Brash secured his 25th hold in a win over the Astros on Tuesday, firing two scoreless innings during which he allowed a hit and recorded two strikeouts.
Brash threw 19 of 25 pitches for strikes while extending his scoreless appearance streak to 13 outings. The right-hander continues to primarily see seventh- and eighth-inning work, although he's arguably been more trustworthy overall in the last month-plus than primary closer Andres Munoz. If the Mariners do make it into the postseason, how manager Scott Servais distributes high-leverage assignments will be something to monitor.
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Mariners' Matt Brash: Settles into setup role
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Brash recorded his 23rd hold in a win over the Angels on Wednesday, firing a scoreless eighth inning during which he allowed a hit and a walk while recording three strikeouts.
Brash worked the eighth inning while posting his eighth consecutive scoreless appearance, a stretch that dates back to Aug. 29. The right-hander has generated a 13.5 K/9 and snagged six holds over that eight-inning sample, as manager Scott Servais has opted to stick with Andres Munoz as the primary ninth-inning option despite some stumbles while often deploying Brash in a seventh- or eighth-inning role.
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Mariners' Matt Brash: Records ninth win Sunday
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Brash (9-4) got the win against the Astros on Sunday, firing 1.1 scoreless innings during which he allowed a hit and recorded two strikeouts.
The Mariners bullpen as a whole was called on for extended duty Sunday after starter Emerson Hancock was forced from the game following two innings due to a shoulder strain. The urgency was compounded when Tayler Saucedo, who relieved Hancock, failed to retire a batter while giving up five runs, but Brash was one of multiple relievers to pick up the slack. He got his four outs on a relatively efficient 23 pitches while posting his second straight scoreless appearance after allowing runs in back-to-back appearances against the Royals last Monday and on Wednesday. Brash had recorded saves in each of his two most recent outings, so he continues to be one of the more versatile bullpen options for manager Scott Servais and an increasingly valuable fantasy asset as a result.
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Mariners' Matt Brash: Blows save, takes loss
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Brash dropped to 8-4 after allowing two runs on two hits in Monday's 7-6 loss to the Royals. He was charged with a blown save and recorded one out.
Brash was given the save chance in a 6-5 game and gave up two runs on a sacrifice fly and a sacrifice bunt. He entered Monday with a nine-inning scoreless streak but saw his ERA climb to 3.35 after the hiccup. Justin Topa threw a scoreless frame while Andres Munoz didn't enter the contest.
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Mariners' Matt Brash: Gets eighth victory Wednesday
Rotowire
Brash (8-3) got the win over the Padres on Wednesday, firing a perfect eighth inning during which he recorded a strikeout.
Brash wrapped up his one frame on a scant 10 pitches, and he was rewarded for preserving the 1-1 tie when Seattle broke out for a five-run tally in the home half of the eighth. The right-hander has already benefited fantasy managers throughout the season with a robust amount of holds and elite strikeout numbers, but he's now logged three winning decisions and converted one save chance since Paul Sewald was traded to the Diamondbacks on July 31.
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Mariners' Matt Brash: Nabs second save
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Brash allowed a hit and a walk while striking out two over a scoreless inning to earn the save in Friday's 9-7 win over the Angels.
He allowed the first two batters he faced to reach base before settling down. Andres Munoz had converted the Mariners' first two save chances since they traded away Paul Sewald, but he'd pitched three of the last four days, allowing Brash to step up in a high-leverage spot. The 25-year-old righty has two saves and 15 holds this season while pitching to a 3.28 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 80:20 K:BB over 46.2 innings. Brash has the stuff to be an effective late-inning reliever, though he's still got some strides to make with his control.
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Mariners' Matt Brash: Grabs seventh win Wednesday
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Brash (7-3) got the win over the Red Sox on Wednesday, firing a perfect seventh inning during which he recorded two strikeouts.
Brash mowed through the Red Sox during a seventh frame in which he needed just 10 pitches to record his three outs. The right-hander was then rewarded for his sharp performance when Seattle mounted a four-run rally in the seventh inning and held on the rest of the way, making him the pitcher of record. Brash is expected to see a boost in eighth-inning work, especially in games when the Mariners have the lead, as part of the reshuffling of the high-leverage end of the bullpen in the wake of Paul Sewald's trade to the Diamondbacks. However, the fact manager Scott Servais called on him to prevent a 3-2 deficit from growing any larger underscores the trust Brash has built with a breakout 2023 that's seen him pitch to a 3.35 ERA and 15.4 K/9 while also garnering 15 holds and one save, in addition to the seven victories.
