Bullpen Report: August 29, 2018

When the Nationals and Phillies got together for a Tuesday night game, you figured you were getting some bullpen drama. But for the Red Sox and Marlins? Who needs closers when you have the majors’ highest-scoring team facing off against the 29th-highest scoring team?

Well, it turns out, the Red Sox and Marlins do.

The Marlins surged to a 6-4 lead in the top of the eighth inning, but the Red Sox retaliated with three runs in the bottom of the frame. That meant it was Craig Kimbrel Time in the top of the ninth. In issuing a pair of one-out walks followed by a Magneuris Sierra RBI single, Kimbrel sustained his fifth blown save of the season and snapped a streak of four consecutive appearances without a run.

When it’s notable that Kimbrel made it through four straight appearances without allowing a run, you know that something is up. Going back to July 23, he has allowed seven runs over 11.1 innings, and while Kimbrel has notched 18 strikeouts, he has also walked nine batters and allowed opponents to accrue a .243 Iso. The walks have resulted from a combination of poor control (34.5 percent Zone%) and a lack of chases (27.3 percent Z-Swing), while the extra-base hits have certainly been helped by a 17.4 percent ground ball rate.

It’s difficult to imagine that Kimbrel won’t get every opportunity to work his way out of his recent difficulties. While fantasy owners in shallower leagues should at least give some thought as to whether or not to start Kimbrel, there is no need to run out and pick up a potential successor. Besides, his primary setup reliever, Matt Barnes, has fallen into a similar pattern during the same period of time. Over his last 13.1 innings, he has allowed 11 runs on 15 hits (including four home runs) and seven walks, though like Kimbrel, he has had no problem in getting strikeouts (24, to be exact).

With Kimbrel having allowed the Marlins to tie the game up, Don Mattingly countered by having Drew Steckenrider pitch the bottom of the inning. The good news for Steckenrider is that he had been called upon for two of the Marlins’ last three ninth-inning save opportunities. but the bad news is that he had allowed a home run in both of those outings. Steckenrider did not give up a homer in Tuesday night’s closer-type situation, but in allowing back-to-back singles and an Eduardo Nunez chopper that J.T. Riddle threw away, he was saddled with his third loss of the season.

Now as for that Nationals-Phillies game…with the Phillies holding a 3-2 lead going into the eighth inning and Aaron Nola having been removed for pinch-hitter Jose Bautista (that does sound weird), save-watchers looked on to see how Gabe Kapler would manage this situation with his late-inning pecking order in flux. It was Tommy Hunter who took care of the eighth inning, and having set the Nationals down in order, he came back out for the ninth inning. Still with a one-run lead, Hunter walked Bryce Harper, so Kapler turned to Pat Neshek, who recorded both of the Phillies’ last two saves. Four pitches later, the lead vanished on an Anthony Rendon home run. Later in the inning, the Nationals tacked on a run when Jorge Alfaro made a throwing error trying to catch Ryan Zimmerman on an attempted steal of third base. Hector Neris was able to get the final two outs of the inning, keeping the Nationals’ lead at two runs.

So who was to enter for the Nationals’ save opportunity? Not Ryan Madson, who pitched on Monday, fresh off the DL. It was Justin Miller, who got the save on Monday after Madson had pitched the eighth inning. Tuesday did not go as smoothly for Miller, who allowed back-to-back one-out doubles. He had to be bailed out by Greg Holland, who got Alfaro to fly out. The Phillies made the final out when pinch-runner Vince Velasquez (that sounds weird, too) failed to tag up on Alfaro’s flyball.

Though Madson did not get either of the saves in this series so far, he is still in the mix for saves, but Davey Martinez indicated it would indeed be a mix. He specifically named Holland, Wander Suero and Jimmy Cordero as options for save situations. That’s a lot of ways to split saves with Sean Doolittle possibly returning soon. The lefty threw a bullpen session on Tuesday and is set to pitch a sim game on Friday.

In the short term, it probably isn’t worth the effort to target any of the committee members in Philadelphia or Washington. While those closer situations are unsettled, the Giants’ and Cubs’ situations appear to be stable. After getting rest on Sunday and Monday, Will Smith was back on Tuesday, pitching a perfect top of the ninth in a scoreless tie with the Diamondbacks. One night after getting pulled from a save situation, Joe Maddon entrusted Pedro Strop with preserving a 1-1 tie in the top of the ninth inning in the Cubs’ suspended game with the Mets. Strop responded with a 1-2-3 inning.

On Tuesday night, Kenley Jansen pitched for the first time since going off his heart medication that left him with “zero adrenaline.” (Jansen’s cardiologist advised him it would be safe for him to stop taking the medication.) While Jansen did not allow any homers, as he did in each of his three previous appearances, his results weren’t any better, Pitching the ninth inning with an 8-2 lead against the Rangers, Jansen allowed two runs on three singles and a walk.

Quick hits: Aroldis Chapman received a PRP injection in his knee on Tuesday. He had also received one last Friday…Osuna failed to protect a 3-3 tie with the Athletics on Tuesday night, allowing a Nick Martini RBI double. The Astros failed to rally against Blake Treinen in the bottom of the ninth inning, so Osuna took the loss…Raisel Iglesias got his first save since Aug. 11. He allowed a run in the ninth inning but got the final four outs in a 9-7 win over the Brewers…In a non-save situation against the Rays, A.J. Minter loaded the bases by allowing two singles and a walk in the ninth inning, but he escaped without allowing a run in the Braves’ 9-5 win…Jordan Hicks earned his 20th hold of the season on Tuesday night, but he had a rough outing, allowing a run on two singles and two walks. Hicks has walked seven batters in his last 4.2 innings.