Blown Saves:
Jonathan Papelbon – Philadelphia Phillies – When he blows up he does so in spectacular fashion, doesn’t he? He allowed 2 ER on 4 H and 0 BB, striking out 2, in his inning of work to blow his third save of the season. Of course, there is nothing to worry about at this time.
Santiago Casilla – San Francisco Giants – In the top of the tenth the Giants scored 2 runs. They inserted Casilla into the game and he promptly allowed 2 ER on 1 H and 0 BB, striking out 2, in his inning to blow his sixth save overall and fourth in July. The time has come for them to make a change, wouldn’t you say? Sergio Romo should be in line to get the next opportunity.
Others who blew a save:
- Jake McGee – Tampa Bay Rays
Converted Saves:
Francisco Rodriguez – Milwaukee Brewers – For the second straight outing it wasn’t pretty, but Rodriguez did pick up the save. In an inning of work he allowed 1 ER on 1 H and 3 BB, striking out 2. In the past two days he’s allowed 3 H and 3 BB, hardly closer like numbers. As I’ve been saying all along, his time as the closer is likely going to be a short one.
Tyler Clippard – Washington Nationals – Ultimately he got the job done, but it was a shaky performance once again. In his inning of work he allowed a pair of home runs, but luckily he was protecting a three run lead. Yes, he struck out the side. Yes, he has 15 saves and a 2.83 ERA. However, with Drew Storen’s return imminent, he has picked the wrong time to struggle. The switch may not happen immediately, but it is looking like a lock that Storen is reinstalled as closer before long.
Others who converted saves:
- Joel Hanrahan – Pittsburgh Pirates
- Huston Street – San Diego Padres
- Jim Johnson – Baltimore Orioles
Other Notes:
- Nice to see John Axford not only pitch well, but earn the win in a low pressure situation. He allowed 0 ER on 1 H and 0 BB, striking out 1, over 1.1 innings of work. It’s likely not going to take long before he is returned to the closers role.
- Ryan Cook continues to excel, earning the win yesterday by allowing 0 ER on 1 H and 1 BB, striking out 1, over an inning of work. There has been a lot of luck on his side, meaning an implosion or two could be coming, but it certainly appears like he has a stranglehold on the job for the remainder of the season.
- Javy Guerra looked awful in his return from the DL, allowing 2 ER on 1 H and 3 BB in 0.1 innings. He only has value for those in leagues that value middle relievers anyways, but for now he can be ignored.
- Charlie Furbush, who has emerged as a viable option for those using middle relievers, has been placed on the DL. While he’s been great, he’s not worth stashing at this point. Feel free to drop him and move on.
- According to the Palm Beach Post (click here for the article), “The Marlins were hoping Oviedo would return next week to add depth to the back of the bullpen. But the team is preparing for the likelihood that his sprained elbow will keep him out of action all season.” Those hoping Juan Carlos Oviedo would close in Miami can move on.
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About 2 weeks ago I traded Casilla away. Looking like I couldn’t have timed that any better.
No, you definitely couldn’t have. He has to lose his job at this point, doesn’t he?