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Mariners' Matt Brash: Highly productive in July
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Brash, who picked up his fifth win Tuesday against the Twins with a scoreless eighth inning during which he issued a walk and struck out three, has a 2.35 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 14:4 K:BB and six holds across the 7.2 innings covering his eight appearances in July.
The one-time starter has been in a groove as a reliever for most of the season, and July has been a particularly good month. Brash has generated scoreless efforts in seven of those eight appearances this month, and he's gotten a better handle on his control issues overall by lowering his BB/9 from his rookie 5.9 figure to a more palatable 3.9 in 41.1 frames this season.
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Mariners' Matt Brash: Saddled with third loss
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Brash (3-3) took the loss against the Astros on Friday, allowing two earned runs on two hits and a walk over two-thirds of an inning. He struck out two.
Brash was tasked with preserving a 4-4 tie when he entered in the ninth inning, but his leadoff walk to Jose Abreu was followed by Kyle Tucker's go-ahead two-run home run to center field. The hard-throwing right-hander recorded a pair of subsequent strikeouts before a Jake Meyers single got him the hook, and he was saddled with his third loss of the season when Seattle couldn't rally. The stumble snapped a four-appearance scoreless streak for Brash while pushing his ERA and WHIP back up to 5.28 and 1.50, respectively.
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Mariners' Matt Brash: Grabs third win Wednesday
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Brash (3-2) secured the win in an extra-inning victory over the Athletics on Wednesday, firing 1.2 scoreless innings during which he allowed a hit and recorded two strikeouts.
Brash was rewarded for snuffing out an eighth-inning threat when first entering the game, putting away Tony Kemp and Brent Rooker on a groundout and swinging strikeout, respectively, to strand Nick Allen on third base. Brash then worked around a leadoff single by Ramon Laureano in the ninth after the Mariners had tied the game in the top half of the frame, and he qualified for the decision once Eugenio Suarez broke the game open with a three-run home run in the 10th inning. The hard-throwing right-hander has now strung together four straight scoreless efforts and is rewarding fantasy managers with an elite 43.1 percent strikeout rate through 14.2 innings.
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Mariners' Matt Brash: Grabs second win
Rotowire
Brash (2-2) got the win against the Cardinals on Saturday, firing a scoreless seventh inning during which he hit a batter and struck out the side.
Brash's occasional control issues surfaced when he plunked Alec Burleson during what would have otherwise been a perfect inning. Beyond that blip, the right-hander was stellar while picking up his second win, notably erasing the trio of Lars Nootbaar, Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado on swinging strikeouts. The clean frame marked Brash's fourth scoreless effort in his last five trips to the mound and came in the wake of an ugly one-inning appearance against the Brewers on Wednesday when he allowed three earned runs.
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Mariners' Matt Brash: Takes second loss Wednesday
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Brash (1-2) took the loss against the Brewers on Wednesday and allowed three earned runs on four hits over one inning. He struck out one.
The right-hander entered after Marco Gonzales allowed back-to-back singles to open the seventh inning, and he did himself no favors by quickly surrendering consecutive knocks to Brian Anderson and Luke Voit himself, the latter hit driving in one run. Brash would go on to surrender two more RBI singles, and the rocky outing snapped his three-appearance scoreless streak while also serving as his worst of the season in terms of earned runs allowed.
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Mariners' Matt Brash: Records first win Friday
Rotowire
Brash (1-1) notched the win against the Rockies on Friday, firing two-thirds scoreless innings while issuing a walk and recording two strikeouts.
Brash came in to get the last two outs of the fifth inning and was reasonably sharp, and the fact he was on the hill when that frame came to a close led to his first victory. The right-hander has been busy out of the bullpen early with nine appearances in the Mariners' first 14 games, impressively ringing up 14 strikeouts across 6.2 innings along the way.
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Mariners' Matt Brash: Takes loss Monday
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Brash (0-1) was charged with the loss in an extra-innings defeat at the hands of the Cubs on Monday, allowing an unearned run on one hit over one-third of an inning. He struck out one.
