Every year in the MLB, there is at least one team that makes a crucial move at the trade deadline to help propel their team into the playoffs.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!And this year, the Arizona Diamondbacks are emerging as that team.
By swapping out Andrew Chafin for Paul Sewald in their bullpen, the Diamondbacks have suddenly surged to the top of the league in saves over the past 15 days.
Although the D-backs have won 10 of their last 12 games, bolstering themselves back into a Wild Card spot, it’s challenging to assert with certainty that they would have maintained the same record had Chafin remained in the bullpen.
Out of their last 10 wins, seven have been determined by two runs or fewer. Additionally, since August 12th, Paul Sewald has amassed a remarkable seven saves, leading all of baseball in this time frame.
Other than Sewald’s debut save outing with the Diamondbacks, he has pitched nine shutout innings, lowering his season ERA back below 3.00.
Meanwhile, Andrew Chafin, now pitching for the Brewers, has allowed seven earned runs in a mere 5.1 innings of work since joining his new team, causing his season ERA to soar to 5.22.
Due to this performance, the Brewers have refrained from using Chafin in games for over a week.
While one individual may not single-handedly alter the course of a season, it’s difficult to express just how clutch Sewald has proven to be for the Diamondbacks.
Despite having just three official starters in the rotation and an inconsistent young bullpen, somehow the Diamondbacks have managed to pick up close win after close win to pull themselves out of the mud and back into a Wild Card spot.
And this would certainly not have been possible without a reliable closer.
