Updated: May 11, 2008, 5:06 PM ET

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Dustin Brandford/Icon SMI

Ryan Franklin should get the save opportunities for St. Louis temporarily.

Closer Conundrum
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By Jason Grey
ESPN.com
(Archive)

Saturday was a day of reckoning for a couple of struggling closers on opposite sides of the field.

One lost his job, and the other appears about to go down the same path.

Jason Isringhausen was taken out of his stopper role with the Cardinals after blowing his fifth save of the season on Friday night.

"We're going to try to give him a mental break, choosing his opportunities a little differently," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa told the team Web site.

Ryan Franklin and Russ Springer will ostensibly share the ninth-inning duties, but expect Franklin to get most of the opportunities in the short term. He picked up an uneventful save on Saturday.

The only reason there was a save situation for Franklin was the continuing struggles of Brewers closer Eric Gagne. Even though it wasn't a save situation, it might as well have been, because Gagne gave up two ninth-inning runs in a tie ballgame.

Gagne has converted nine saves this season, but he's also blown five and told the team Web site after the game, "I don't deserve that ninth inning right now. That's pretty simple."

Manager Ned Yost told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "I don't make decisions after tough games. Gagne's my closer right now. We'll sit and look at some things, but I don't make decisions after a hard ballgame."

Despite that statement, it's hard to believe Gagne will be anywhere within spitting distance of the ninth inning anytime soon, especially when for all intents and purposes, he appeared to be begging off of that duty for now. Salomon Torres might be the front-runner for that spot because he has been the most effective late-inning reliever and has closing experience, but the team could opt to go with Guillermo Mota, who has seemingly been a closer-in-waiting ever since his debut in 1999.

If either pitcher gets into a groove in less stressful situations, both could win their jobs back. Isringhausen is in a better position to do so; La Russa intimated his situation might only be temporary.

• Past editions: 5/10: Florida Fun | 5/9: Brandon Webb 8-0 | 5/8: Votto for three

Highlights
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Box Score Bits
It appears Ryan Freel had good reason to complain when he was talking about his lack of playing time a couple of weeks ago. He had three more hits Saturday, giving him 16 hits in his past 10 starts. He may also pick up eligibility at second and third base over the course of the season. … Jeff Keppinger went 5-for-5 in the second game of the Reds/Mets doubleheader to raise his average to .317 this season. He doesn't bring much else to the table, but he's a legitimate .300 hitter. … Dana Eveland threw a quality start that could have been even better if not for one mistake pitch to Milton Bradley. With Eveland's rotation spot secure for the moment, he is a viable mixed-league option. … Andrew Miller finally put together a great start for the Marlins on Saturday, pitching seven shutout innings and striking out seven. He's still not recommended for mixed leagues, but bears watching. He's a buy-low candidate in NL play. … George Sherrill closed out his 13th game in 15 chances. Jim Johnson appears to have moved into the primary setup role for Sherrill in Baltimore. … Darrell Rasner made good use of his new cutter for a second straight start, easily handling the Tigers for six innings to pick up the win. He's a must-grab in AL leagues and a definite sleeper in mixed leagues. … Max Scherzer put up a much better performance in his second career start, allowing no earned runs in six innings of work. It wasn't quite as good as it appeared, because the Cubs ran themselves out of a couple of innings by getting two runners thrown out at the plate, but it was still a solid effort. Doug Davis' imminent return puts Scherzer's future role in question. … Ryan Howard hit his seventh homer of the season, and the encouraging sign is that it was his first of the season to the opposite field, which is what he does when he's going well. … Dustin McGowan had no command, and the Indians torched him for nine runs. This was just a temporary blip, and he should bounce back in his next start. … Aaron Laffey allowed no earned runs for a second straight start, and can make a bigger impact in AL play than most think. … Jason Bay continues to heat up, hitting his seventh homer of the season and swiping his fourth base. Bay is hitting .387 this month and slugging .613. … Scott Kazmir got back into his usual form with six shutout innings against the Angels, and should reassume his place among the league's top starters going forward. … Kevin Youkilis continued to flash his newfound power, homering for the sixth time in his past seven games, and he appears on track to finally crack the 20-homer barrier. … In the same game in which Greg Maddux picked up win No. 350, Ubaldo Jimenez struck out a career-high 11 in throwing a quality start. He's gradually been getting a little better over his past few outings, but is still a high-risk play for the time being. … Kenji Johjima was back in the Mariners' lineup after getting a day of rest to clear his head and work on his swing, and he responded with two hits. Jeff Clement is two games away from qualifying at catcher in most leagues. … Michael Bourn is now 17-for-17 in steals this season, and has reached base safely 11 times in his past seven games as the rest of his offensive game is starting to come around. … Kevin Millwood left his start after two batters due to a strained groin and is day-to-day. … Brian Roberts left that same game early due to a bruised foot, and should be back in the lineup within a day or two.


