DETROIT – Shane Greene recorded a save in all three of the Detroit Tigers' wins over the Kansas City Royals last week, making him the first pitcher in MLB history to have seven saves in his team's first 10 games.
Greene took over as MLB's 2019 saves leader Thursday when he slammed the door on Opening Day in Detroit. He continued to get the job done over the weekend, and now leads Kirby Yates and Josh Hader by two saves for the league lead.
Recommended Videos
While the quantity of Greene's saves is historic, the quality has been just as impressive. He's yet to allow a run this season while allowing two hits, one walk and one hit batter in seven innings.
That means only four out of 25 batters have reached base against Greene this season. He's also recorded six strikeouts, including five in his last four innings.
Greene's only stressful outing came on March 31 against the Toronto Blue Jays, when he allowed two base runners in a one-run game. He got out of the jam in 16 pitches, and no other outing has lasted more than 13 pitches.
The efficiency in every outing has allowed Greene to pitch in seven of the team's 10 games, including appearances on three consecutive days last week and five games in six days.
Home runs were a big problem for Greene last season, but he hasn't allowed much hard contact this season. He's also benefited from an improved Tigers infield.
After a rough 2018 season, Greene is following up a strong spring training with an historic start to the regular season. He certainly won't keep up this pace, but Tigers fans are feeling a rare sense of comfort in the ninth inning so far this year.
/**/