Kimbrel earned the save in a 3-1 win over the Rays on Friday, striking out two in a perfect ninth inning.
Kimbrel has now gone 7.2 innings without allowing a hit, recording 10 strikeouts in that span while improving to 13-for-16 in save chances this year. He's lowered his ERA to 3.00 with a 0.95 WHIP and 31:9 K:BB across 21 innings.
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Orioles' Craig Kimbrel: Locks down 12th save
Rotowire
Kimbrel struck out one in a perfect inning to earn the save in Sunday's 4-1 win over the White Sox.
Kimbrel hasn't allowed a walk or a hit over his last 4.2 innings, and he's pitched 6.2 consecutive scoreless innings. He's earned a save in each of his last four outings, retaking the closer role after a shaky stretch in late April and early May saw him take a short stint in lower-leverage assignments. Kimbrel is 12-for-15 in save chances this season while posting a 3.15 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 29:9 K:BB over 20 innings. He's also collected four holds and a 4-1 record, but it looks like most of his appearances will be in the ninth inning going forward.
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Orioles' Craig Kimbrel: Slams door for save
Rotowire
Kimbrel struck out one batter in a perfect inning and earned a save over the White Sox on Friday.
Kimbrel needed just six pitches to finish off a 6-4 victory in quick fashion. After a shaky stretch, he's riding a 5.2-inning scoreless streak. During that span, he's gone 1-0 with three saves and two holds. The veteran closer dropped his ERA to 3.32 and has converted 11 of his 14 saves this season.
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Orioles' Craig Kimbrel: Grabs 10th save
Rotowire
Kimbrel picked up the save Thursday, getting the final two outs in an 8-6 victory over the White Sox.
Jonathan Heasley stayed in the game to start the ninth inning with the O's ahead 8-2 after getting the last out in the eighth, though he would quickly run into trouble after failing to retire the first four batters he faced in the final frame. He would be relieved by Yennier Cano, but Cano allowed three inherited runners to score while getting only one out, making it an 8-6 ballgame. That's when Kimbrel came in to save the day, needing just two pitches to record a bizarre double play as Andrew Vaughn was called out for runner's interference on an infield fly. The veteran reliever has converted all three of his save attempts this month after blowing back-to-back saves to close out April. Kimbrel also hasn't allowed any hits or walks in those three appearances with five strikeouts.
Orioles' Craig Kimbrel: Impressive in return to closer role
Rotowire
Kimbrel pitched a clean ninth inning, striking out two to pick up a save Sunday against the Mariners.
It appears Kimbrel has found his groove again, and he was rewarded with a save opportunity while posting his fourth consecutive appearance without allowing a hit or a walk. It was the first save since May 3 for Kimbrel, who had posted a 16.20 ERA and 4.50 WHIP over 3.1 innings in the six outings prior to this most recent four-game stretch.
Kimbrel (4-1) picked up the win in Saturday's 5-4 extra-innings victory over the Diamondbacks, striking out one in a scoreless 11th inning.
He hit Christian Walker with his first pitch of the frame, but Kimbrel quickly escaped the jam by fanning Jake McCarthy and then inducing a double-play grounder from Eugenio Suarez. The veteran reliever then got rewarded when Jordan Westburg walked it off in the bottom of the inning. Yennier Cano worked the ninth inning at home in a tie game -- usage normally reserved for a team's closer -- while Danny Coulombe handled the 10th, so Kimbrel may not be back in the top spot in the O's bullpen just yet, but efforts like this should help him get there.
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Orioles' Craig Kimbrel: Collects third hold
Rotowire
Kimbrel struck out one in a perfect seventh inning Friday to record his third hold of the season in a 4-2 win over the Diamondbacks.
The 35-year-old reliever didn't exactly get deployed in the highest-leverage spot, as he faced Arizona's 8-9-1 hitters, but Kimbrel got the job done on an efficient 12 pitches (eight strikes). He topped out at 94.5 mph with his fastball -- he averaged 95.9 mph last season -- and it was only the second time in Kimbrel's last seven appearances that he avoided giving up a run. Yennier Cano got the save in the ninth inning, and that figures be the arrangement for a while until Kimbrel demonstrates his struggles are behind him, although other relievers like Danny Coulombe could also be in the saves mix. Over those last seven appearances, Kimbrel has a 10.13 ERA, 3.19 WHIP and 8:9 K:BB in 5.1 innings.
Orioles' Craig Kimbrel: LIfted in ninth inning again
Rotowire
Kimbrel was pulled in the ninth frame of Wednesday's game against the Nationals and was charged with two runs on two walks and a hit over two-thirds of an inning, though he was credited with a hold.
Kimbrel was called upon to protect a two-run, ninth-inning lead and initially appeared set to do so with little trouble, as he retired the first two batters he faced. However, Eddie Rosario then tagged the veteran closer for a solo home run, and Kimbrel followed with two straight walks before he was given the hook. Keegan Akin allowed one of the inherited runners to score, thus sending the game into extra frames. Though Kimbrel was credited with a hold, he was pulled in a save situation in the ninth inning for his second straight outing, so his hold on the closer role for Baltimore could be getting tenuous. Over his past five contests, Kimbrel has blown two saves in addition to being pulled from a save situation on two occasions, and he's allowed six earned runs while posting a 4:7 K:BB across 2.1 innings during that stretch.
