Joel Kuhnel converts four-out save vs. Cardinals

The 31-year-old right-hander had a 6.52 ERA in 9 2/3 innings with the Brewers and a 4.21 ERA in 25 2/3 innings with the Athletics earlier this year. He managed a 1.64 ERA working out of Triple-A Nashville’s pen in 11 appearances there. It seems likely he’ll get another major league shot in San Francisco, though he’s by no means pitched well enough in the bigs to say for sure that he’ll stick.

Kuhnel loses his spot on Milwaukee’s 40-man roster after wrapping up a minor league rehab assignment. He’s been on the shelf with a shoulder impingement since early July. There’s a chance another team out there brings him in as emergency relief depth. He tossed 5 1/3 scoreless frames for the Brewers after being acquired from the Athletics in early June.

Kuhnel, out since July 4 with a shoulder impingement, gave up two runs in his first rehab appearance on Aug. 2, but he’s pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings since. It seems like he’s ready to be activated if the Brewers want him back.

Apart from the Brewers witchcraft in adding about three ticks to Kuhnel’s sinker, they’re now using him in high leverage. This was his second straight outing where he recorded a save and he literally saved the day in the eighth inning after the Reds scratched four runs across against Grant Anderson and Craig Yoho to make this a one-run game. Kuhnel calmed everything down that inning before loading the bases in the ninth and getting out of it with a timely double play. He has quickly moved into the circle of trust, but be advised that all of Trevor Megill, Abner Uribe, and Aaron Ashby had just worked two days in a row prior to this game, so at best Kuhnel is still captain of the B-team bullpen.

It seems Drew Rom’s stay in the Milwaukee pen could be very brief. Kuhnel was DFA’d by the A’s on Friday after blowing a save chance on Thursday. The 31-year-old journeyman had a 4.21 ERA, four saves and a 14/6 K/BB in 25 2/3 innings for the A’s. He’s out of options, so he’ll go right on to the major league roster.

The 31-year-old hurler came on with a three-run lead to protect in the ninth inning against the Cubs on Thursday afternoon and gave up four runs on five hits to take the loss. That appears to have been the final nail in his coffin. Kuhnel posted a respectable 4.21 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and a 14/6 K/BB ratio over 25 2/3 innings while notching four saves in 25 appearances for the A’s. He shouldn’t be out of work for long.

Kuhnel’s first save chance since Apr. 20 was a complete bust, though not actually a blown save. That went to Luis Medina, who came in with two on and the lead down to one and then gave up back-to-back singles to end things. Still, this was all Kuhnel’s mess. He was the Athletics’ early season saves leader despite opening up in the minors, but there’s a reason he hadn’t had any chances in a long time. He shouldn’t see another any day soon.

After finishing off a four-run lead last night, Perkins gave up two singles and a double today to blow his second save chance in two tries this month. This might take him out of the mix for a spell, increasing the chances that Joel Kuhnel and Scott Barlow could wind up with saves. Barlow pitched a scoreless eighth today for his eighth hold.

Joel Kuhnel got five outs between the eighth and ninth tonight, but since it was 5-1 when he entered, he wasn’t in line for a save. Leiter came in with one on in a 5-2 game in the ninth and walked Isaac Collins before striking out Jac Caglianone to end the game. It’s his third save, but he has a 6.23 ERA and seems to be only a minor part of the Athletics’’ closer-by-committee situation at the moment.

This was an odd one for the A’s, as their most frequent ninth-inning choice of late, Joel Kuhnel, was brought in to the game in the fourth inning after J.T. Ginn got hurt. He pitched out of trouble then and starter Jacob Lopez went on to work the fifth, giving up what proved to be the Rangers’ only run of the game. From there, Justin Sterner, Hogan Harris and Perkins protected a 2-1 lead over the final four innings. It’s the second straight A’s save that’s gone to Perkins, who has a 3.18 ERA and a 15/3 K/BB in 11 1/3 innings over six appearances. Given the way the A’s like to use him, he probably won’t turn into their true closer. Still, he might be the most rosterable A’s reliever right now.