Topa walked one and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Wednesday to record his third save of the season in a 6-3 win over the A's.
Andres Munoz handled the eighth inning in this one, leaving the ninth to Topa, and the 32-year-old came through with his first save since July 22. Topa's numbers have taken a bit of a step back in September, but he still has a solid 3.48 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 7:3 K:BB through 10.1 innings on the month while adding a win and a hold to Wednesday's save over 10 appearances.
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Mariners' Justin Topa: Secures fifth win Saturday
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Topa (5-4) got the win against the Mets on Saturday, firing 1.1 scoreless innings during which he allowed two hits and did not issue a walk or record a strikeout.
Topa put out the fire upon entering in the eighth, inducing an inning-ending groundout from Pete Alonso with Jeff McNeil on third in a 7-7 tie. J.P. Crawford's ninth-inning solo shot would snap the deadlock and put Topa in position for the victory, which he subsequently earned during a busy final frame that saw him work around two singles. The right-hander now has three wins in his last five appearances -- including in back-to-back outings -- and he's also garnered six holds dating back to Aug. 15.
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Mariners' Justin Topa: Evens record in win
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Topa (4-4) secured the win over the Athletics on Wednesday, allowing an earned run on two hits over one inning. He did not issue any walks or record a strikeout.
Topa got a true backdoor victory to even his season mark, as he actually failed to protect the 3-3 tie he was tasked with preserving by allowing doubles to Aledmys Diaz and Esteury Ruiz during his one inning. However, Topa was able to escape the frame without further damage when Ruiz was thrown out at home on a Ryan Noda flyout, and he then became the pitcher of record when the Mariners took the lead for good with a two-run rally in the home half of the frame. The stumble actually snapped what had been a 26-appearance stretch for Topa without allowing an earned run that dated back to June 27.
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Mariners' Justin Topa: Takes fourth loss Wednesday
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Topa (3-4) took the extra-inning loss against the White Sox on Wednesday, allowing an unearned run without retiring a batter.
Topa was in for all of two pitches in the 10th inning, and while facing Elvis Andrus, J.P. Crawford's throwing error on a rundown attempt allowed inning-opening runner Tim Anderson to score the winning run for Chicago. The run was the first of any kind on Topa's line since July 22, a span of 13.1 innings across 13 appearances.
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Mariners' Justin Topa: Nabs third win Tuesday
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Topa (3-3) got the victory over the White Sox on Tuesday, firing 1.1 perfect innings during which he recorded a strikeout.
Topa breezed through his brief time in the game, impressively firing nine of his 11 pitches for strikes while getting Eloy Jimenez on an inning-ending groundout with two aboard when he first entered in the seventh. The right-hander hasn't allowed a run since July 22, a span of 13.1 innings during which he's recorded two wins overall alongside seven holds.
Mariners' Justin Topa: More high-leverage shots likely
Rotowire
Topa, who recorded his 17th hold in Wednesday's win over the Red Sox with a scoreless one-third of an inning, could see some closing opportunities in the wake of Paul Sewald's trade to the Diamondbacks on Monday, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.
Topa was called on to get the last out of the eighth inning Wednesday with the Mariners holding a three-run lead, but Kramer notes the 32-year-old could occasionally see higher-leverage opportunities than that the rest of the way. Topa has given up just four earned runs across the 16.2 innings covering his last 20 appearances while producing a 16:3 K:BB, and his 59.8 percent groundball rate for the season speaks to his ability to keep the ball down. Topa has primarily been called on for seventh- and eighth-inning work thus far, yet with manager Scott Servais noting he'll "mix and match" to an extent with the closer role moving forward, the right-hander could get some save chances as well.
Topa gave up a run on three hits while striking out one in the ninth inning of Saturday's 9-8 win over the Blue Jays, recording his second save of the season.
Paul Sewald had pitched Thursday and Friday, while Andres Munoz and Matt Brash had both worked earlier in Saturday's contest, leaving Topa to get a rare save chance. The right-hander got the job done, although he got tagged for his first earned run in nearly a month while doing so. Topa has been a solid addition to the Seattle bullpen this season, posting a 2.84 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 36:11 K:BB through 38 innings while collecting 14 holds and a win in 42 appearances in addition to his two saves.
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Mariners' Justin Topa: Takes third loss Saturday
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Topa (1-3) took the extra-inning loss against the Orioles on Saturday, allowing two runs (one earned) on one hit over one-third of an inning. He did not issue a walk or record a strikeout.
