Pittsburgh Pirates closer Felipe Vzquez notched his eighth save of the year in a 7-5 win over Texas on Wednesday. He struck out the final two hitters he faced, walked one and also allowed a hit in his designated ninth inning. It marked saves on back-to-back days for the hard-throwing southpaw, and his ERA now sits at 0.66. However, his control has wavered a bit his last two times out, including Wednesday where he threw just 15 of 26 pitches for strikes. Count it as a non-issue, though, as the Pirates are off Thursday, hopefully helping Vzquez regroup heading into a three-game weekend series with Oakland at home.
Felipe Vázquez Strikes Out Side for 20th Save Wednesday
Pittsburgh Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez struck out three batters in the ninth inning Wednesday to secure his 20th save of the season. Vazquez now has 55 strikeouts in just 39 1/3 innings pitched, and a 31 percent strikeout rate. He has walked 17 hitters. The Bucs will have a four game series with the Milwaukee Brewers before the All-Star break. Vazquez is an elite closer, but he often lacks the opportunity to make the save.
Pittsburgh Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez gave up two hits in the top of the ninth to the Nationals to bring the tying run to the plate. He got a groundout double play to end the game, and secure his 19th save of the season. Vasquez will be the sole representative from the Pirates at the All-Star game. He has 51 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings pitched
The Pittsburgh Pirates closer Felipe Vzquez struck out two Brewers to collect his 14th save of the season on Monday night. Vzquez got his first save in three days after giving up a lead-off single to Christian Yelich, striking out Ryan Braun and Eric Thames, and then getting Hernan Perez to ground out. Vzquez has 34 strikeouts and 15 walks. He is currently tied for 15th in saves
Pittsburgh Pirates closer Felipe Rivero shut the Chicago Cubs down for 1 1/3 innings on Tuesday afternoon to pick up his fourth save of the season. The southpaw allowed two inherited runners to score after coming on with two outs in the eighth inning, but he gave up only one walk otherwise to secure the 8-5 victory. Rivero, who recently changed his surname to Vazquez, has now converted four straight save opportunities after a rough outing on Opening Day.
Pittsburgh Pirates closer Felipe Rivero notched his third save of the season in a 5-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday. He pitched a fairly clean inning, giving up only a single and striking out one. It was his third straight outing without allowing a walk, and he seems to have corrected his control problems from spring training and Opening Day. Rivero should still be a top-10 closer moving forward.
Felipe Rivero Rebounds, Picks Up Two Saves in Doubleheader
Felipe Rivero bounced back from a horrendous Opening Day to pick up two saves in the Pittsburgh Pirates' doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday. He struck out the side in the first game and notched two punchouts in the second. He allowed only one hit between the outings and, most importantly, did not issue a walk. Rivero battled some control problems during spring training, and they reappeared on Friday as he blew a 10-6 lead in the ninth. The left-hander's Easter performance was reminiscent of his 2017 season and should provide some peace of mind to fantasy owners.
Control was an issue for Pittsburgh Pirates closer Felipe Rivero throughout spring training, and the problem reared its ugly head again on Opening Day. Even with a comfortable 10-6 lead in a non-save situation, the left-hander couldn't get out of the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers on Friday, allowing four runs on one hit and three walks while recording only two outs. The Pirates signed him to a four-year, $22 million extension in January and there are no obvious candidates to take his job at the moment, but the team has to be concerned over his command issues right now. His career walk rate is just 7.8 percent, so he figures to get everything straightened out at some point.
Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Felipe Rivero had a breakout 2017 and emerged as the team's closer, but his momentum didn't carry over into spring training. The left-hander allowed a 5.14 ERA (plus seven unearned runs) and struggled primarily with his command, walking five and allowing two home runs in only seven innings. Fortunately, Grapefruit League play ended on a high note, as he pitched a perfect inning with one strikeout on Tuesday in his final preseason tuneup. He finished last season with 21 saves and an elite 29.3% strikeout rate, making him a top-10 fantasy closer in 2018. Despite his spring speed bumps, his job isn't in any jeopardy and he should have a fairly long leash without much competition in the bullpen.
Pittsburgh Pirates closer Felipe Rivero signed a four-year extension with the Pittsburgh Pirates, as first reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Rivero's contract has two club options and the guarantee is believed to be about $22 million, according to Rosenthal. Rosenthal goes on to say that each club option is $10 million and that the deal will cover all four arbitration years and potentially two free agency years. This comes after fellow left-handed reliever Brad Hand signed on Saturday with the Padres, inking a three-year, $19.75 million contract with a club option for 2021. Rivero, 25, saved 21 games for the Pirates in 2017, pitching to a 1.67 ERA and striking out 88 batters in 75 1/3 innings.
