Hogan Harris notches second save in two days

After the A’s took a one-run lead in the top of the eighth, Hogan Harris faced the heart of the Astros order before handing it over to Alvarado in the ninth. The 27-year-old right-hander struck out two in a clean inning of work to secure his third save of the season. Still, Harris is expected to be in line for most save chances in Sacramento.

Harris was summoned with two outs and two runners on in the eighth inning with a four-run lead. He struck out the final batter to preserve the lead, then returned for the ninth after the A’s added an insurance run. Harris gave up a run on a double and a single, then loaded the bases before retiring the final batter to preserve the win with his 10th save of the season.

Brought in with a 4-3 lead, Harris walked Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart to open the eighth, rallied for two outs and then threw two wild pitches to score two runs while issuing a third walk (though, to be fair, the second wild pitch looked more like a passed ball). He was pulled at that point. Harris has earned the Athletics’ only three saves over the last month, bringing his season total to nine, but this won’t help his cause. He’s now walked 32 in 49 2/3 innings this season, though he has a decent 3.62 ERA anyway.

Harris entered the game with two outs and two runners on in the top of the eighth inning. He allowed an inherited runner to score on a single before ending the frame on a strikeout. The A’s would give him a needed insurance run before returning for the ninth. Harris gave up a two-run homer to Connor Wong before closing it out for his ninth save.

Harris allowed a single and a walk in the frame, but he struck out the other three batters he faced. It’s his first save since June 12. He’d taken two blown saves since, though neither was a ninth-inning opportunity. The A’s as a team had recorded just one save over the last five weeks, that being picked up by Mason Barnett on June 25. Barnett, though, is back in Triple-A now. Harris and Elvis Alvarado are probably the co-favorites for saves on the roster.

After coming into a 1-0 game, Alvarado gave up homers to Rafael Devers and Victor Bericoto in the ninth. It’s his first blown save and third loss. The other biggest threat for saves in the A’s pen, Hogan Harris, worked a scoreless seventh tonight, so he’s looking a little better at the moment. Still, no A’s reliever seems particularly trustworthy in shallow leagues.

Harris retired Troy Johnston to end the eighth and then struck out two batters in a scoreless ninth to lower his ERA to 2.67. Harris is the favorite for saves in the Athletics pen right now, but because he is the team’s best left-handed reliever, he will pitch earlier in games at times.

Harris entered with a 10-8 lead in the eighth and immediately got a double play ball to escape a jam. However, he went on to allow two runs in the ninth to take a blown save. Nothing that happens in Vegas this week should be taken too seriously, so we’re not going to ding Harris for giving up two runs in what turned out to be a 15-14 loss. He still looks like the favorite for saves in Sacramento.

Sterner was tasked with holding onto a one-run lead in the 10th inning and did the job here. The game-changing at-bat came when he struck out Pete Crow-Armstrong with a runner on third and one out after a tough battle. This may have little to do with the Athletics’ closer hierarchy as Hogan Harris came on for the bottom of the ninth in a tie game after nabbing the save on Tuesday. Continue to keep an eye on this bullpen.

Scott Barlow allowed a walk and a single to start the ninth with a one-run lead. He then retired Alex Bregman and Seiya Suzuki, but at that point, the A’s turned to the lefty Harris to face Ian Happ and were rewarded with a routine fly to center. Harris broke a tie with Joel Kuhnel and Mark Leiter Jr. by becoming the first A’s reliever with five saves this season. The situation doesn’t seem worth investing in right now.