Topa's blink-and-you-missed-it 10th-inning stint on the mound spanned all of seven pitches, with Ryan McKenna hitting a game-winning two-run home run after Adley Rutschman had flied out to start the frame. The 32-year-old right-hander had produced scoreless efforts in seven of his previous eight trips to the mound, and despite Saturday's stumble, his solid 3.34 ERA and 13 holds across a career-high 32 appearances are all encouraging figures from a fantasy perspective.
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Mariners' Justin Topa: Picks up win
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Topa (1-2) earned the win over the Yankees on Wednesday after pitching a scoreless inning. He walked one batter and struck out one.
Topa entered the game in the 10th inning after the game remained scoreless after nine. An error and a walk loaded the bases for the Yankees with one out, but Topa was able to work his way around the trouble and concluded the frame by striking out Franchy Cordero. The 32-year-old garnered his first win of the year when the Mariners walked it off in the bottom of the inning. Topa now owns a 3.32 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 22:8 K:BB to go along with 10 holds and a save in 24 appearances so far this year.
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Mariners' Justin Topa: Locks down first save
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Topa allowed one hit in a scoreless inning against Houston on Sunday. He struck out one and earned a save.
Topa worked around a leadoff single to finish off a quick inning and secure the 3-1 victory. He's been a terrific addition to Seattle's bullpen since his promotion in early April, posting a 1.29 ERA and a 14:5 K:BB through 14 frames. Topa has seven holds and has now converted one of two save chances. Paul Sewald allowed two runs Saturday and did not appear in Sunday's win.
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Mariners' Justin Topa: Recalled from Tacoma
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The Mariners recalled Topa from Triple-A Tacoma, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.
Topa was recalled with the Mariners sending Matt Festa to Tacoma and placing Andres Munoz on the injured list. The right-hander will operate in the middle innings while a member of Seattle's pitching staff.
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Mariners' Justin Topa: Dispatched to minors
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The Mariners optioned Topa to Triple-A Tacoma on Monday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.
Acquired from the Brewers in January, Topa had a so-so performance in his first camp with Seattle. The hard-throwing righty turned in a 2.25 ERA and struck out eight batters over eight frames in Cactus League play, but he issued three walks and allowed a .300 average to opposing batters. So long as he steers clear of the health issues that have derailed him the past two seasons, Topa should stand a decent chance of surfacing in Seattle's bullpen at some point in 2023.
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Mariners' Justin Topa: Solid in six spring appearances
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Topa owns a 3.00 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 7:2 K:BB across six innings in six Cactus League appearances.
The big right-hander is an intriguing reclamation project of sorts for the Mariners after previously having undergone a pair of Tommy John surgeries and finishing last season with the Brewers on the injured list with an ankle contusion. Topa has appeared healthy this spring while working an inning apiece in each of his six appearances out of the bullpen. He projects for a low-leverage role to open the season, which will limit his fantasy appeal overall.
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Mariners' Justin Topa: Headed to Seattle
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Topa was traded from the Brewers to the Mariners on Saturday in exchange for Joseph Hernandez.
The 31-year-old righty already has two Tommy John surgeries on his resume and has logged 18.1 innings over the past three MLB seasons. The high point of his value was after the 2020 season, when he was dominant across six appearances. He should work in low-leverage situations for the Mariners, as they try to help him recapture his form from a couple years ago.
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Brewers' Justin Topa: Heads to injured list
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Topa was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right ankle contusion Monday.
Topa was called up by the Brewers on Wednesday, and he gave up two runs on two hits and no walks while failing to strike out a batter in two innings over two appearances following his promotion. While the right-hander would be able to return if the Brewers make the postseason and go on a run, his season is likely over. Right-hander Jake Cousins was called up to take his place in the bullpen late in the regular season.
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Brewers' Justin Topa: Summoned from minors
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The Brewers recalled Topa from Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday.
Just over a week after being optioned to Triple-A, Topa will rejoin the Milwaukee bullpen after starter Adrian Houser (groin) was placed on the 15-day injured list in a corresponding move. Topa, who has given up two earned runs over 5.1 innings at the big-league level in 2022, will likely serve as a low-leverage reliever over the final week of the season.
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Brewers' Justin Topa: Returns to Triple-A
Rotowire
Topa was optioned to Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday.
Topa would have been unavailable for a day or two after pitching three of the last four days, so the Brewers decided to remove him from the roster to open up a spot for fellow pitcher Aaron Ashby. Topa will likely be at or near the top of the list if the Brewers need to add a reliever before the season comes to a close.
