Brandyn

Garcia

The Diamondbacks have really found something here with Garcia. It took him just 11 pitches to blow Drake Baldwin, Ronald Acuña, and Matt Olson away in the ninth inning. It seems nearly impossible for hitters from either side of the plate to differentiate between his sinker and then his cutter is there to add a different wrinkle against right-handed batters. He’s now converted three straight save opportunities since being elevated to closer and looks like a certifiable weapon in that role.

The D-backs didn’t hold Garcia back for a possible save chance tonight, but he did help them win after Taylor Clarke struggled to begin the seventh. He’s still the clear favorite for saves in the Arizona pen for now, and since he needed only 16 pitches to get his five outs tonight, he should be available again Saturday.

Garcia was robbed of what could have been his third save in five days when the D-backs scored twice in the bottom of the eighth to make it a 5-1 game. He pitched the ninth anyway and turned in a third straight hitless frame. He seems like the favorite for saves in Arizona right now, though because he’s a lefty, he might be needed earlier in games at times.

Garcia continues to take over for Paul Sewald, who was pulled from his role as the closer earlier this month. Garcia needed just seven pitches to get through Friday’s inning of work and ends July with a 1.54 ERA over 11 2/3 innings of work. Manager Torey Lovullo hasn’t officially committed to Garcia as the team’s closer, but he has been the first option out of the pen in each of the team’s last two save situations.

Manager Torey Lovullo said postgame that Paul Sewald is out of the closer role for now. He leads the team with 24 saves but has struggled mightily lately. The lefty Garcia was called on to pitch for the third time in four days, though Arizona’s bullpen has been taxed recently. Lovullo didn’t name Garcia the closer, instead saying it would be a committee going forward. Juan Morillo, Kevin Ginkel, and Jonathan Loáisiga are all options to earn ninth-inning chances as the bullpen evolves over the coming weeks.

Sewald will pitch in lower-leverage situations in the short-term while the Diamondbacks use a closer by committee. Brandyn Garcia got the save on Wednesday, but Lovullo also mentioned that it could be Juan Morillo, Jonathan Loaisiga, or Kevin Ginkel in future save opportunities. Our best guess would be some sort of committee with Garcia and Morillo at the heart of it. Of course, Justin Martinez could come back at some point in August and join the fold.

Garcia has a 2.19 ERA with an 18/10 K/BB ratio in 12 1/3 innings in Triple-A. He has real swing-and-miss stuff, but his lack of command will keep him in the middle innings for now.

Garcia struggled to throw strikes this spring which led to Arizona jettisoning the lone left-hander in their bullpen mix to the minors at the end of camp. The hard-throwing 25-year-old came over from the Mariners in the Josh Naylor trade last July. He figures to work his way into the Diamondbacks’ high-leverage mix at some point down the line.

Garcia came out with a trainer, and the good news is that it’s not arm related. The 25-year-old is battling for one of the final spots in the D-backs’ bullpen, and assuming no setbacks he should be back on the bump in a few days at latest.

He’ll take the place of Taylor Rashi in the Diamondbacks’ bullpen. The 25-year-old southpaw has made four appearances in the big leagues this season, registering a 10.80 ERA, 3.60 WHIP and a 1/4 K/BB ratio across 3 1/3 innings between the Mariners and D’Backs. He’ll give manager Torey Lovullo another option in the middle innings.