3 years agoAtlanta Braves reliever William Smith got the call in the ninth inning to close out the team's win over the Reds on Saturday night. With Kenley Jansen unavailable after throwing 30 pitches on Friday, it was Smith who got the ball with the club up 2-0 and the top of the order due up in the ninth. The lefty was able to retire the first two batters he faced, but went on to walk Tommy Pham, who advanced to second on a balk before Joey Votto singled him home to cut the lead in half. Smith then got Aristides Aquino to pop out to end the contest as he finished his frame throwing 21 pitches, 11 of which were strikes. Manager Brian Snitker has dubbed Jansen the closer, but Smith should still pick up a handful of saves this year with occurrences like this one popping up throughout the year. He should be rostered in deeper formats, but unless an injury occurs to Jansen, he's not a must-hold in 12-teamers.--Riley Mrack - RotoBaller
Source: MLB.com