Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Jose Alvarado earned his first save of the season on Thursday against the Colorado Rockies. It certainly wasn't pretty, as it required him to throw 35 pitches in the ninth inning with a 3-0 lead, as he allowed one run on three hits while striking out three. On the bright side, Alvarado was called on for the save over Jordan Romano, who pitched the eighth inning in Thursday's contest. Not to suggest Alvarado has taken over duties as the closer for the Phillies, but seeing him get the opportunity was good for Alvarado fantasy managers. Up next for the Phillies is a weekend series against the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers, followed by a series with the Atlanta Braves. Keep an eye on the Phillies closer situation as the weeks go on.
Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarado picked up his ninth save of the season in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Rangers. Alvarado came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by three. He got the first out on a ground-out, had a runner reach on a throwing error and allowed a single, and ended the game with back-to-back strikeouts. The 29-year-old has pitched well overall this season, converting all of his save opportunities with a 3.54 ERA, an 8.85 K/9 rate, and a 3.10 BB/9 rate in 22 appearances. However, Jeff Hoffman, who pitched in the eighth inning of this game, has also pitched well and has converted three of six save opportunities. Alvarado appears to have more fantasy value of the two, but his overall value may remain in the mid-tier if Hoffman continues to see somewhat frequent save chances.
Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarado had a tough outing on Thursday, blowing the save and taking the loss in a 6-5 defeat at the hands of the New York Mets. Alvarado allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits while striking out two. It was a tough situation for the lefty, who inherited the ghost runner in a one-run game. He had been rock solid of late, allowing just one run in his last eight innings pitched. Alvarado should still be the go-to guy for the Phillies, but don't expect him to always pitch in save situations as the team has shown the willingness to use him earlier in games.
Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarado picked up his eighth save of the season in Monday's 5-4 extra-innings win over the Mets. Alvarado came in to pitch the bottom of the 10th inning up by one with an automatic runner on second and shut the door with a 1-2-3 outing. The 28-year-old has pitched well overall this season and has seen the majority of save opportunities for the Phillies, converting all of them with a 3.57 ERA, an 8.15 K/9 rate, and a 3.57 BB/9 rate. While other Phillies relievers offer fantasy value in deeper leagues and saves-plus-holds leagues, Alvarado is the pitcher to roster in conventional fantasy leagues at this time.
Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarado shut down the San Diego Padres on Sunday, helping the team to an 8-6 win. Alvarado was sharp in this one, striking out a pair while not allowing a baserunner in his inning of work. The lefty remains the only Philly with more than one save and appears to be the go-to guy in the ninth inning. He should be rostered in any league where saves matter.
Philadephia Phillies left-hander Jose Alvarado allowed one walk while striking out one over a scoreless inning to earn the save in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Washington Nationals. Alvarado needed 28 pitches to get through Washington's order to collect his second save of the season. After surrendering five runs on Opening Day, Alvarado has not allowed a run in his last four appearances. The 28-year-old owns a 9.64 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, and six strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings in 2024. Alvarado has been the favorite to handle ninth-inning duties for the Phillies, and fantasy managers should continue to roll with him in all leagues.
Philadelphia Phillies reliever Jose Alvarado picked up his first save of the season by tossing a scoreless ninth inning in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Atlanta Braves. It was a nice bounce-back performance for the veteran after he was shelled for five runs in his first appearance. Alvarado will have a couple spotty outings along the way, but he should receive the bulk of the save opportunities out of the Phillies bullpen. The 28-year-old should be rostered in all formats unless the wheels truly fall off.
Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarado put together a horrendous outing during Friday's season opener versus the Atlanta Braves. The left-hander was smacked around for five runs on three hits and a pair of walks in just 2/3 of an inning. This sucks to see for Phillies fans after starter Zack Wheeler threw six shutout innings. After that, right-hander Jeff Hoffman gave up a pair of runs which tied the game. Phillies manager Rob Thompson turned to Alvarado after that and he couldn't hold his own. Despite this awful outing, Alvarado should still be in the mix for saves in Philly this season.
Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarado has a 3.00 ERA with two strikeouts in three innings pitched of Grapefruit League action so far this spring. The 28-year-old flamethrower is currently penciled in for the closer's role, but fantasy managers may be a little apprehensive given how the Phillies treated their bullpen last season. The good news is that Alvarado appears healthy, as he spent a bunch of time on the injured list last season due to inflammation in his left elbow. He did put forth a stellar 1.74 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 37.2% strikeout rate in 41 1/3 innings pitched with 10 saves, so he should have an opportunity to seize the closer's role to start 2024.
Philadelphia Phillies left-handed pitcher Jose Alvarado notched his ninth save of the season on Thursday, shutting down the New York Mets in a narrow 5-4 victory. Alvarado tossed a scoreless frame, allowing just a hit while striking out a pair. With the heart of the Mets lineup coming up in the eighth, the Phillies elected to go to Craig Kimbrel in the high-leverage spot, leaving Alvarado to handle the ninth. The lefty did end up facing the top of the Mets order after Kimbrel allowed a few baserunners in the eighth, but Alvarado had no trouble with them. The 28-year-old is an interesting deeper-league option that could vulture a save or two in the final week given the Phillies' playoff push and their willingness to use multiple relievers to close out games.