Entrusted with preserving a 2-2 tie when he entered in the bottom of the 10th, Brash ran into immediate trouble when inning-opening runner Nick Madrigal stole third base while Tucker Barnhart was at the plate. Although Brash was subsequently able to record the strikeout, Nico Hoerner then snapped the deadlock with a game-winning single to right field. It's been an uneven start to the season for Brash, who's now allowed at least one run in three of seven appearances but has also posted a stellar 12:3 K:BB in just 5.2 innings.
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Mariners' Matt Brash: Busy early in season
Rotowire
Brash, who fired a scoreless sixth inning during which he issued two walks and recorded two strikeouts Wednesday against the Angels, has already logged four appearances in 2023.
The one-time starter has allowed just one earned run over his 3.1 innings, and he'd encouragingly refrained from issuing a free pass through his first three trips to the mound. However, Brash's trademark control issues surfaced in Wednesday's outing in the form of the two walks, though he was able to escape without any damage. Brash could eventually be stretched back out as a starter, but the hard-throwing right-hander has found some solid success as a reliever since transitioning to the bullpen following an uneven start last season.
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Mariners' Matt Brash: Coming to camp as reliever
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President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said Brash will be competing for a relief role on Seattle's Opening Day roster during spring training, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.
Brash began last season as a member of Seattle's rotation before moving to the bullpen in May after being roughed up through his first five starts. He turned in much better results as a reliever (2.35 ERA, 1.24 WHIP in 30.2 innings), but Seattle was still expected to entertain the idea of letting the 24-year-old audition for a rotation spot heading into 2023. However, with Brash set to spend some time away from the Mariners' spring camp while pitching for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic, Dipoto suggested that the right-hander won't be built up for starting duty and will instead continue to work out of the bullpen. If Brash doesn't gain traction in a high-leverage gig out of the big-league bullpen early in the season, the Mariners could send him to the minors and transition him back to a starting role.
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Mariners' Matt Brash: Takes fourth loss Sunday
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Brash (3-4) took the loss against the Rangers on Sunday, allowing two earned runs on two hits and a wild pitch over two-thirds of an inning.
Brash's control has been one of his Achilles heels thus far in his professional career, and that surfaced somewhat again Sunday. Entrusted with preserving a 3-3 tie when he entered in the seventh, Brash retired Josh Smith and Marcus Semien to open the frame before surrendering a double to Corey Seager, advancing him to third on a wild pitch and subsequently conceding an RBI single to Adolis Garcia. He was also charged post-exit with the run Garcia scored on the double Erik Swanson surrendered to Nathaniel Lowe, making it the first time Brash had given up multiple earned runs in an outing since his May 4 against the Astros.
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Mariners' Matt Brash: Multi-inning effort for third win
Rotowire
Brash (3-3) picked up the victory in an extra-innings win over the Yankees on Tuesday, firing two scoreless frames in which he didn't allow any hits, issued two walks and recorded three strikeouts.
While his location wasn't always the sharpest, Brash navigated the 12th and 13th innings successfully over a total of 29 pitches. The right-hander has now put together six consecutive scoreless relief appearances since being recalled from Triple-A Tacoma on July 28, a sample of 6.1 innings.
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Mariners' Matt Brash: Gets second win Saturday
Rotowire
Brash (2-3), recalled from Triple-A Tacoma earlier in the day, secured the win over the Blue Jays on Saturday, firing a perfect seventh inning during which he recorded two strikeouts.
The starter-turned-reliever worked up to 25 pitches in his one frame, but that was largely due to a 13-pitch encounter with Lourdes Gurriel that included nine foul balls but ultimately culminated in a strikeout. Brash proved well-suited for relief work during his just-concluded 22-appearance stint with the Rainiers, with the bullpen role seemingly helping him to harness his unpredictable control somewhat better.
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Mariners' Matt Brash: Picks up first win
Rotowire
Brash (1-1) got the win during Sunday's 7-2 victory over Houston, allowing two runs on two hits and six walks with five strikeouts in 5.1 innings.
Despite the win, Brash struggled with his control and was aided by four double plays from the Seattle defense that erased four of his six walks. Houston finally got to the rookie with a two-run Michael Brantley home run in the sixth, but at that point the 23-year-old was already staked to a six-run lead. He's tentatively set to face the Royals on Saturday for his next turn.
