is out, it is probably safe to assume that Seth Lugo would be used as the closer, Lugo already has a pair of saves in August, and he was essentially used as the closer against the Braves on Friday, when he pitched the top of the eighth and ninth innings in a tie game. Regardless of Díaz’s health status, owners — particularly those in saves-plus-holds leagues — should keep tabs on Paul Sewald. Since getting recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on Aug. 16, he has struck out 10 batters in five innings, including four batters in two innings on Sunday. Sewald did allow his first run since getting promoted, giving up Josh Donaldson’s second home run of the game.

Remember when Ian Kennedy was collecting saves in June and July like they were going to stop handing them out? After recording 17 saves over those two months, Kennedy has slowed down his pace in August with only two saves through the first 25 days. He has not been getting much work lately, so Ned Yost brought him in on Sunday for the bottom of the ninth inning with the Royals leading 8-4 over the Indians.  A one-out Francisco Lindor solo homer cut the lead to three runs, and in coughing up a two-out, three-run shot to Franmil Reyes, Kennedy gave up the lead. He did retire Jason Kipnis for the final out, so he got credited with the win when Ryan O’Hearn got the lead back in the top of the 10th with a homer off Nick Goody. Jorge López got his first career save by pitching a perfect bottom of the 10th.

Incidentally, Brad Hand did not pitch in the top of the 10th for the Indians, as he had pitched on three of previous four days, Terry Francona called on Goody instead, and it seemed like a safe move, given that he had not given up an earned run in 20 of his previous 21 appearances.

Though Daniel Hudson did not get a save in the Nationals’ 7-5, 11-inning win over the Cubs on Sunday, it seems clear that he is Dave Martinez’s primary closer, so I have removed the committee tag from the Nationals’ portion of the closer grid. For the third time in four days, Martinez called on Hunter Strickland to pitch the seventh inning with a lead of four runs or less, and each time, he was followed by Fernando Rodney in the eighth inning. On Saturday, Hudson relieved Rodney to pitch the ninth inning with a four-run lead. However, on Sunday, Rodney gave up a game-tying Kyle Schwarber two-run homer, so Wander Suero took care of the bottom of the ninth.

Martinez went to Hudson with the game still tied in the 10th inning, and when the Nationals surged ahead in the top of the 11th, he was able to pick up the win by blanking the Cubs in the bottom of the frame.

There is also no closer controversy in Seattle, as Matt Magill has become the Ian Kennedy of late August.  Magill got his fourth save in a nine-day span on Sunday, shutting out the Blue Jays in the top of the ninth inning in the Mariners’ 3-1 win.

If the Royals and Mariners have been able to help their respective closers to become saves machines, could the Marlins be next? The Fish finally got off the saves schneid in their 3-2 win over the Phillies on Sunday. The last time a Marlins reliever had recorded a save was on July 24, when Sergio Romo wrapped up a 2-0 win over the White Sox. In Sunday’s victory, Ryne Stanek allowed just a leadoff walk to César Hernández. Stanek still has a “Hot Seat” designation in the closer grid, and it’s not only because he had given up runs in four of his previous five outings. It is also because Don Mattingly is planning on using José Ureña (back) as a closer when he comes off the IL sometime in September. As it stands, it doesn’t appear to make sense to pursue either Stanek or Ureña for saves, given the Marlins’ recent scarcity in that category. As the examples of Kennedy and Magill show, however, you never know when a team might have an unexpected run of save opportunities.

Heading into Sunday’s finale with the Diamondbacks, Josh Hader had not pitched since Aug. 17, so even though the Brewers were down 5-2 in the top of the ninth inning, the lefty got an inning of work. A Tim Locastro single was the only blemish, but the more notable relief appearance came just before him. Drew Pomeranz pitched the seventh and eighth innings and he struck out all six batters he faced. He got 10 swinging strikes on 27 pitches, and over his last four appearances covering five innings, Pomeranz has allowed just a single and two walks. Even though Pomeranz, like Hader, is left-handed, one has to wonder if maybe he will supplant Matt Albers as the backup closer.

Quick hits: Kirby Yates (37), Will Smith (30), Alex Colomé (25), Felipe Vázquez (23), Archie Bradley (7) and Mark Melancon (6) recorded saves on Sunday…Ken Giles returned from paternity leave on Sunday, and he pitched a perfect bottom of the eighth inning in the Blue Jays’ 3-1 loss to the Mariners…Jace Fry was also reinstated from the paternity leave list, and he, too, pitched on Sunday. The lefty’s 1-2-3 top of the eighth in the White Sox’s 2-0 win over the Rangers gave him his 11th hold of the season…The Rays placed José Alvarado on the 10-day IL on Saturday with left elbow inflammation, and the Brewers placed Jeremy Jeffress on the 10-day IL on Sunday with a left hip strain.