Brad Keller and Andrew Kittredge form a Cubs late-inning committee after Palencia hits the IL, creating a two-headed path to saves with fireman duties sprinkled in. Dennis Santana remains the Pirates’ closer, and JoJo Romero with Riley O’Brien share Cardinals late-inning leverage, offering mixed saves and holds as playoff rosters tighten. Ranger arms Shawn Armstrong and Phil Maton are splitting saves, with Trevor Megill’s looming return for Milwaukee reshaping the back end. In deeper leagues, Arizona’s bullpen shows leverage ladder activity behind Woodford, Saalfrank, and Thompson.

Masyn Winn delivered a three-hit night with runners in scoring position, and his 10th-inning RBI single pushed St. Louis to a 7-5 win over Cincinnati after extra innings. Liberatore weathered a rough start to hand off a slim lead to a bullpen that locked it down, while the Reds rallied behind Marte and de la Cruz, only to lose it on a late Cardinal miscue and Winn’s clutch knock.

The game featured several swing moments: Marte’s long homer early, de la Cruz’s multi-hit night, and Pages’ and Contreras’ hustle in key spots. Wrigley-by-the-river drama culminated in Winn’s go-ahead single and a Cardinals’ win that tightens the NL Central chase while underscoring Winn’s late-season impact and the rotating Cardinal bullpen's resilience.

Week 22 fantasy closer updates center on clear saves and opportunistic pickups. Dennis Santana locksthe Pirates’ ninth inning, turning in two saves and shrugging off a midseason stumble as his job looks safe for fantasy purposes. Jose A. Ferrer stepped in for Washington with three saves in four appearances, signaling a likely closer-by-committee trend at the Nationals down the stretch. Randy Rodriguez still carries upside in San Francisco, showing the ceiling for saves when the Giants can run his arc. Victor Vodnik has grabbed two saves in Colorado, offering a viable late-inning option in the Rockies bullpen.

Deeper-league intrigue runs through Reid Detmers in Los Angeles, JoJo Romero in St. Louis (alongside Riley O’Brien sharing ninth-inning duties), and Calvin Faucher in Miami as Anthony Bender’s season-ending tibia injury clears room for late-inning opportunities. Raisel Iglesias posted five saves on the week, a reminder that the closer role can swing fast. Hunter Gaddis and Tanner Scott emerge as hot-handed back-end options, while bullpen dynamics in Texas and Arizona intensify as teams chase late wins and playoff positioning.

Giancarlo Stanton resurfaced as a spark for the Yankees, pinch-hitting in the ninth and drawing a walk as New York mounted an 8-4 rally to beat the Cardinals. Stanton’s appearance—his first since midweek—came while he nurses lower-body soreness, with Anthony Volpe pinch-running and scoring in the late surge. Meanwhile, Aaron Judge remains the Yankees’ designated hitter as he rehab throws ahead of a possible outfield return. Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt came back into the Cardinals’ lineup, with Goldschmidt delivering a multi-hit day after knee inflammation and a spirited standing ovation marking a six-season Cardinal reunion. Rehabbing arms from both clubs surfaced in the bullpen notes: Loáisiga’s rehab start and Cruz’s brief return-to-action. The mix of health updates and late-game offense shaped a tight narrative as the season moves toward critical late-summer windows.