7 years agoWashington Nationals reliever Brandon Kintzler earned his first save of the season in Monday's 3-2 victory over the Pirates. Regular closer Sean Doolittle had pitched three days in a row and was unavailable. The save actually marked the third day in a row that Kintzler himself had been used. Kintzler now has 15 appearances on the year, over half of the games the Nationals have played in total. The reason for the bullpen's overuse is the close games they've played recently. The Nationals bats have been cold for much of the season and can't hand over a padded lead to the bullpen. As a result, the same solid core of Doolittle, Kintzler and Ryan Madson have been worked to the bone. Kintzler used to close for the Twins but won't get many opportunities going forward. He's a better bet for holds, as he has six so far.--Mario Hernandez - RotoBaller
Source: Chelsea Janes - The Washington Post