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Standing Out
THE CAPTAIN
Derek Jeter, Yankees
Not exactly known for his power, Derek Jeter finally broke his longest career home run drought with a long ball off Tigers starter Jeremy Bonderman. This isn't the start of a streak, likely, but Jeter will still end up in double-digits for home runs.

DODGER BLUE
Chad Billingsley, Dodgers
Chad Billingsley continued his inconsistent season Saturday night. After two consecutive great starts, Billingsley laid another egg against Houston, allowing five runs (four earned) versus the Astros. He's still a young pitcher, and the final numbers will be good, but getting there will not be smooth.
News and Notes
Jose Guillen was limited to DH duties because of a hip flexor, and had two hits. If the condition persists, it will mean more at-bats for Joey Gathright at the expense of Ross Gload, as Billy Butler shifts to first base. … Julio Lugo, who took a knee to the head on Friday night, was scratched from Saturday's game because he still felt a little dizzy. He is day-to-day. … Rafael Furcal missed his fourth straight game with a sore lower back and remains day-to-day. … Multiple media sources are speculating Clayton Kershaw will be called up to make a start on May 17, which is the next time Esteban Loaiza's turn comes up in the rotation. Loaiza reported tightness in his shoulder after his most recent outing … Curt Schilling threw approximately 40 pitches from 60 feet on Saturday, reported no problems with his right shoulder, and is expected to throw again Monday. The earliest he is expected to return is after the All-Star break. … Dmitri Young is expected to start a rehab assignment next week at Double-A. He's missed most of the season with a back injury. … The Angels hope to get some help for their depleted infield by activating Maicer Izturis from the disabled list when he is eligible on Tuesday. … Pedro Martinez threw a 60-pitch bullpen session on Friday, and there were no setbacks with his hamstring. He will throw to hitters sometime this week, with a rehab assignment possible in the near future. … Hank Blalock took batting practice on Saturday, but is still at least two weeks away from returning from his torn hamstring. … Troy Glaus should be back in the Cardinals' lineup on Sunday after missing a game with a bruised triceps muscle. … Ramon Hernandez was a late scratch on Saturday due to a sore wrist. He could be back in the lineup Sunday.
Transactions

• The news on Vernon Wells was worse than originally thought, and he was placed on the disabled list. He is expected to miss six to eight weeks with a broken wrist. The Blue Jays also placed Jeremy Accardo on the disabled list with a forearm strain and called up Joe Inglett and Armando Benitez. Alex Rios shifts to center, and Brad Wilkerson and Kevin Mench are expected to share time in right field.

• The A's activated Travis Buck from the disabled list but optioned him to Triple-A to find his swing again.

• The lack of improvement in his strained hamstring caused Chone Figgins to hit the disabled list on Saturday. The Angels recalled Kendry Morales to take his roster spot. Brandon Wood and Robb Quinlan will continue to hold down the third-base spot in the interim, with Maicer Izturis a potential option when he returns.

• The Giants activated Omar Vizquel from the disabled list, and the shortstop batted second and rapped out three hits on Saturday. As expected, Brian Bocock was sent down to make room. Vizquel's ability to steal bases going forward is still in question after his knee troubles.

• Wilson Betemit was placed on the disabled list after Saturday's game with a hamstring injury. Morgan Ensberg will get the starts at third base while Alex Rodriguez remains sidelined.

• The Twins placed Pat Neshek on the disabled list and announced that he is expected to miss the season with an elbow problem. Glen Perkins was called up to start Saturday's game, which he lost to the Red Sox. He will remain in the rotation while Scott Baker is out. Nick Punto also hit the DL with a hamstring injury, and Alexi Casilla was summoned from Triple-A. If you're desperate for speed in AL-only leagues, Casilla brings some stolen base potential to the table when he plays.

On The Farm

• Bartolo Colon made his first appearance at Triple-A since April 3 as he recovers from a strained oblique muscle. Colon allowed one run on four hits over three innings, throwing 36 of his 49 pitches for strikes. Even more encouraging, his fastball touched 97 mph. He's an interesting sleeper if his rehab continues to progress well and the Red Sox find a way to eventually slot him in their rotation.

• White Sox starting pitching prospect Lance Broadway had another solid outing at Triple-A on Saturday, allowing just one run in seven innings. The outing actually caused his ERA to go up to 1.13 in seven starts. He has 26 strikeouts to 12 walks in 48 innings, and should see some time at the big league level later in the year. He might not miss enough bats to consistently succeed in the majors, but he might have some short-term value.

• Colby Rasmus went 1-for-4 on Saturday, which raised his average up to a robust .193 for the season. He has hit five homers and stolen five bases in 37 games, but still has not had that hot streak that gives him some consideration for big league time. With the Cardinals' outfielders performing well, Rasmus may be nothing more than a September call-up at this rate.